Outline 1

Finally I am starting to layout the ideas involved in my thesis.

"The Analytical Language of John Wilkins"

by Jorge Luis Borges

A invented Chinese encyclopedia "Celestial EMproum of Benevolent Knowledge" catagorizes all animals as:
a. Belonging to the Emperor
b. Embalmed
c. Tame
d. Sucking pigs
e. Sirens
f. Fabulous
g. Stray dogs
h. Included in the present classification
i. Frenzied
j. Innumerable
k. Drawn with a very fine camel-hair brush
l. Et cetera
m. Having just broken the water pitcher
n. That from a long way off look like flies

The Long Tail

Arbitrary classification systems

In reality, all topical classification systems, as well as alphabetical systems are arbitrary. From the history of the alphabet, we see that its formation could give no absolute logic to its order. Topical classifications, although regarded as definitive by encyclopedias and tree structured organization systems, can also become arbitrary on large scales.
Some interesting classification systems, good and bad:
(these hopefully will be separate entries linked later)
Classification and reclassification during apartheid.
The meaning of planets and stars.
Periodic table.
Dewey Decimal
Amazon

The Bettman Archive

A collection of 11 million physical historical photographs and negatives stored in an underground cave by Bill Gates.

physical space in organization systems

Physical commercial space is organized for "seekers", people who come looking for a specific thing, not for "browsers". In reality, there are no pure seekers or browsers, people are almost always both.
How does this effect computer interfaces where physical space could arguably be even smaller than a store?
In prototyping the Staples office supply store, employees explore information placement based on human physical traits, and also the different entry points to a particular product.
In the case of printer ink, customers will have with them packaging, printer model, old cartridge, or nothing with them when they are looking for a specific ink. How can a store form wayfinding systems for all these entry points? This is similar to the structuring of relative search terms.
The staples testing center makes a point of saying: the things you don't need are not just htere, they are irrelevant and hide what you are looking for.

Everything is Miscellaneous

Notes and Quots

- We are now able to arrange concepts, data, and metadata without physical limitations. how might our ideas and knowledge itself change?
The 1st order - organization by data
the 2nd order - organization by metadata
and the 3rd - organization by relationships
- "The owners of information no longer own the organization of that information."