| Date: Thu, 23 Nov 2000 09:14:53 -0800 | 03 00050 61 00112301 |
OHS DKR Project
unrev-II@egroups.com
SRI International
333 Ravenswood Avenue
Menlo Park, CA 94025
| Subject: | New World Order - Information Overload |
|
OHS/DKR vs. Design Science |
Dear Paul,
The underlying problem of the new world order formed by Moore's law is that alphabet technology, which has been core information technology for two millenia is running out gas on the Information Highway. Doug recognizes the challenge is augmenting competence for handling growing complexity, per the citation in his award for the National Medal of Technology, reported on November 14, 2000, which is also, set out in POIMS. The only solution is to transition from information to knowledge, i.e., to build a culture of knowledge proposed in a letter to SRI on Octobe 11, 2000.
Human mental acuity is limited by a fixed biology, and so as information flows faster the mind is overwhelmed by complexity, absent proactive tools and organization, i.e., management science, to convert information into knowledge faster and more accurately. If we cannot transition from IT to a culture of knowledge quickly, enough, the threat of bumbling leading to calamity escalates, as set out in NWO.
I know people don't like all these links, but I have not figured out a better way to sound the alert, nor to explain the underlying forces that impact daily life. Doug wants to put into motion tools and systems for continual improvement. In my view, the core of this task is to enhance the underlying knowledge tool, which is alphabet technology. Build a better foundation, and it provides the means for continual improvement Doug advocates.
While it sounds flaky, if you really want to work on world problems, start by addressing the architecture of human thought; that leads to connectionist theory. The alphabet is an analog of the human mind making connections. Improve that by integrating time and information, and you have a better foundation. This requires fostering a culture of knowledge that supports front-end investment in knowledge creation, as explained in NWO, similar to farming, finance and education, as explained in the letter to the team on 001102 (which I haven't formally released, because it is a little long)....
This front-end investment in knowledge is resisted nearly to the death, as Grove points out in his book "Only the Paranoid Survive," because of the difference in the character of "information" and "knowledge," as explained in the record on 990527 discussing Clay Christensen's book, The Innovator's Dilemma.
The challenge then is cultural, not technology; and the only answer on the horizon is education, and continuing to encourage people to stop doing IT, and start doing KM, as discussed previously in a letter on November 21, 2000. This is more down to earth than asteroid mining, but seems to be much harder to accomplish.
THE WELCH COMPANY
Rod Welch
rowelch@attglobal.net