[914] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: internet consumer reports on state-wide IP networks
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (tal@Warren.MENTORG.COM)
Fri Jul 5 15:37:04 1991
To: com-priv@psi.com
Date: Fri, 5 Jul 91 15:37:06 EDT
In-Reply-To: <9107040218.AA13766@world.std.com>; from "Barry Shein" at Jul 3, 91 10:18 pm
From: tal@Warren.MENTORG.COM
> [ spoke to librarians, they wanted to put together a
> resource manual based on (oh no!) paper forms. ]
> plastic tabs) and begin developing a shared reference index of network
> resources IMMEDIATELY, or else they were all wasting their time.
>
> What can I say? The audience was rapt.
>
> I thought it was a bit quixotic myself, but then again so is the idea
> that you're going to catalog every piece of printed matter...
I don't know why this is quixotic to you. I spent 2.5 years working
with librarians. They may do things "the old fashion way" but they
know what they are doing. For those of you that don't know, librarians
are an animal indiginous to Earth that evolved slowly over many years
and in doing so developed a keen sense for developing methodology.
I could give you 3 very interesting examples from my days at Drew
University (I graduated 2 months ago). I developed a lot of respect
for them when I was one of the "computer people" that helped the
"library people" when they automated their entire system. They were
very good at methodogy.
They are *the* information experts. I've said it on this list before,
and I'll say it again: The visionaries of NREN should consult with
someone with a computer background and an MLS (Masters of Library
Science) degree. The internet so far has only dealt with how to store
information and how to transmit it from place to place. Librarians,
on the other hand, have dealt with how to store it, how to find the
paragraph they need, and how to tell other people how to use the
resources. Hmmm... sounds like what we're trying to do? Maaabe.
NREN: Librarians have already done it on paper.
Now let's look at the current problem at hand. People have no
resource if they have the following 3 questions: "Can I get X?
Where can I get X? and How do I get X?" The librarian has suggested
a (paper-based) method that will work and solve the entire problem.
Sure, get someone to put it into a database and make it accessable
to the whole site with the touch of a button and it may be done
in a year or so... then start debugging. When you're done, hold
seminars (that no body will attend) that explain how to use this
new database system. On the other hand, keep plenty of those blank
forms at everyone's desks, organize the book right, you'll see
results in a month. Best of all, even people without training
(or a terminal) will be able to access it.
Just my thoughts for the day. I'd like
to hear other's reactions.
Tom
--
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