[Sigia-l] Applying Information Foraging Models

[Derek R]

spcoon / ziya wrote: 

>>| Innovation in online applications is stirred 
>>| by the behavior of users.
>
>| Of course, the most spectacular and lucrative example
>| of this is Amazon.com, which, I'm told, was once a small
>| online bookseller


That's right. Successful movements are grassroots and have agreement
(self-preservation) as their motivating agent. Things happen because the
people involved so desired it (therefore interaction).

Of course, the idea that one can individually conspire without
consultation to effect change (i.e. apply an academic model) -- in
essence, to try and 'manufacture' credibility, human-interaction, or
'the way of things' -- would be losing sight of original concern (i.e.
'the behavior of users' themselves).

Endeavoring to serve particular ends, (taxonomies, categories, etc.) can
often be detrimental to success, as opposed to *preserving the user's
being,* like in the case of http://amazon.com/ which avoided gung-ho
ambitious processes (i.e. excessive collaborative filtering) just short
of making the experience unbearable.