[Sigia-l] Re: Findability

[Drop, Daniel]

After much reflection, I may have a better grasp of Derek's issue with the
concept of 'findability.'  If I understand correctly, he suggests that an
Information Architect's primary concern is the structure of information.
They are to construct the information in such a way so that users (and
search engines?) can easily see the information through the presentation.
In his view, information architecture is not a discipline that makes
particular information "findable."  His definition of 'findable' is the
process of extracting certain information above others, for example when
applying meta data.  Since information is the sum of all the differences
between the signifiers, it is impossible to be able to apply labels (meta
data) for all the information. 

This is borne out in the incredibly difficult task of classification of
literature.  Derek equates this process of extracting certain information
above others as 'marketing.'  In the process of classification of
literature, I have heard it called 'bias.'  For example, how does one
describe articles on suicide bombing?  To the Western world, it is
terrorism.  To the Middle East, it is heroism.  When you extract certain
pieces of information from something, you leave something behind. If I
understand Derek correctly, his interest in information architecture is not
leaving something behind by making things 'findable.'  The definition of
suicide bombing as terrorism or heroism is in the context.

Please correct me Derek if I misunderstand you.  

What is the domain of the Information Architect.  Derek got drawn to the
profession seeing architecture as a way to construct information so that the
application of meta-data, and other artificial ways of making things
findable, is unnecessary.  This is a noble goal. All information architects
may indeed all want to attain this goal?  Many in the profession have found
this goal not to be available yet.  In the mean time, what do we do?
'Findability', for some, may be just a short-term solution until we find a
better way.

Daniel R. Drop
Senior Software Engineer
Otis Elevator Company
5 Farm Springs
Farmington, CT 06032-2559

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