Knowledge storage using Pattern Languages and Hypertext LO22857

Luis J. Colorado (luiscolorado@home.net)
Tue, 12 Oct 1999 17:32:42 -0400

Hopefully you would be able to consider reviewing my work on a Learning
Organization model based in three concepts:

A. Organizational Learning
B. Hypertext (impelemented as Intranets, or Lotus Notes, etc.)
C. Christopher Alexander's Pattern Languages (James Coplien gives
a great introduction in

http://portal.research.bell-labs.com/orgs/ssr/people/cope/Patterns/Process
)

[Host's Note: the link above is to Coplien's paper on patterns ..Rick]

I think that those concepts can be implemented together in a synergetic
way. I need to validate my model, so I need the opinion of people with
knowledge or experience on any of those concepts to check some my
assumptions.

I hope that you would be able to answer some of the following questions.
Even better! If you have interest on this, please set and appointment by
e-mail and I will inteview you by phone whenever you can. I promise to
transcribe (if you wish so) the interview and publish it here. I really
need this to go ahead with my paper.

Thank you for your help!

Luis Colorado

--- Q U E S T I O N S ---------------------------------------

1. Have you ever tried to use Pattern Languages as part of a Learning
Organization (L.O.) effort? What were your results?

2. Updating a Knowledge Database requires the efforts from the members of
any organization. Depending on the techniques to store knowledge it will
be more easy or difficult to update the database. Beside the difficulty to
update the database, what does it takes to an organization so the members
update the Knowledge Database?

3. Let's suppose that an organization is using a Pattern Language to store
Knowledge, and the users are able to update any pattern. Do you consider
that updating a Pattern Language would be more, or less, difficult
compared to other techniques to store knowledge?

4. Let's consider an organization with a particular Pattern Language that
may contain "links" to other references outside the Pattern Language. For
instance, a pattern may include references to recordings, videos, names of
experts, manuals, etc. Do you consider that adding such extension to the
Pattern Language would be enough to store or represent the Knowledge of
the organization?

5. Do you consider that deploying an Intranet, or Lotus Notes, in an
organization would be enough to create a Learning Organization?

6. Do you consider that creating a Pattern Language in an organization
should be enough to create an L.O.?

7. Do you consider that implementing an Intranet, or Lotus Notes, and a
Pattern Language in an organization should be enough to create an L.O.?

8. Let's suppose that an organization deploys a Pattern Language using
Information Technologies (e.g., an Intranet) and good practices of
Organizational Learning (such as the Five Disciplines)... Do you think
that it would convenient that the users of the Pattern Language could
update directly the Knowledge Database?

9. Do you think that a person or a group should be responsible of
monitoring or approving any change to the Knowledge Database?

10. If you think that changes to the Knowledge Database should be
approved, who should do it, an individual or a committee?

11. If you think that a committee would do a better job taking care of the
Knowledge Database, who should integrate such committee? Everybody? An
elected body similar to a Representative House? A mix of managers and
users? Or only managers?

-- 

"Luis J. Colorado" <luiscolorado@home.net>

Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>