Information Ecology

Business Definition“Rather than a narrow focus on technology, information ecology puts how people create, distribute, understand, and use information at its center. Managers who take an ecological approach believe that

• Information is not easily stored on computers and is not “data”;

• The more complex an information model, the useful it will be;

• Information can take on many meanings in an organization;

• Technology is only one component of the information environment and often not the right way to create change.

Davenport, T. H., & Prusak, L. (1997).Information ecology: Mastering the information and knowledge environment. New York: Oxford University Press. Introduction

Tech Definition

Four Main Components of an Ecology

1. Life Forms: Devices

2. The Currency: Information Itself

3. The Architecture: both device and information aspects

4. The environment: Human Culture

Lucas, P., Ballay, J., & McManus, M. (2012). Trillions: Thriving in the emerging information ecology. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley.

Taken from ch 8. Available through King Library Digital Editions.

Librarian Definition

“a system of people, practices, values, and technologies in a particular local environment. In information ecologies, the spotlight is not on technology, but on human activities that are served by technology[…] Information ecosystems have “strong interrelationships and dependencies among its different parts” (49, 51)

Nardi, B. A., & O'Day, V. (1999). Information ecologies: Using technology with heart. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.

Bigger Picture

Information has always existed in a particular context with various “species” in that context playing discreet roles. Consider medieval Europe where priests and royalty were accepted as “dominant species” in that ecosystem.

Our current ecosystem is in chaos as various species vie for control of the emerging ecosystem. Librarians’ place and role in that ecosystem is in no way established or guaranteed.

Exercise

I developed the following exercise as a way to understand just how chaotic our current ecosystem is. The point is simple, but the current chaotic and tribalistic tendencies emerging represent significant challenges for librarians, academics, and other gatekeepers of information.

In the exercise I will give you a series of facts, and allow you to deduce the context. I start with one fact, and add one new fact at a time. Proceed to the next slide to begin.

First term United States president begins war

First term United States president begins war

War drags on and seems endless

First term United States president begins war

War drags on and seems endless

Charges of incompetence and failure build up

First term United States president begins war

War drags on and seems endless

Charges of incompetence and failure build up

President barely wins hard fought re-election

First term United States president begins war

War drags on and seems endless

Charges of incompetence and failure build up

President barely wins hard fought re-election

Then- John Wilkes Booth assassinates him

Obviously, most people are thinking George W. Bush, but the “facts” also fit Abraham Lincoln- to a point.

I am not making a political point, but rather one about the ecological constraints of Information. Consider the following hierarchy I have developed to illustrate the dangers illustrated in the previous exercise.

Information Hierarchy

Wisdom

knowledge

Facts

data

Data: the rawest and least valuable form of information. Data must be compiled, organized, studied, assessed, compared, etc for it to have any value. It is the lowest on the hierarchy.

Facts: Facts are useful, but extremely dangerous, because as we saw in my exercise they can be very misleading. This is what Twain meant in his famous axiom, “There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.” Statistics are facts, but not very useful without enough context and qualifying, related facts. It is very easy to deceive using facts.

Knowledge: when facts become useful for human judgment and decision making. You gained knowledge in my exercise after I gave you the qualifying fact that John Wilkes Booth assassinated the president I was referring to. This is a valuable currency in any information environment.

Wisdom

knowledge

Facts

data

Wisdom: the historic goal of western, classical liberalism. For our purposes, it is applying knowledge to difficult decisions. “Is war justifiable in x scenario?” I like my exercise because most Americans have very different opinions about the Civil War than the Iraq war- even though the Civil War was significantly bloodier.

Characteristics of Current Info Ecosystem

Fact and data driven

Decontextualized

Information is commodified and devalued

Dominant species are private entities, powerful special interests, or ideologically sealed off (tribalistic)

Chaos and competition for dominance/control

Devolution

Wisdom

knowledge

Facts

data

A downward trend exists in our current ecosystem away from wisdom/knowledge towards facts/data.

Traditional species (including librarians) have always sought to operate in this section of the ecosystem, but current trends place them at odds with patron behavior and preferences.

Realm of the “sound bite” (byte?)and “news bite.” Consumable, commodified information.

Conclusion

From the perspective of Information Ecology social media has some very detrimental components. Many gatekeepers see it as a sort of collaborative ignorance where experts and professionals are less important the Facebook friends.

But social media is merely a tool and a response to Information Overload. It is not necessarily ethically bound; rather humans do what they will with it- for better or for worse.