Locating on-line documentation at SRI-ARC

SRI-ARC, the Stanford Research Institute's Augmentation Research Center, hosted much of the ARPANET's distributed documentation in its NLS (oN-Line System), an innovative hypertext-like environment that supported linked documents and structured browsing. As the collection grew, users needed help locating the specific documents they sought.

To address this, SRI-ARC created two locator files to serve as navigational guides: the NIC LOCATOR for general network documentation and the ARC LOCATOR for system-specific documentation.

The NIC LOCATOR file was the primary entry point for users seeking network-wide documentation. It organized functional documents through a system of branches (hierarchical document sections) that could be followed to find information about different topics. A branch labeled "ARC SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION" within the NIC LOCATOR directed users to the ARCLOCATOR file.

The ARCLOCATOR file contained documentation specific to the SRI-ARC system itself, introducing users to the many features available for network use and explaining how to use the various ARC capabilities. Both files were formatted in a way that was accessible to inexperienced NLS users, with instructions on how to use the files themselves included as the first branch (branch .1).

To access the NIC LOCATOR, users would load the file using the NLS command: L[oad] F[ile] [NIC]locator CR. Once loaded, users could display the instructions (in branch .1) by typing P[rint] B[ranch] .1 CA wn CA. These commands and the structured branch system made navigation straightforward for users who were familiar with NLS commands.

Users were invited to send suggestions and improvements for the LOCATOR files to Kirk Kelley or NDM (Dean Meyer) at SRI-ARC. This feedback mechanism helped keep the documentation guides current as the network and its documentation collection evolved.