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Re: VMs: VMs knowledge management



Dana,

Citát Dana Scott <dscott520@xxxxxxx>:

> Hello Stefan,
> 
> Yes, your suggestions are well taken; however, the complexities of setting up
> and administering such a voluminous website of encyclopedic proportions seems
> to be a rather daunting task, especially since the majority of the VMs
> discussion and research appears to be performed on our "free time".  In
> addition, now that investigation of the VMs crosses many borders, how would
> the information be made accessible to all?
> 


Let me explain a bit...

1. Setting up a wiki site

There are two levels: system level and information/knowledge level. As for the
system level, it takes no more than 15-20 minutes to set up such system IF
there is a place where one can set it up, for average skilled
administrator.Concerning future administration: once a year one should look at
it and see whether it requires an upgrade. Well, it is like setting up some
electronic device in your home.

The second level, information and knowledge level, needs administration. Who
are
going to be administrators? Every one! How much time it will take to administer
it? Well, instead of posting an idea to the mailing list, you write it on the
wiki page and post a link to the list. That is it.

2. About knowledge and knowledge management

Yes, you are right that the topic is very large with encyclopedic proportions.
Be patient! No knowledge base was built in a day! First, it will be empty, ony
few ideas will be there. but believe it, it WILL grow.

Please, take no offense here, but majority of people think like you. There is
nothing wrong with it...it is natural to expect immediate pay-off. However, the
knowledge base needs to grow as a child does need to grow and learn or as a
crop has to grow before you can harvest it. It is the same with the knowledge.
Even there is plenty of information out there, this knowledge base is a green
meadow where we would like to build a new city. Noone is going to collect all
the information. But by gradual, small constributions you will see how the
knowledge will grow "by its self". There is no other way than to believe it, if
you have not seen it :-)

Wiki is not only about having all the information. It is more about linking the
information together, explaining, commenting, evolving and mainly
collaborating.

As I have said, I have already introduced several knowledge bases, including
one
very large. Also I have observed several bases to evolve or die. This is true:
- everyone has to be really patient, benefits will come later, once the base
matures
- everyone has to contribute (even with a single word, or a question, note,
...)
- it does not tage too much time to contribute

It is very important not only to know about "researcher's" observations and
findings, but it is also important to know:
- what we are missing, what we do not know
- how are informations related
- each explanation, even the wrong ones - newcommers have to know dead ends

And how to make it accessible to all? By spreading the word, as before :)

Now, how to have it? I have registered on the Wikicities
(http://www.wikicities.com/) and applied for a new Wiki: VMs wiki. Now I am
waiting for confirmation of my registration request. This can serve as a
temporary solution until we can have our own web space with wiki. However, if
you know about a place where VMs wiki can be hosted, that would be great.

Conclusions?
1. It is nothing complicated, it is very simple solution with no or very low
maintenance
2. It requires patience and even a very small/tiny/minimal participation of more
than one contributor

Regards,

Stefan


>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: Stefan Urbanek<mailto:stefan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
>   To: Alessio<mailto:io@xxxxxxxxxxxx> 
>   Cc: vms-list@xxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:vms-list@xxxxxxxxxxx> 
>   Sent: Monday, August 08, 2005 4:04 AM
>   Subject: Re: VMs: VMs knowledge management
> 
> 
>   Citát Alessio <io@xxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:io@xxxxxxxxxxxx>>:
> 
>   > Stefan Urbanek wrote:
>   > 
>   > > The best compromise out there is a Wiki-technology based knowledge
>   > management.
>   > > It's advantages are:
>   > > - immediate availability
>   > > - ease of use
>   > 
>   > I agree about these 2 advatanges, anyway I think that a wiki-based 
>   > system would offer just a little more than this mailing-list, or a 
>   > bulletin board or a forum can offer. Of course, it's better a little 
>   > more than nothing!
> 
>   Not just a little more. Wiki has another advantages over a list or a
> bboard:
>   - you can crossreference nodes (great advantage)
>   - you can refine knowledge (edit pages)
>   - you have history of edits
>   - you can upload and comment images and files
> 
>   that is, that it is a place not only for storing and collecting but also
> for
>   collaboratively evolving and refining! And THAT is important.
> 
>   > Though I was instead thinking about a more complex project which should 
>   > involve researchers in the semantic web and ontologies field to organize
> 
>   > the knowledge management of the VM.
> 
>   Yes, it would be great to have such project, however as I have mentioned:
> not
>   yet. It is not generaly clear what is the nature of knowledge needed for
>   solving the VMs, neither everyone knows the structure of the knowledge.
> First
>   we learn the nature and the knowledge in a generic knowledge management
> place,
>   then we can start thinking about more complex project... Thing is, that you
> can
>   start to do analysis of the complex project, but it will not fit the
> reality
>   once it is deployed after certain amount of development... trust me ;o)
> 
>   I am not against more complex solution, I only think that it has it's time.
> By
>   the way, there are just a very few complex solutions (to any problem), if
> any
>   at all, that worked and sustained without having any previous simple
>   solutions...
> 
>   Stefan
>   --
>   http://stefan.agentfarms.net<http://stefan.agentfarms.net/>
> 
>   First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then
>   you win.
>   - Mahatma Gandhi
>   ______________________________________________________________________
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> 


Stefan Urbanek
--
http://stefan.agentfarms.net

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then
you win.
- Mahatma Gandhi
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