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

[Nuno Lopes]

Hi all,

To this, 
>> So what does an Information Architect uses to architect information
>> encompassing an information model guiding the implementation?

Boniface wrote:
>It depends on the methodology and development environment.

You simply avoid the question (irrelevant answer). I was counting on
your experience for us not to fall into the trap of discussing
methodology and development environments, but it seams that I cannot.
Especially when methodologies in I.A are still are still ill defined
(otherwise a thesis about it would not make sense), and the notion of
development environment in I.A is far from being established as
artifacts are still not exposed in a coherent framework.

To this:

> 
> IMOH not everything that one creates are artifacts,

Boniface wrote:

>See http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=artifact

I don't understand. There is nothing in the definition that says that
everything a person creates is an artifact. In other words, that is your
rationale, not of the definition.

To this:

> 
> A component in IT is not necessarily a "thing" of something else (as
> part of),

Boniface wrote:

>See http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=component

I understand the extent of the definition in practice, do you? 

Anyway, I was just sharing the knowledge of how the word is seldom used
by architects in IT (it is compliant with the dictionary by the way).
But it seams that I've failed.

>Sorry, I have a hard time following your reasoning. So I am not sure
what >you are trying to say.

Neither do I follow yours at the moment.

If your favorite dictionary is The reference for Information
Architecture that you use then have you looked for definition of
Architecture?

If you consider that definition good enough why then you ask the
question ...

>What is Architecture?

Boniface: wrote:

>But information architecture is _about_ structures.

You also wrote to someone else's post:

>To me, information architecture is the structural specification of a
>system's information space.

Wow!!!!!

According with your dictionary, Architecture is perceived amongst other
things as:

"Orderly arrangement of parts; structure:"

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=artifact

So what you are saying does not clarify what Information Architecture
is, rather then simply confirms that the notion of architecture in I.A
is compliant with the common notion of architecture not surprisingly.
Thank you very much.

If you state that information architecture is about structure (not
surprisingly) the following question makes all the sense:

> ... what kind of structures an information architect uses to 
> describe and create an information architecture?

But you reply to this question in the following manner:

>Whew! Again I have a hard time following your above thoughts. I am not
sure >what you are asking for.

I thing we need some systematic mind set in order to further discuss the
topic.

Do I have to make a drawing?

Boniface wrote:

>I am again lost in trying to follow your thoughts.

>I would appreciate succinct expressions. Please be direct and to the
point.

I can't get straighter to the point then this. Not succinct statements
can be bad, but irrelevant is also bad. The reason I'm not sometimes
succinct is due to the fact I don't have time to be :)

Hope this helps us to move forward.

Best regards,

Nuno Lopes.

PS: If you don't know just don't answer with other irrelevant statement,
I had enough of that. Also don't say what it is not when you don't know
what it is. Maybe someone else can.