Producing information about the challenges of managing information seems a little meta to me, yet it seems that the current algorithmic approaches are missing the mark somehow. The information problem is both an individual problem and it is a collective problem.
We live in different pods of collective information. Navigating information pods is not easy and there are a lot of moving parts. Information changes quickly. Things change more quickly than information systems can keep up. Individually, there are many pods of information that you are managing. Collectively, there are even more pods. The collective pod brings together the components of all the individual pods. To make matters worse, all of the information is co-mingled with all kinds of judgement and bias.
We are drowning in a sea of information, misinformation and disinformation and we struggle to know the difference. Information is created, recorded and tracked at an incredibly fast pace. Faster than the human brain can absorb all the data
While there are different filters that we can use, filters often reinforce what we already think that we know.
A fresh approach to information management is needed, and it starts with how we think about information and it’s value. Information creates value in lots of different ways. Discovering an insight before others can be incredibly valuable, interpreting the same information in new ways could also lead to some valuable innovation. Using knowledge to be more efficient or make effective can also be extremely valuable.
While the cost of storing information is relatively low, the cost of dealing with information is considerably higher.
There are human systems for managing and transferring information. These can be incredibly effective, but they are not terribly scalable.
Most human information systems are hierarchical, yet most information is not. Classifying information into hierarchies simplifies management.
Our current coping mechanism is building algorithms to look for patterns and to deal with information. On the surface, this is a reasonable thing to do, but this approach cedes a lot of control to programmed machines which may create artificial boundaries.
On the plus side, this may prevent repeating previous errors, but it doesn’t necessarily give you the chance to make new errors and truly learn something new
