Centralization

The Great Library of Alexandria

Évocation de la bibliothèque d'Alexandrie sur une gravure du XIXe siècleInformations[1]

Question

What is the problem with this model ?

Indice

L'incendie d'AlexandrieInformations[2]

Solution

Resilience ! it may burns...

The Mundaneum (Paul Otlet)

Tiroirs du MundaneumInformations[3]

Collecting the whole knowledge of the world in one single place.

  • Michael Buckland. Paul Otlet, Pioneer of Information Management. https://people.ischool.berkeley.edu/~buckland/otlet.html

  • Michael Buckland. Selected Writings about Paul Otlet. https://people.ischool.berkeley.edu/~buckland/otletbib.html

  • Alex Wright. Cataloging the World: Paul Otlet and the Birth of the Information Age. Oxford University Press, 2014.

Question

What is the problem with this project?

Indice

The Mundaneum was closed far before having being able to classified all the knowledge in the world...

Solution

Information grows faster than anyone can store it (even Google can't !).

Mainframe computers

Before the Internet (in the 60's and 70's) the first networks where local networks built around big central computers.

Ordinateur mainframe IBM 7090 (NASA, 1962)Informations[4]

Question

Another problem with centralization ?

Indice

IBM 7090 consoleInformations[5]

Solution

It confers control to information and power to whom manages the access.

Stéphane Crozat — stph.crzt.fr Paternité - Partage des Conditions Initiales à l'Identique