08 The Internet Format (Information Research) part 2
Description
This article is from the Information Research FAQ, by David Novak david@spireproject.com with numerous contributions by others.
08 The Internet Format (Information Research) part 2
If you wish to search past news, you must still reach for the
commercial database, most likely through a database retailer. Searching
for news online only goes back two weeks at most.
Lastly, to date only the text format for news is widely disseminated.
Sometimes a couple of pictures are included but the visual news, as
used in the evening news on TV, is sure to remain priced beyond public
consumption.
So what has changed? There is another venue for you to pick up the
news. There are opportunities for new databases to be created, some of
limited time (like totalnews.com - a database of current news on other
websites). Little else has changed. The creation and dissemination of
news remains pretty much as before the internet arrived.
Let us look even more briefly at book publishing. Books are produced by
authors, improved by editors, published by publishers, marketed by
bookstores, then purchased by you.
Author - Editors - Publishers - Bookstores - You.
Today we have a couple of new online bookstores - and a large number of
new old online bookstores (existing bookstores now selling online). We
have a collection of free books online (largely classics like
Shakespeare, which strangely, were immediately published as really
inexpensive paperback classics available in airports everywhere).
There are also a range of very useful commercial quality book databases
which have become free to search online. I am thinking the government
publication catalogues (MOCAT [US], AGIP [Australia] and Stationery
Office Online Catalogue [UK]) and the online catalogues for the Library
of Congress (LOCOC) and the British Library.
Lastly, the online catalogue to the large bookstores like Barnes and
Noble, Amazon and The Internet Bookshop (UK's WHSmith) can provide a
free and fast database of books in print, though not as good as the
commercial Books-in-Print databases. Of course, any local bookstore
will offer to search books-in-print for you, so this is not as
revolutionary as it might at first appear.
In summary, we have a collection of recently discounted book databases
we can more easily search, we have additional sites to buy books, and
little else. The creation and dissemination of books remains pretty
much as before the internet arrived. Has the book industry changed? Not
really.
The most remarkable change has been the emergence of group discussion
online, the emergence of a new format for information (like the
webpage) and the opportunities to connect faster to a whole range of
pre-existing searchable resources.
This is the reason why we discuss searching-by-format. Later, at the
end of this FAQ, we return to this topic and show that the real
revolution is not in resources or industry or search tools but a
revolution in immediate access. Access, it turns out, enriches the art
of searching.
Pessimistically.
On counterpoint, as an information resource, the internet can still be
much too limited for many situations. If we are not careful, searching
the internet becomes no better than browsing the shelf of your state
library.
What most impresses me about the internet is the promise of changes in
the future. The internet as a system suggests radical improvements to
the current decade-old systems that have attained their search-worthy
status. What impresses me most are the improvements mostly still in the
future, not yet proven, set to remain promising ventures for a time.
This is not to say internet research can not be rewarding. In some
fields like computer studies, the internet has already surpassed parity
with books, articles and associations. Just when you will consult the
internet as a research-worthy resource depends on cost, effort, and the
quality of the information returned. This judgement call requires more
than a little experience.
Value is important. I sincerely hope we can suppress our enthusiasm for
free information in favour of a truer appraisal of the value of
information. Make no mistake, commercial information is brilliant. It
is almost heresy to even compare commercial information with the
results of a few hours on the internet.
Internet Information Theory
Let us agree the internet is great fun to surf but more challenging
when you have a specific question in mind.
To improve our search skills, we begin by understanding how information
is arranged on the internet. Contrary to myth, information is not
disorganized but rather organized very carefully along clear patterns.
Many patterns are specific to the information format (text document,
webpage, email message, printed article). Further patterns match the
way we become aware of information, or are specific to the information
systems (mailing list, FAQ, peer-reviewed journal). Your understanding
of the strengths and weaknesses of each pattern, each format, each
system, guides your search for information. We shall start by
shattering the internet, and commenting on the many pieces.
Three Definitions of the Internet
Do be careful when using the word 'internet'.
1_ The internet is a physical network; more than a million computers
continuously exchanging information. The internet allows us to transfer
information around the world.
2_ The internet is a landscape of information available on almost every
topic imaginable. This information appears almost chaotically
distributed to the world but holds clear patterns. For instance,
linking information together are various structures like government web
links, search engines and FAQ documents.
3_ The internet is a community of 500+ million individuals. These are
real people who choose to interact, discuss and share information
online.
In this example, let me just draw your attention to the way most of our
research effort focuses on the second definition: a landscape of
information. Much of the best information originates in the third
definition: the internet is a community. Sometimes it is far more
effective to ask real people than search the information cyberspace.
What I just mentioned is not so important as the technique I just used.
I broke the large seemingly chaotic system into smaller pieces: pieces
that hopefully make more sense. Eventually, when we've made sense of
the little bits, perhaps we can comment astutely on the big-picture.
Information, transaction, entertainment
There is a triad of functions to all online activity:
Function - Activity - Unit
----------------------------------------
Information - Research - The Fact or Conclusion
Exchange - Business - The Transaction
Entertainment - Play - The Experience
Each internet function grows at a different rate and moves in a
different direction. The development of forums is firmly in the
smallest segment dealing with information. This segment is quite poorly
organized and confusing. The entertainment function in contrast is well
financed and graphically innovative with clear, profitable
opportunities.
Much of the web is prepared with Exchange or Entertainment in mind.
"Brochureware" (purely promotional webpages) is rarely required for
research but is critical to securing a transaction. Entertainment
related or just entertaining websites abound. Let us recognize just how
few webpages are information & research related.
My own experience suggests we are just beginning to see the movements
towards profiting from providing information. Direct selling of
information is still chaotic and unrewarding.
Information Formats
The way information is packaged has a great bearing on the content,
quality and use of the information. This theme is evident throughout
the work of the Spire Project, and is particularly applicable to
internet information. Webpages, text files, software, email and
database entries each have particular qualities. Each shapes,
constrains and restricts the informative content. These particular
qualities apply irrespective of the information involved.
Books are dense, factual, a little old. Articles are short, sharp, more
recent. News is puff, introductory, immediate. Each way the information
is packaged, each format, presents the information to set standards.
Information formats on the internet are the same. Webpages are
graphical, technical to produce, and not easily updated. FAQs are
easier to maintain, text only, and attract more peer review. Mailing
lists are simpler still, text, short, immediate, very peer-reviewed,
characterized by discussion and resource discovery. Newsgroups are
characterized by extremely low costs, vulnerable to trashing, poorly
managed. Email is simple use, one-to-one discussion.
Let's look at books more closely. Books are created by authors who have
something to write. Books are printed and marketed by Publishers to the
bookstores that then provide it to the readers. Each facet of this
process defines the resource. Books have quality, editorial vetting but
minimal peer-review, marketable value and a potentially lengthy
preparation time.
When it comes to research, why look for a book when investigating
digital money? Books would just have the wrong qualities - would
present the information poorly. We need a more current format (digital
money is a fast moving topic), and a more peer-reviewed format (books
have editorial vetting but not intrinsic peer-review). Why not search
for a mailing list, an FAQ, or an association website. These formats
have qualities more appropriate to our question.
Continue to:
My Books
