Since the basic event schedule is contained in the document specification, the scheduler can be predictive rather than simply reactive. In other words, we don't have to wait for a mouse click to see what is to happen next, since the presentation road-map is stored separately from the presentation data. Make synchronization among data streams explicit, not implicit. Presentations can then be tailored to the capabilities of individual platforms. Have the author specify rational alternative based on content, rather than having the system make choice based on data format.
Many browsers make all sorts of choices in the rendering of information.
By cracking documents open, the potential exists for more reasonable forms of user navigation and selection, and a real alternative to the analog video player is defined. Having a separate specification doesn't remove this problem, but it does allow informed choices to be made before a particular link is taken. This does not mean that all jumps will be smooth, but it does mean that the delay inherent in a hypermedia system can be managed. In order to keep this position paper short, we will not include a detailed description of CMIF or the Amsterdam Hypermedia Model. Interested readers should consult the references at the end of this paper.