ENQUIRE

ENQUIRE
类型	hypertext system
发明人	蒂姆·伯纳斯-李
开始	1980年
制造商	欧洲核子研究中心

ENQUIRE又称询问计划，是由蒂姆·伯纳斯-李于1980年在欧洲核子研究中心（CERN）撰写的软件项目^[2]，为万维网的前身^[2]^[3]^[4]。这是一个简单的超文本程序^[4]，具备与万维网及语义网相同的部分概念，但在几个重要部分有所差异^[2]^[3]^[5]。

背景

1980年左右，在CERN工作的人员使用着不同的硬件、软件并拥有各自的需求。大部分工作透过电子邮件和文件交换完成^[4]，科学家借此掌握各个关系项目中不同部分的进度^[3]^[2]。1980年6月23日，伯纳斯-李于开始在CERN工作，并在那里开发了ENQUIRE作为个人的组织工具^[6]。建立新系统的门槛在于必须与不同的网络、磁盘格式、资料格式及字符编码方案兼容，这使得在不同系统之间传输信息的任何尝试都成为一项艰巨且通常不切实际的任务^[7]。当伯纳斯-李开发ENQUIRE时，并未察觉万尼瓦尔·布希、道格拉斯·恩格尔巴特和泰德·尼尔森先前针对Memex、NLS及世外桃源项目所提出的构想。直到完成ENQUIRE并进一步完善其理念后，这些前人的研究成果才使其构思的理论基础获得证实^[8]^[9]。

与万维网的差异

Documentation of the RPC project (concept)

Most of the documentation is available on VMS, with the two
principle manuals being stored in the CERNDOC system.

1) includes: The VAX/NOTES conference VXCERN::RPC
2) includes: Test and Example suite
3) includes: RPC BUG LISTS
4) includes: RPC System: Implementation Guide
Information for maintenance, porting, etc.
5) includes: Suggested Development Strategy for RPC Applications
6) includes: "Notes on RPC", Draft 1, 20 feb 86
7) includes: "Notes on Proposed RPC Development" 18 Feb 86
8) includes: RPC User Manual
How to build and run a distributed system.
9) includes: Draft Specifications and Implementation Notes
10) includes: The RPC HELP facility
11) describes: THE REMOTE PROCEDURE CALL PROJECT in DD/OC

Help Display Select Back Quit Mark Goto_mark Link Add Edit

ENQUIRE的显示画面^[1]。

ENQUIRE拥有称为“卡片”的页面以及卡片内的链接。这些链接具有不同的含义，并拥有约十几种关系，会显示给卡片的建立者、事物、文件及组群。所有人都能看到链接之间的关系，用以解释链接的必要性或是移除卡片后会发生的情况^[4]。每个人都被允许新增卡片，但这些新卡片总是需要一个既有的卡片作为基础^[6]。

相较于现代人所熟悉的万维网，ENQUIRE的本质其实更趋近于维基的概念。其最显著的特色在于具备双向超链接的功能，这点在当今的维基百科中，类似于链接至此的页面的机制^[4]^[10]。此外，ENQUIRE支持直接在服务端进内联容编辑，运作逻辑与内容管理系统或博客十分相似^[2]。在内容协作与组合上展现了极大的便利性，特别是在建立超链接时极为有效率^[2]。万维网的建立是为了统一CERN当时存在的各种系统，例如ENQUIRE、CERNDOC、VAX / VMS Notes和Usenet^[1]。

ENQUIRE失败的原因

伯纳斯-李于1984年回到CERN并密集使用他自己的系统^[1]^[4]。他意识到协调项目的大部分时间都花在保持信息更新上^[4]。因此他认为需要一个类似ENQUIRE但“每个人都能访问”的系统^[4]。伯纳斯-李并未使ENQUIRE达到能让其他用户轻易上手的完善程度，且在CERN的其他部门也存在类似的情况^[1]。另一个问题是不允许外部链接链接到现有数据库，且该系统功能不足以处理与数据库之间足够的连线^[1]^[2]，后续开发便宣告停止，尽管目前仍保有使用手册，但ENQUIRE的源代码已经丢失^[11]。

参考文献

^ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 ^1.4 ^1.5 Berners-Lee, Tim. Information Management: A Proposal. World Wide Web Consortium. May 1990 [25 August 2010]. （原始内容存档于2010-04-01）.
^ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 ^2.4 ^2.5 ^2.6 Berners-Lee, Tim. Frequently asked questions — Start of the web: Influences. World Wide Web Consortium. [2010-07-22]. （原始内容存档于2018-10-03）.
^ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 Jeffery, Simon; Fenn, Chris; Smith, Bobbie; Coumbe, John. A people's history of the internet: from Arpanet in 1969 to today (Flash). London: The Guardian: See 1980. 2009-10-23 [2010-01-07]. （原始内容存档于2016-03-06）.
^ ^4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 ^4.3 ^4.4 ^4.5 ^4.6 ^4.7 Berners-Lee, Tim. A Brief History of the Web. World Wide Web Consortium. c. 1993 [2010-08-24]. （原始内容存档于2010-12-29）.
^ Finkelstein, Prof. Anthony. ENQUIRE WITHIN UPON EVERYTHING. ICT Portal. BBC. 2003-08-15 [2010-01-07]. （原始内容存档于2003-02-18）.
^ ^6.0 ^6.1 History of the Web. Oxford Brookes University. 2002 [2010-11-20]. （原始内容存档于2010-09-25）.
^ Berners-Lee, Tim. The World Wide Web: Past, Present and Future. World Wide Web Consortium. August 1996 [2010-08-25]. （原始内容存档于2009-05-22）.
^ Tim Berners-Lee. Weaving the Web. Internet Archive. HarperSanFrancisco. 1999: 5–6. ISBN 978-0-06-251586-5. Unbeknownst to me at that early stage in my thinking, several people had hit upon similar concepts, which were never implemented.
^ Rutter, Dorian. From Diversity to Convergence: British Computer Networks and the Internet, 1970-1995 (PDF) (Computer Science论文). The University of Warwick. 2005 [27 December 2022]. （原始内容存档 (PDF)于10 October 2022）. When Berners-Lee developed his Enquire hypertext system during 1980, the ideas explored by Bush, Engelbart, and Nelson did not influence his work, as he was not aware of them. However, as Berners-Lee began to refine his ideas, the work of these predecessors would later confirm the legitimacy of his system.
^ Cailliau, Robert. A Little History of the World Wide Web. World Wide Web Consortium. 1995 [25 July 2010]. （原始内容存档于2013-05-06）.
^ Palmer, Sean B.; Berners-Lee, Tim. Enquire Manual — In HyperText. February–March 2001 [30 August 2010]. （原始内容存档于2025-12-08）.

[proposal-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 ^1.4 ^1.5 Berners-Lee, Tim. Information Management: A Proposal. World Wide Web Consortium. May 1990 [25 August 2010]. （原始内容存档于2010-04-01）.

[faq-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 ^2.4 ^2.5 ^2.6 Berners-Lee, Tim. Frequently asked questions — Start of the web: Influences. World Wide Web Consortium. [2010-07-22]. （原始内容存档于2018-10-03）.

[guardian-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 Jeffery, Simon; Fenn, Chris; Smith, Bobbie; Coumbe, John. A people's history of the internet: from Arpanet in 1969 to today (Flash). London: The Guardian: See 1980. 2009-10-23 [2010-01-07]. （原始内容存档于2016-03-06）.

[timblbook-4] 4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 ^4.3 ^4.4 ^4.5 ^4.6 ^4.7 Berners-Lee, Tim. A Brief History of the Web. World Wide Web Consortium. c. 1993 [2010-08-24]. （原始内容存档于2010-12-29）.

[5] Finkelstein, Prof. Anthony. ENQUIRE WITHIN UPON EVERYTHING. ICT Portal. BBC. 2003-08-15 [2010-01-07]. （原始内容存档于2003-02-18）.

[oxford-6] 6.0 ^6.1 History of the Web. Oxford Brookes University. 2002 [2010-11-20]. （原始内容存档于2010-09-25）.

[ppf-7] Berners-Lee, Tim. The World Wide Web: Past, Present and Future. World Wide Web Consortium. August 1996 [2010-08-25]. （原始内容存档于2009-05-22）.

[:32-8] Tim Berners-Lee. Weaving the Web. Internet Archive. HarperSanFrancisco. 1999: 5–6. ISBN 978-0-06-251586-5. Unbeknownst to me at that early stage in my thinking, several people had hit upon similar concepts, which were never implemented.

[:422-9] Rutter, Dorian. From Diversity to Convergence: British Computer Networks and the Internet, 1970-1995 (PDF) (Computer Science论文). The University of Warwick. 2005 [27 December 2022]. （原始内容存档 (PDF)于10 October 2022）. When Berners-Lee developed his Enquire hypertext system during 1980, the ideas explored by Bush, Engelbart, and Nelson did not influence his work, as he was not aware of them. However, as Berners-Lee began to refine his ideas, the work of these predecessors would later confirm the legitimacy of his system.

[robert-10] Cailliau, Robert. A Little History of the World Wide Web. World Wide Web Consortium. 1995 [25 July 2010]. （原始内容存档于2013-05-06）.

[manual-11] Palmer, Sean B.; Berners-Lee, Tim. Enquire Manual — In HyperText. February–March 2001 [30 August 2010]. （原始内容存档于2025-12-08）.

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