[Sigia-l] Everything is Miscellaneous -- Titles

[Everett, Andy]

This is just one big semantic argument :) 

Many of these discussions on titles I have seen on this list have become
turf wars. However, just has many have helped to further define this
community. I continue to struggle to define what I do. As I describe
content, business rules, and processes distilled into one phrase to
create high level information diagrams, names, labels and titles become
important. I've shied away from calling myself an information architect
as I don't deal with web design and wire frames or the best place to but
content on a web page. I deal in information structures that help my
users and audiences discover information and data whether that is
implemented on a website, as a namespace for web service discovery,
navigation for Business Intelligence Tools (Hyperion , SQL Reporting
Services), or GIS applications.  I've called myself a taxonomist and a
namespace coordinator depending on the audience. 

I've been informed by this community at SIGIA on the subject of
Information Architecture but have also been informed by the John
Zachman's Enterprise Architecture Framework to help categorize what I do
(since categorization is what I do).

The continuing discussion on the discipline of IA has relevance to me as
I am writing guidelines for Information Architecture as a design concept
and methodology for my Agency.


Andy Everett
Data Catalog Administrator
Namespace Coordinator
Office of Information Technology
Washington State Department of Transportation
Phone: 360-705-7622
Fax:360-705-6817
PO Box 47430
Tumwater, WA 98501-6504


-----Original Message-----
From: sigia-l-bounces at asis.org [mailto:sigia-l-bounces at asis.org] On
Behalf Of Brenda Janish
Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2007 8:13 AM
To: sigia l
Subject: Re: [Sigia-l] Everything is Miscellaneous

Ugh. This Jets vs. Sharks discussion is very tiresome and unproductive.

Why does job title matter so much?  Obviously, my opinion is that it
doesn't matter, much.  Job titles serve a practical purpose.  
They're a scent marker for job opportunities, potential hirees' 
skillsets, professional affiliations, and that's about it. It's not
something to wrap a personal identity around, it's not all-encompassing
of a person's role or skills.  I would never apply for a job based on
job title alone (which is why job descriptions exist), nor would I hire
someone based solely on a self-identifier of "Information Architect" or
"Interaction Designer."  I would hire them based on their unique
skillset and experience.  So... why does it matter?

There will never be a 2-word title for what we do that encompasses all
the variations of the job, which are driven by context and industry and
company culture, so why the insistence on it?  Why does it matter that
everyone with the same job title do exactly the same work? A rose by any
other name...

David, you're the most vocal on this... why does job title matter so
much to you?  I'm being sincere in that question.  Why so much angst
over the literal accuracy of a job title, particularly other people's
job titles?



On Thu May 03 07:22:45 PDT 2007, David Malouf <dave.ixd at gmail.com>
wrote:


> Then are you an information architect? Aren't you an interaction
> designer? Why hold onto the title if it really doesn't reference 
> your
> actual activities of your role?
> 
> 
> -- David Malouf
> http://synapticburn.com/
> http://ixda.org/
> http://motorola.com/