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hello, Sommerville wrote a software performing permutations of words, not random-sequences. I don't have the source at hand, but I'll post the details here soon.

Also, could the author please provide details of the (partially) cited source from "Miles"?

Thanks and regards, Elamita (talk) 17:59, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Sommerville's software did indeed produce permutations of words. In some cases the same words were repeated in permutations as poetry, in others the words of a text were randomised in an automation of Burroughs' cutup technique. I believe some of that output became a part of the multi-author "Minutes To Go," though sadly I no longer have my proof copy. I later wrote a similar program and sent him some of the output, which he referred to as "language chop suey." Steve Holden (talk) 10:59, 4 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I have included more details of reference 3 to "Miles". I do not have the book so I can't vouch for the page number 240 Hugh Small (talk) 10:17, 27 October 2021 (UTC)[reply]

@Hugh Small: I do have William Burroughs: a Life and it isn't that. I found it in Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now'', also by Miles. DuncanHill (talk) 13:57, 27 October 2021 (UTC)[reply]

@DuncanHill thanks for correction, I seem to have made a mess of that, did I not see ref 5? Hugh Small (talk) 14:28, 27 October 2021 (UTC)[reply]

@Hugh Small: No problem - it was only because you made your edit and it came up on my watchlist that I went to look it up! I was able to work out which of Miles's books was most likely by looking at the sources in the 34 Montagu Square, Marylebone article, and then seeing if they were on Archive.org (it's a very useful resource - you do need an account to read some of the books, but that is free). You didn't see reference 5 as I only added it just now, as I had the Burroughs biography to hand. There's quite a lot more about Somerville in both William S. Burroughs and Paul McCartney, and in Miles's Beat Hotel. The Archive.org page for Miles's books is here. By the way, to "@" someone so they get a notification you type {{re|Username}}. DuncanHill (talk) 14:43, 27 October 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Sommerville's date of birth is confirmed as 1940 with reference to the archives of his alma mater, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge (MA/Old Members). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 131.111.220.6 (talk) 23:06, 3 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I can confirm Ian's birthdate as June 3, 1940 from personal knowledge. He was my son's godfather, and 30 years to the day older than him.

Also, although I can cite no sources, it may be of interest to readers to know that Sommerville, when working for International Data Highways in 1968/69 developed and demonstrated a full-duplex error-detecting communications protocol based on principles similar to those eventually adopted in TCP. He was interested in communications, and corresponded with some of the early researchers in packet switching technologies. He was a mathematician of some talent, and it was his mathematical skill that allowed him to understand the key to full-duplex streaming communications with continuous acknowledgment. Steve Holden (talk) 08:29, 23 February 2013 (UTC)[reply]