[Sigia-l] IA system components - add to the list!

[Nuno Lopes]

Hi O'Donovan,

>I just copied the post out but didn't write it.

You are absolutely correct. Sorry if looked that I was confused about
who stated what. Probably I was after so much noise.

>In my experience it is better to think of skills than roles - put the
team
>together that is necessary to solve the problem in hand.

Probably what Arno really wants to characterize is not an "IA System"
but an "IA Toolbox". It seams to me that was the original overall intent
of the thesis of Arno Reichenauer. He may correct me if I'm wrong.

Then you reasonably extended this objective in order to state the
following as far as I understand:

"The skills required to work with toolbox are the ones necessary to an
Information Architect" - My phrasing

Of course there will always be overlap of skills between roles, but
nevertheless what distinguishes from each other is their individual
mission within the scope of the overall objective. Recognizing this
while enforcing responsibility is one of the turn points of successful
project/team management.

Apart from this, some people have told us what they consider is the
fundamental unanswered questions for IA that should be included in the
thesis:

>- What is Information?
>- What is Architecture?
>- What is Methodology?
>- What is Information Architecture?
>- What is Information Architecture Methodology?

..and ..

>Shouldn't there be a component called "architecture"?

This may show, that these people have fundamental doubts in creating
architectures, using or defining methodologies, grasp what information
is from the point of view of electronic systems, and probably amongst
other things. But this highly speculative on my part, so I tend to
consider this kind of comments within the scope of communication
problems. Nevertheless, in my view this is hardly a problem of IA, but
of peoples experience in approaching problem analysis with a systematic
mind frame. 

Apart for the last two all questions are already epistemologically well
tackled in other fields. Probably Arno can include a few paragraphs
concerning these questions in the beginning of his thesis along with
some resources for further reading. Then jump to more important things
like the last two, describing an IA Toolbox, etc etc. I for one would be
more interested in the last two then the first three.

Best regards,

Nuno Lopes