[911] in magellan
Knowledge Base Discovery Project Status Report April 2003
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (smyser)
Fri May 9 15:01:49 2003
Reply-To: <smyser@MIT.EDU>
From: "smyser" <smyser@MIT.EDU>
To: <magellan@mit.edu>
Cc: <kb-project@mit.edu>, <ganderso@mit.edu>
Date: Fri, 9 May 2003 15:01:46 -0400
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Project Name: Knowledge Base Discovery Project
Project Leader: Rob Smyser
Report Date: May 9 , 2003
URL: <http://stellar.mit.edu/S/project/kbproject/>
http://stellar.mit.edu/S/project/kbproject/
Accomplishments in April
- Project launch - April 7, 2003
=20
- began exploring fundamental literature about Knowledge Bases, =
including
Gartner research, reports from Knowledge Management portals, and =
academic
papers.. =20
=20
- investigate state of the art in existing working systems in corporate =
and
academic settings. =20
=20
- initial definition of what is and perhaps isn't within the scope of =
the
MIT KB system. Discussion of the blurry continuum between static
documentation, searchable knowledge, and conversations among experts. =
Where
precisely does a KB fall between content management and discussion
management?
=20
- added Tom Grayson of EAST to the team.
=20
- prep for IT Partners Meeting May 1: "hot topic" powerpoint =
presentation;
distributed a one-page "level of interest" survey (which garnered about =
10
responses). =20
=20
- in-depth review of some university KB sites: Indiana, Drew U, =
Princeton. =20
=20
- preliminary installations of OpenCMS and WikiPedia for noodling with. =
=20
Goals for May
=20
- refine survey / questionnaire for current owners of KB/faq =
repositories
around MIT. =20
Conduct surveys / interviews with all identified content owners to nail =
down
"Voice of the Customer" from the provider perspective. Basic question =
is
"what features would a KB need to have to make it more useful to =
everyone
than a static faq with google search?"
=20
- develop data collection categories, decision criteria and process for
evaluating available systems. Capture "issues" relevant to technical =
fit,
usability, metadata, text conversion, etc, drawing on the collective
expertise of the team.
- identify three top candidates from each of the Commercial, OpenSource =
and
"grow-your-own" KBs discovered. Evaluate along a series of dimensions
including technical fit, author and editor process management, end user
experience. =20
=20
- possibly install some other openSource KB products to be able to know =
them
intimately. Look for commercial vendor demo systems to install.
=20
=20
Next Community Milestone
- none scheduled
Issues
- the Knowledge Base topic quickly gets us into the realms of Knowledge
Management and Content Management and so on, which are all very big =
topics
in their own right. There is considerable up-front work to do in =
scoping
just how much of that needs to be part of the MIT KB discussion.
=20
- It's difficult to see some of the academic systems as they wall =
themselves
off from off-campus viewing. It's even harder to remotely see the
authoring-and-editing sides of these systems. Site visits might be
necessary to really explore them. =20
=20
- Rob
=20
----------------
Rob Smyser, Support Planning/R&D, MIT Information Systems, N42-250d
77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
smyser@mit.edu 617.253.1358 <http://web.mit.edu/smyser>
http://web.mit.edu/smyser
=20
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<DIV><FONT face=3DCourier size=3D2>Project Name: <SPAN=20
class=3D729380419-08052003>Knowledge Base Discovery =
Project</SPAN><BR>Project=20
Leader: <SPAN class=3D729380419-08052003>Rob =
Smyser</SPAN><BR>Report Date:=20
May <SPAN class=3D729380419-08052003>9</SPAN> , 2003<BR>URL: =
</FONT><A=20
href=3D"http://stellar.mit.edu/S/project/kbproject/"><FONT =
face=3DCourier=20
size=3D2>http://stellar.mit.edu/S/project/kbproject/</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2></FONT><FONT=20
face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
size=3D2></FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT><BR><FONT =
face=3DCourier=20
size=3D2>Accomplishments in April<BR>- Project launch - April <SPAN =
class=3D729380419-08052003>7</SPAN>, 2003</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D729380419-08052003><FONT face=3DCourier=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D729380419-08052003><FONT face=3DCourier size=3D2>- =
began exploring=20
fundamental literature about Knowledge Bases, including Gartner =
research,=20
reports from Knowledge Management portals, and academic papers.. =20
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D729380419-08052003><FONT face=3DCourier=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D729380419-08052003><FONT face=3DCourier size=3D2>- =
investigate=20
state of the art in existing working systems in corporate and =
academic=20
settings. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D729380419-08052003><FONT face=3DCourier=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D729380419-08052003><FONT face=3DCourier size=3D2>- =
initial=20
definition of what is and perhaps isn't within the scope of the MIT KB=20
system. Discussion of the blurry continuum between static =
documentation,=20
searchable knowledge, and conversations among experts. Where =
precisely=20
does a KB fall between content management and discussion=20
management?</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D729380419-08052003><FONT face=3DCourier=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D729380419-08052003><FONT face=3DCourier size=3D2>- =
added Tom=20
Grayson of EAST to the team.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D729380419-08052003><FONT face=3DCourier=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D729380419-08052003></SPAN><FONT face=3DCourier><FONT=20
size=3D2>-<SPAN class=3D729380419-08052003> prep for IT Partners Meeting =
May 1: "hot=20
topic" powerpoint presentation; distributed a one-page "level =
of=20
interest" survey (which garnered about 10 responses). =20
</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DCourier><FONT size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D729380419-08052003></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DCourier><FONT size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D729380419-08052003>- in-depth=20
review of some university KB sites: Indiana, Drew U, Princeton. =20
</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D729380419-08052003></SPAN><SPAN=20
class=3D729380419-08052003></SPAN><FONT face=3DCourier =
size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DCourier size=3D2>-<SPAN class=3D729380419-08052003> =
preliminary=20
installations of OpenCMS and WikiPedia for noodling with. =20
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DCourier size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D729380419-08052003><FONT=20
face=3DArial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT><FONT=20
face=3DArial></FONT><FONT face=3DArial></FONT><FONT =
face=3DArial></FONT><FONT=20
face=3DArial></FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT><BR><BR>Goals for May</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D729380419-08052003></SPAN><FONT face=3DCourier><FONT=20
size=3D2>-<SPAN class=3D729380419-08052003> refine survey / =
questionnaire for=20
current owners of KB/faq repositories around=20
MIT. </SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D729380419-08052003><FONT face=3DCourier =
size=3D2>Conduct surveys /=20
interviews with all identified content owners to nail down "Voice of the =
Customer" from the provider perspective. Basic question is "what =
features=20
would a KB need to have to make it more useful to everyone than a static =
faq=20
with google search?"</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D729380419-08052003><FONT face=3DCourier=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D729380419-08052003></SPAN><SPAN=20
class=3D729380419-08052003></SPAN><FONT face=3DCourier><FONT =
size=3D2>-<SPAN=20
class=3D729380419-08052003> develop data collection categories, decision =
criteria=20
and process for evaluating available systems. Capture "issues" =
relevant to=20
technical fit, usability, metadata, text conversion, etc, drawing on the =
collective expertise of the team.</SPAN><BR></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DCourier><FONT size=3D2>-<SPAN =
class=3D729380419-08052003> identify=20
three top candidates from each of the Commercial, OpenSource and =
"grow-your-own"=20
KBs discovered. Evaluate along a series of dimensions including =
technical=20
fit, author and editor process management, end user=20
experience. </SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DCourier><FONT size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D729380419-08052003></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DCourier><FONT size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D729380419-08052003>- possibly=20
install some other openSource KB products to be able to know them=20
intimately. Look for commercial vendor demo systems to=20
install.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DCourier><FONT size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D729380419-08052003> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DCourier><FONT size=3D2><BR></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DCourier><FONT size=3D2>Next Community Milestone<BR>- =
none=20
scheduled<BR><BR></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DCourier><FONT size=3D2>Issues<BR><SPAN=20
class=3D729380419-08052003></SPAN>-<SPAN class=3D729380419-08052003> the =
Knowledge=20
Base topic quickly gets us into the realms of Knowledge Management =
and=20
Content Management and so on, which are all very big topics in =
their own=20
right. There is considerable up-front work to do in scoping just =
how much=20
of that needs to be part of the MIT KB =
discussion.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DCourier><FONT size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D729380419-08052003></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D729380419-08052003></SPAN><SPAN=20
class=3D729380419-08052003></SPAN><FONT face=3DCourier size=3D2>-<SPAN=20
class=3D729380419-08052003> It's difficult to see some of the academic =
systems as=20
they wall themselves off from off-campus viewing. It's even harder =
to=20
remotely see the authoring-and-editing sides of these systems. =
Site visits=20
might be necessary to really explore them. =
</SPAN><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DCourier size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DCourier size=3D2>- Rob</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DCourier size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=3Dleft>
<P><FONT face=3DCourier size=3D2>----------------<BR></FONT><FONT =
size=3D2><FONT=20
face=3DCourier>Rob Smyser, Support Planning/R&D, MIT Information =
Systems,=20
N42-250d<BR>77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139<BR></FONT><FONT=20
face=3DCourier>smyser@mit.edu 617.253.1358 </FONT></FONT><A=20
href=3D"http://web.mit.edu/smyser"><U><FONT color=3D#0000ff><FONT =
face=3DCourier=20
size=3D2>http://web.mit.edu/smyser</FONT></U></FONT></A></P></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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