United We Stand

Have you ever tried to use a computer when a subcomponent--perhaps the video card, RAM or CPU--was faulty? To you, the user of the computer system, it did not matter that an individual subcomponent had failed and that other subcomponents were working. The failure of one subcomponent was sufficient to interfere with the successful operation of the entire system.

We live in a world surrounded by systems. Our homes are connected to gas, water and electrical systems that link to other homes. Our daily commute exposes us to systems of highways and public transportation. At our jobs, most of us belong to an organization composed of multiple workers, interdependent in our tasks to perform. Young children are part of a larger education system. What we buy and sell is part of a larger economic system. And all of us depend on the health care system when we fall ill.

Behind all of these systems is another system--our system of government. Government is an information processing system that monitors, regulates, funds and provides certain services. Government, as an information processing system, influences other human systems at local, state and national levels.

So, what if one of the subcomponents comprising our system of government fails?

Recall recent events: incorrect estimates of the Al-Qaeda threat prior to the 9/11 attacks; failing to apprehend the culprit behind the anthrax events of 2001; inadequate response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Repeat investigations and comprehensive certifications by the U.S. General Accountability Office all report the same theme: More than sufficient knowledge existed to mitigate these events, but the knowledge was in a highly distributed and fragmented form across multiple departments, agencies and the White House.

From these events, I'd suggest one strong lesson that both government and corporate organizations can leverage. With increasing frequency, the global problems we confront represent situations where no one individual harbors sufficient knowledge to either mitigate negative outcomes or capitalize on positive opportunities. To be successful, be it in terms of terrorism preparedness or adapting to changing world markets, inter-individual exchanges must transcend physical group proximity, social networks and institutions themselves. Ergo, we need to foster knowledge ecosystems.

In my next post, I'll cite some early examples of such Web-based approaches; in the interim, please comment if you'd like to suggest an example (such as Digg.com, Sermo, Seriosity, and so on).

--David Bray

Editor's Note: David Bray is research associate at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University; formerly IT chief for the Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and an eWEEK Corporate Partner. He's now in London as a visiting fellow at the University of Oxford, Oxford Internet Institute. Bray is researching how humans consume, retain and use information, and what that means for organizations.

Do National Borders Matter in an Internet-Enabled (Real) World?

Greetings! I've had the opportunity to give several talks in Manchester and Oxford last week. This allowed me to crystallize my thoughts about ecosystems and virtual worlds, as I see these as complementing each other with increasing frequency moving forward.

First, let me answer some practical questions asked regarding how knowledge ecosystems can be cultivated. I'd suggest three points to consider: (1) establish opportunities, (2) motivate behaviors and (3) enact protocols--that is, give people opportunity, motive and method. Opportunities include spanning divisions and organizations, as well as surpassing perceptions of "turf." Motivations include rewarding knowledge sharing, reuse and collaborations. Finally, protocols include practice and evaluation (and then more practice), as well as allowing for flexibility and unknowns. With protocols, organizations need to avoid ossification of routines.

Now, consider for a moment virtual worlds as a technology. Some might suggest they're just video conferencing, but I'd suggest they're different, as you can transcend physical appearance. You don't have to look like you do in the real world--you don't even have to look human, for that matter. Also, what's at the other end doesn't necessarily have to be a human. The U.S. Army is using a virtual avatar by the name of Sgt. Starr to recruit. The avatar talks to and answers questions of interested individuals, as if it were human, but it's really a smart computer program. Since it's a computer program, Sgt. Starr can "talk" (using predictive text matching on the questions people answer) to 100-plus people at the same time and record all the conversations for later.

Virtual worlds, or VWs, are also more immersive than teleconferencing, in addition to the ability for worlds to "exist" long after a conference is over (so other people, or computer programs, can come-and-go within the space). Therein their connection to knowledge ecosystems: VWs can help overcome the friction associated among different group identities, divisional fragmentation and political "turf" issues. VWs can assist in cultivating knowledge ecosystems for inter-agency collaborations and alliances.

However, like all technologies, VWs are dual-sided, with potential for both good and bad uses. Illegal activities are quite possible in VWs. In fact, the FBI has been reported using agents (who navigate Second Life as "plain-clothes avatars") to investigate the extent of online gambling in Second Life. Since a virtual world doesn't really "exist" anywhere per se, is it illegal for an individual to gamble in a virtual world? And if the FBI starts cracking down on this online activity, will virtual worlds simply move their servers to remote islands and start encrypting their communications with a "members-only" policy for invitees?

Which leads to a more important question: Do national borders matter in an Internet-enabled world? Obviously, they will continue to suggest some, but I think the increasing paradigm shift is that physical borders will increasingly matter less in the next five to 10 years, whereas borders will soon be defined by online social networks, group communities and virtual worlds. Perhaps initially more in terms of who's talking to whom and what ideas are being spread, but such virtual areas are growing fast (more than 20 million people). And, as in the case of the Second Life millionaire (who made the equivalent of $1 million in U.S. dollars within Second Life building virtual "real estate" for people to buy in the world), VWs represent Internet communities with the ability to generate, spend and harbor large amounts of funds.

At any rate, I'd label VWs as an early technology with the potential to both benefit and disrupt elements of businesses and government agencies. As a technology, VWs are still emerging in terms of their potential--sort of like the advent of Web browsers in 1993-1994 and the world-wide Web.

What do you think? Your comments and feedback are welcome.

--David Bray

Editor's Note: David Bray is research associate at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University; formerly IT chief for the Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and an eWEEK Corporate Partner. He's now in London as a visiting fellow at the University of Oxford, Oxford Internet Institute. Bray is researching how humans consume, retain and use information, and what that means for organizations.

Knowledge Ecosystem: Situational Awareness and Info Pollution

Situational awareness and information pollution--we all face these problems daily. How do you know what you need to know to work, play and live better, yet at the same time not experience a cognitive overload of either too much or untrustworthy knowledge? Specifically, whether you're a professional in business, government, the non-profit sector or self-employed, having timely, relevant, true knowledge helps you work better and translates into better short-term and long-term operations. On a larger scale, think 9/11 or the Second Iraq War: having (or lacking) the right knowledge influences outcomes. At the same time, we all face exponential amounts of knowledge (ranging from sources as diverse as Google Scholar, Morningstar Quotes, Wikipedia, Twitter.com or even virtual communities in Second Life) that are created, remixed or cataloged daily. How can we find the right knowledge that translates into better individual, group or organizational performance? Can information technologies help individuals and groups know more, know truth, know faster? Perhaps knowledge can even seek us out, instead of us trying to find it. I've spent 10+ years working with IT in both public and private organizations, including a role as IT Chief of the Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This summer, I'm a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar and Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford's Internet Institute, with a rare opportunity to exchange ideas with several premier researchers on these subjects. While I'm here, I'll also travel around and give presentations at different universities in the U.K. My blog entries will highlight some of the most important findings regarding situational awareness and information pollution, and translate cutting-edge research into meaningful IT practices and ramifications for professionals today.

An American IT Pro at Oxford

David Bray--research associate at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University; formerly IT chief for the Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and an eWEEK Corporate Partner--is in London as a visiting fellow at the University of Oxford, Oxford Internet Institute. Bray is researching how humans consume, retain and use information, and what that means for organizations. "With the Internet, you've increased the ability for increased volume, volatility of transactions, concerns about veracity of info, and so on," said Bray. "The world is getting more complex--how do you maintain what you need to know for your organization's mission, profit, etc.?" Bray will be looking for the answers to these questions and more. He'll share his insight, as well as resources, as a special guest on this blog.