Portal

Portal may refer to:

Computing

Gateways to information

Other

Entertainment

Portal (interactive novel)

Portal is a mix between a computerized novel and an interactive game. It was published for the Amiga in 1986 by Activision, written by Rob Swigart, produced by Brad Fregger, and programmed by Nexa Corporation. Versions for the Commodore 64, Apple II, and DOS were later released. Versions for the Macintosh and Atari ST were announced and developed, but never formally released. A unique game for its time, Portal was one part text-driven adventure (à la Zork or Planetfall) but with a graphical interface. It is unrelated to the game Portal (2007) by Valve Corporation.

Setting

The player, taking on the role of the unnamed astronaut protagonist, returns from a failed 100-year voyage to 61 Cygni to find the Earth devoid of humans. Cars are rusted and covered with moss, the streets are completely barren and everything appears as though the entire human race had just vanished suddenly. The player happens upon a barely functioning computer terminal that is tied into a storytelling mainframe, Homer. Through this interface, the player, assisted by Homer who attempts to weave the information into a coherent narrative, discovers information in order to piece together the occurrences leading to the disappearance of the human race. For instance, spending some time in the Medical Records section may unlock a piece of data in the Science section, and through these links the player can finish the game.

Portal (architecture)

A portal is an opening in a wall of a building, gate or fortification, especially a grand entrance to an important structure.doors, metal gates or portcullis in the opening can be used to control entry or exit. The surface surrounding the opening may be made of simple building materials or decorated with ornamentation. The elements of a portal can include the voussoir, tympanum, an ornamented mullion or trumeau between doors, and columns with carvings of saints in the westwork of a church.

Examples

Baroque portal of a private Palace in Brescia

Baroque portal of a private Palace in Brescia

Portal of the Church of São Martinho de Cedofeita, with nested arches

Portal of the Church of São Martinho de Cedofeita, with nested arches

Gothic portal of the cathedral of Metz

Gothic portal of the cathedral of Metz

Portal of the church in Hronský Beňadik

Portal of the church in Hronský Beňadik

Other uses

The term portal is also applied to the ends of a tunnel.

Folklore

Folklore can be described as traditional art, literature, knowledge, and practices that are passed on in large part through oral communication and example. The information thus transmitted expresses the shared ideas and values of a particular group. British antiquarian William Thoms is generally credited with coining the term "folklore" in 1846. As an academic discipline folklore shares methods, and insights with literature, anthropology, art, music, history, linguistics, philosophy, and mythology. Elliott Oring states that folklore is that part of culture that "lives happily ever after".Folkloristics is the academic study of folklore.

Definition

Ever since the term "folklore" was coined by William Thoms in 1846, there have been debates as to the meaning of the term among folklorists, with no widespread agreement.

The most common definition of folklore was that it represented 'oral tradition', or traditions that have been transmitted in an oral manner. This definition had several issues, however; in non-literate societies, for example, all culture is orally transmitted, making the concept of folklore in such a context all-encompassing. Moreover, even in literate societies there are many activities, such as brushing one's teeth or driving a vehicle, which are orally transmitted and yet not usually thought of as folklore. Accordingly, oral transmission alone is not seen as something that is enough to make something folkloric. Also problematizing the link between folklore and oral tradition is the fact that some practices that are widely deemed folkloric – such as epitaphs or chain letters – involve transmission through text. Similarly, some other folkloric practices, such as traditional dances, games, gestures, and symbols, are often transmitted visually rather than orally.

Folklore (Jorge Cafrune album)

Folklore is the second album by the Argentine singer Jorge Cafrune, released in Argentina in 1962.

Track listing

Folklore (16 Horsepower album)

Folklore is the 4th studio album by 16 Horsepower, released in 2002.

As hinted to by its name, most of the material on the album is drawn from traditional folk music. Only four of the songs ("Hutterite Mile," "Blessed Persistence," "Beyond the Pale" and "Flutter") on the album are original 16 Horsepower compositions.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by 16 Horsepower and David Eugene Edwards except where noted. 

External links