How to download or access my evidence marshaling software (MarshalPlan)

A. Background

Years ago David Schum and I developed the notion of an evidence marshaling system. We laid out the underlying theory of this evidence marshaling system in A Theory of Preliminary Fact Investigation. We developed a kind of computer embodiment, or computer-based expression, of our idea of an evidence marshaling system. Eventually we decided to call our system "MarshalPlan."

Some of my more recent thoughts about the theoretical foundations of MarshalPlan may be found here (long blog post called "The Ramshackle -- and Logical -- Character of Explicit Human Factual Inference" (June 18, 2011)).

In the years following my seven(!)-year NSF-supported collaboration with David Schum, I continued to tinker with MarshalPlan. I did so by both modifying and adding "stacks," or files. (Each stack corresponds to an evidence marshaling strategy, or method.) The most recent iteration of the evidence marshaling software is MarshalPlan 4.0.

A few years ago  I began to make MarshalPlan available via the internet.  However, since I am not a programmer and since I lack many basic computer skills, I have not managed to devise a single method of accessing or download in MarshalPlan 4.0 that works for everyone. This is why I lay out below a variety of ways -- four ways -- for you to download or use MarshalPlan. Surely at least one of these methods of downloading or accessing MarshalPlan will work for you!

B. Caveats

Before you download or access MarshalPlan, however, please consider the following important caveats:

1. The current iteration of MarshalPlan -- MarshalPlan 4.0 -- is not a prototype of a working application suitable for real-time and real-world use. Far from it! However, MarshalPlan 4.0 goes beyond scratchings (text) that state how an evidence marshaling application might work. But it is not far from the truth to say that MarshalPlan is mainly an elaborate visual illustration of some of the directions that development of software for marshaling evidence in legal settings should take. But, but ... MarshalPlan 4.0 is a bit more than an illustration of possible future directions for research and development. MarshalPlan, as it now stands, is useful for pedagogical (i.e., teaching) purposes. Moreover, MarshalPlan is creeping ever closer to being something akin to a genuine software prototype suitable for real-world and real-time use. 

2. In MarshalPlan 4.0 there are only brief explanations of some of the evidence marshaling strategies found there. Other marshaling strategies, however, are described and explained more fully. For a comprehensive account of the thinking that went into MarshalPlan, please see the readings mentioned above. If you want a truly comprehensive theory-laden explanation of MarshalPlan, you will have to invite me to give a leisurely talk (preferably on a tropical island or some other attractive venue).

3. A few buttons and links may not work. If that happens, try other buttons and links. (Otherwise resort to expletives. You have my permission.) 

4. MarshalPlan 4.0 is not set up to be linked to a database. This is a most serious deficiency for any possible real-world use in a context such as law practice.

C. Instructions

Try one or more of the following methods to view and play with MarshalPlan 4.0:

1. MarshalPlan on the web: If you use Firefox 3.x and you are willing to accept a plug-in, you may be able to view MarshalPlan 4.0 in your (Firefox) browser. To try this, click this link. 

2. This is the simplest method and should work for almost everyone: Go to this folder and download the version of the software that works with your operating system (i.e., Windows, Linux, or some Apple operating system).

The main disadvantage of this method of downloading MarshalPlan is that some of the otherwise spoken explanations and notes appear only as text. But this is not a significant disadvantage -- unless you hunger for the sound of the (virtual) human voice. 

3. To retrieve MarshalPlan 4.0 as a single long stack (file) for use on a Windows or Apple computer, first, go here to download and launch Revolution Player and, second, to download and launch (using the previously-downloaded Revolution Player) the stack (file) Network. (This download yields the most recent version of MarshalPlan 4.0.) Important: If you use this method to run MarshalPlan, instruct Revolution Player to look for "all files" rather than just files ending with the suffix "rev".

4. To retrieve MarshalPlan for Windows click on this link. Download all of the (many) Revolution stacks and "Revolution Player" into a single folder on your computer. These stacks have the suffix "rev".

• If your computer doesn't use a Windows operating system, go here and download the version of the rev stacks you need. (This may or my not work. Try it.) 

Open the Revolution Player and then drag-drop the "Network.rev" icon and all other "rev" stacks onto the "Revolution Player" icon; or run Revolution Player and, using the Player, open all of the "rev" stacks. You should be in business now: the buttons, or links, in the various stacks should allow you to navigate between the stacks as well as within the stacks.