• Home
  • There's Much More to Information than Meets I.T.
  • Managing information about information manages all information about everything else.
• Turning Information Management Right Side Up
• What the IT Industry Has Never Understood
  • What the IT Industry Has Never Understood
  • Where I.T. goes wrong.
  • A False Discipline
    • A False Discipline
    • What we don't understand because we don't understand information.
  • The I.T. Penalty.
    • The I.T. Penalty.
    • The costs and consequences of not understanding information.
  • Accounting Systems
    • Accounting Systems
    • Legacy concepts that are based on and still assume we're using quill pen and ruled ledgers.
  • CRM, ERP, SAP
    • CRM, ERP, SAP
    • Partial solutions that obstruct whole solutions.
  • Databases & Spreadsheets
    • Databases & Spreadsheets
    • Automating pencil and paper instead of information.
  • Word Processing
    • Word Processing
    • Making it pretty but not informative.
  • Operating Systems
    • Operating Systems
    • Making how technology works more important than how information works.
  • Enterprise Modeling
    • Enterprise Modeling
    • Expediting the problem.
  • Information Architecture
    • Information Architecture
    • Re-designing what already exists naturally.
  • Normalization
    • Normalization
    • Force-fitting function to follow (third normal)form to justify foregone conclusions.
  • Object Orientation
    • Object Orientation
    • Assuming an implementation tactic makes up for the lack of an effective information strategy.
  • System Development
    • System Development
    • Planning the least benefits at the highest cost.
  • Data Mining
    • Data Mining
    • Gold or fool's gold?
• Managing Information to Its
  Full Potential
  • Managing Information to Its Full Potential
  • Managing information by how it CAN be used regardless of circumstances instead of restricting it to how we think it WILL be used in a specific circumstance.
• When Information Is More Important than Technology
  • When Information Is More Important than Technology
  • Planning solutions by how information works instead of by how technology works vastly improves how we use both, slashing costs by well over half.
• Learning to Think about Information
  • Learning to Think about Information
  • Resolving incomplete concepts and contradictions that make it difficult to think about information.
  • Informability
    • Informability
    • The four corners of information capability.
  • Planning Change
    • Planning Change
    • Making change a part of systems instead of something that happens to systems.
  • Data vs. Information
    • Data vs. Information
    • Distinguishing between organizing data-symbols and organizng information-meaning.
  • Technology vs. Information
    • Technology vs. Information
    • Making technology fit how information works instead of making information fit how technology works.
  • Process vs. Function
    • Process vs. Function
    • Putting function (what we accomplish) ahead of process (what we do) to eliminate process-oriented anti-functionalities hidden in conventional systems.
  • Goals vs. Purpose
    • Goals vs. Purpose
    • Assuring how we achieve our goals (win battles) doesn't violate our overall purpose (lose the war).
  • Results vs. Capability
    • Results vs. Capability
    • Planning systems with information capablities ("teach to fish") instead of providing a relative handfull of results ("give fish").
  • Design vs. Discovery
    • Design vs. Discovery
    • How information fits the real world (discovery) instead of how it fits technology (design).
  • Efficiency vs. Efficacy
    • Efficiency vs. Efficacy
    • Planning that how well we do something (efficacy) takes priority over how fast we do something (efficiency) while still improving efficiency.
• How Information Works!
• Information Topography
  • Information Topography
  • The natural organization of meaning. --- What we need to know about to know about something. --- What information tells us and what it tells us about.
  • Information Layers
    • Information Layers
    • The layers within which meaning develops and builds from one layer to the next.
  • Information Types (Topologs)
    • Information Types (Topologs)
    • The ingredients of meaning. Meaning possibilities within each meaning layer.
  • Proto-Contexts
    • Proto-Contexts
    • "Things" (entities) and how they fit tigether (predicates) regardless of circumstances.
  • Contexts
    • Contexts
    • Entity and predicate meanings; functionally the same in every situation but which we uniquely name for each situation.
  • Sub-Contexts
    • Sub-Contexts
    • Informational possibilities within a context: identification, classification, correlation, collective, and comparison.
  • Facts
    • Facts
    • What information means when we express it ... when we finally put it into data.
• Information Mechanics
  • Information Mechanics
  • The "Physics" of Information
  • Information Origins and Precedence
    • Information Origins and Precedence
    • How we become informed.
  • Information Dimensions
    • Information Dimensions
    • The four dimensions of information.
  • Information Vectors
    • Information Vectors
    • Paths followed within information dimensions to derive new information from existing information.
  • Supercession
    • Supercession
    • Just because informaiton is no longer current does not mean it is no longer information.
  • Delta Vectoring
    • Delta Vectoring
    • What did we know, when did we know it, and what did we do about it?
  • Information Correlations
    • Information Correlations
    • Beyond hierarchies and relationships. How information correlates.
• Making Information Work!
• Information Cartography
  • Information Cartography
  • Mapping the Information Content of a Business
  • Defending against preclusion
    • Defending against preclusion
    • Assuring that no legitimate use of information is made impossible by how it is developed and organized.
  • Policy vs. Reality
    • Policy vs. Reality
    • Managing information means reflecting reality, not creating or enforcing policy.
  • The Importance of Context
    • The Importance of Context
    • Protecting against taking information out of context.
  • When information becomes
    data
    • When information becomes
      data
    • Giving system users control over their own destiny.
  • Choosing the Right Data Form.
    • Choosing the Right Data Form.
    • What does it look like and what does it mean?
  • Whole information.
    • Whole information.
    • Identifying whole instead of partial information.
  • Single Meaning
    • Single Meaning
    • Keeping meaning simple and uncluttered.
  • Overcoming Our Own Vocabulary
    • Overcoming Our Own Vocabulary
    • What we call it affects our ability to think about it.
  • Merging Maps
    • Merging Maps
    • Seamlessly putting two or more information maps together.
• The Information Engine
  • The Information Engine
  • An information intelligent tool ... a vehicle ... that has everything we can do with information already built in allowing for the implementation, maintenance, and evolution of complex information systems with no software development.
• Making Information More Important than Technology
• Training
  • Training ... Understanding information as a discipline, separate and distinct from technology, requiring new and different skills, knowledge, and perspectives. Making what we could and should accomplish with information more important than just using computers.
• Consulting
  • Consulting ... Advising / mentoring organizations and project teams in identifying and solving information problems built into and perpetuated by conventional IT products and practices.
• Information Audits
  • Information Audits ... Audit existing and proposed systems for informational lapses, inadequacies, and failures.
• Strategic Planning / Needs Analysis
  • Strategic Planning / Needs Analysis ... Planning effective information management based on how information works instead of how technology works.
• Printable Overview/Summary
  • Printable Overview/Summary
  • A three page PDF overview/ summary on Rethinking Information Systems and Technology.
• Printable Information Map
  • Printable Information Map
  • A PDF Information Map example of a Public Utility.

• Non-Information Technology

  • Non-Information Technology
    Standard IT practices that do nothing for effective information management except to distract us from it.
  • Word processing
  • Operating software
    (and the IT mind-set)
  • Internet
  • Search engines

Information Precedence: The order in which we obtain information Primary (Determination) Collateral (Chronology) Secondary (Derivation)

Information Dimensions: Information functions in four dimensions; two definitional and two chronological. Definitional Dimensions (Information at a point in time) Chronological Dimensions (Information over time) Occurrences Facts Effectivity Applicability

Information Vectors: "Paths" followed through informational dimensions to derive secondary information from primary and collateral information

Information Correlation: Correlations are determined by how information fits within contexts and sub-contexts Occurrence (within sub-context) Group (between sub-contexts) "Hierarchy" (within context) "Relationship" (between contexts)

Supercession: In computer systems we routinely change data, "forgetting" old data by replacing it with new.  In the real world when information changes the old is superceded. not forgotten. "Forgetting" information by replacing instead of superceding data causes a variety of costly information problems not the least of which is systems losing touch with reality.

Delta Computation: In many circumstances proper computation is not just calculating a formula, but is the difference between the current result and the result the last time it was calculated.  Considerable overhead is introduced into conventional systems by not understanding and applying delta computation.

Information Mechanics ** An Overview   Irrespective of what it is about,  information functions in four dimensions.  It exists within these dimensions depending upon its origins ... how it is obtained.  The ability to derive new information from existing information is determined by information vectors that are the natural consequence of informational dimensionality.  Maintaining information dimensions and vectors requires proper correlation.     Information Origins . Origin Precedent Description Determinant Primary The Known. Cause.  Substance Information obtained through observation, interrogation, common agreement, measurement, or defined by appropriate authority. Temporal Collateral Information about primary information, telling when something did/will occur and when we found out about it Derivable Secondary The Knowable. Effect.  Shadow. Information obtained from other information by calculation or algorithm.   The Four Dimensions of Information Definitional Dimensions Occurrences (row) - The occurrence or existence of a thing or behavior. Facts (columns) - Details about an occurrence of a thing or behavior. Temporal Dimensions Effectivity - When something (a thing or behavoir) did/will occur (became/becomes relevant). Applicability - When we found out about something. Supercession: Data in conventional systems is changed or deleted. Information in the real world is not; it is superceded.  Conventional IT strives to keep data current through change and deletion. But just because something is no longer current, does not mean it is no longer information.  Changing and deleting data results in the wholesale destruction of information.  Keeping data current tells us where we are but doesn't tell us how we got there or where we're going. Substantial portions of conventional systems are given over to compensating for the failure to supercede information through both dimensions of time. Delta Computation: Conventional IT takes an informationally incomplete view of mathematic formula requiring different procedures for adding data and changing data.  When changing data the meaningful answer to a calculation is the difference between the result now and whatever the result was the last time it was calculated.  By properly applying delta (difference) rules to calculations the different procedures for adding and changing are replaced with a single function for superceding.  Programmatic and system overhead is reduced almost by half for these activities.   Information Vectors The 'paths' followed within properly organized informational dimensions to derive new information from existing information. e.g. Multiplying two numbers to obtain a quotient occurs within an immediate information vector. (Vector 1 below) e.g. Adding a column of numbers to obtain a sum occurs within a summary information vector. (Vector 2 below) . Vectors Immediate Summary Balance Distribution Comparison * Effectivity * Applicability * (Composite) * Difference Vectors Information Vectors   Immediate Summary Balance Distribution Comparison * Effectivity * Applicability * (Composite) * Difference Vectors   ` Correlating Information In the artificial world of conventional IT relational and hierarchical are seen as different, even conflicting concepts for associating data structures. When we look at how things associate in the real world we discover a higher level of correlation that is inclusive of both, showing them to be essentially the same thing: Relational - inter-correlation; the correlation of unlike things. Hierarchical - intra-correlation; the correlation of like things. Conventional relational/hierarchical concepts are inadequate for correlating information.     When Information Mechanics Fail   When dimensions and vectors are not properly applied and correlated, information fails.  Conventional IT routinely under develops primary information and virtually ignores collateral information paying almost no attention to effectivity and applicability dimensions.  Conventional databases do not and essentially cannot support these two dimensions and their associated vectors.  Accounting practices were developed to compensate for the difficulty of managing effectivity and applicability with pencil and paper ... a difficulty that need not be perpetuated with computers but thus far has been.  The main reasons we keep re-inventing special purpose systems is the dogged persistence of conventional IT for: Handling information out of context Correlating information poorly Under developing primary information Ignoring collateral information Adding and changing data instead of superceding information Omitting delta (difference) calculation   Perspectives for creating special purpose systems virtually demand these information failures be perpetuated.

**  Together information topography and information mechanics are a high level specification for an information management tool ... an information engine ... capable of solving all information usages for all circumstances.  The need for perpetually creating and re-creating special purpose systems for different businesses and circumstances is eliminated.