[13180] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
knowledge cycle
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Millard Johnson)
Thu Mar 16 20:28:08 2000
Date: Thu, 16 Mar 2000 08:58:43 -0500
From: Millard Johnson <zendog@INCOLSA.NET>
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Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
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What I had in mind was this:
I come from a systems background. I think in terms of an
"information/knowledge cycle". Someone has an idea. They formulate a
hypothesis. They collect and analyze some data and come to a conclusion
that constitutes new knowledge. They write up their work. The work is
published. Someone else reads the study, and they have a new idea based on
that knowledge. That is the knowledge cycle. New knowledge is applied to
create "human progress".
We might disagree about what constitutes human progress but most people
would think that human progress depends upon wide dispersion of truth based
upon knowledge. If that is so, anything that slows the knowledge cycle
delays human progress. If researchers could get their new knowledge
dispersed more quickly, the cycle would turn faster. This seems to be
happening in every phase of the knowledge cycle. In those areas where
electronic information substitutes for Print On Paper (POP) this paradigm
seems to hold.
BTW I am a Zen Buddhist so I understand a different view of knowledge,
truth, and human progress. Nevertheless, I appreciate the concept that
human progress is better health, less poverty, more choices, etc.
MJ
***************************************************************
Millard F. Johnson zendog@incolsa.net
INCOLSA (317) 298-6570
"I would rather risk failure than achieve it without risk."
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-----Original Message-----
From: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum [mailto:PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU]
On Behalf Of Ian Winship
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2000 5:28 AM
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Subject: Re: netLibrary
Millard Johnson wrote:
> Most librarians "love" books. Even so, we should see them for what
> they have become -- the bottle neck in the communication cycle.
> They are limiting availability, driving up costs, and slowing down human
progress.
Slowing down human progress?????
Discuss!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ian Winship
Information Services, University of Northumbria at Newcastle
City Campus Library, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
----------------
e-mail: ian.winship@unn.ac.uk
phone: 0191 227 4150 fax: 0191 227 4563
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