MultiCentric Knowledge System by Aw Kong Koy Contents þ Books þ IT Solutions þ Other Observations þ The MultiCentric Knowledge System þ Applications of MCKS þ MultiCentric Technology þ What Next? þ The Program Files þ Acknowledgements 1. Books Since the invention of the written word, knowledge has been recorded in book form. Unfortunately, books are not the most efficient way of documenting and managing knowledge. Some of the shortcomings are:- þ Books are presentation based. Because of this, only a small percentage of the actual knowledge of the authors is recorded. Instead of documenting their knowledge, the authors are presenting what they want you to know. þ Books do not cater for the growth of knowledge. Physically, books do not allow for contributions from several persons over a period of time. þ Books contain a huge amount of duplicated information (noise). As each book has to be more or less autonomous, the authors have to repeat all basic information to make the book complete. þ Books are static. The information in a book can not be rearranged for it to be viewed from a different perspective. The chapters of the books pre-defined the centre of focus. 1.1 The Enclyclopeadia The encyclopeadia is the closest to the documenting of knowledge. In encyclopaedias, knowledge is classified under different topics which are cross referenced and indexed. However the encyclopaedia is limited by its inability to record relationships, groups and interfaces - an integral part of knowledge. Cross referencing and indexing help us to discover these links but these links are transient in the mind of the reader. The net result of this is that while technology and knowledge have increased tremendously in recent years, knowledge is still not easily accessible and assimilated. 2. IT Solutions The IT industry answer to this problem is hypertext, indexing systems and electronic publishing, among others. These systems may be useful for managing information but unfortunately they have several shortcomings when it comes to the documentation and management of knowledge. 2.1 Hypertext Systems Hypertext systems allow various documents to be linked through words, phrases or icons in the documents. This allows references in each document to be linked to other documents and each document to be autonomous. The links are one way. To cross link the documents, the links must be provided on both documents. This is a very serious deficiency as uses starting with different documents will not be able to find the same information. In addition, each document is actually a book or article in electronic form and therefore suffers from the same deficiencies. To learn a new subject using hypertext is not a more attractive proposition. 2.2 Indexing systems Indexing systems allow users to search within an existing set of files for information rapidly based on keywords, and boolean and proximity searches. This is useful for finding information which you know or think exist. Unfortunately the number of search hits is often more than is useful. The current trend is to design more intelligent rule based search engines to reduce the number of hits. Unfortunately, the intelligence of the human mind that no computer can yet come close is not utilised. 2.3 Electronic Publishing Electronic publishing is used to publish books electronically. Hypertext and indexing systems allow the user to search and cross-refer the various sections of the publication. This change of media does not however reflect a paradigm shift in the management of knowledge. 3.0 Other Observations 3.1 The Search for Simplicity Since the beginning of the industrial age, the human race has strive for the simplification of work through mechanisation and automation. Sadly, we also sought to simplify knowledge. We want simple answers! Analogies are also used to explain complex concepts and phenomena. Slogans are used to influence the public. Today, very impressive graphics and multimedia tools are used in presentations. The audience is lead to believe that such complex concepts and phenomena can be understood in the simplified manner that has been presented to them. In reality, what is understood is the presentation and not the real thing. It is common today for reports to include an executive summary. One shudders to think how many far reaching decisions affecting the lives of others are made on the basis of such executive summaries. Reports as we know them today only record a fraction of the knowledge acquired during the study and are ultimately another form of presentation. 3.2 Hierarchical Thinking As part of the scientific method, we classify things and put them in hierarchies. We tend to forget that these hierarchies are artificial and that the real world cannot be confined to our single plane classifications especially where knowledge is concerned. For example, we classify each book in the library under one category while the book could properly fall under any one of several categories. We can understand that this is necessary because of physical constraints. Although there is no such constraint in a computer operating system, the same single plane classification is adopted. Similarly, we classify skills and knowledge into disciplines, which is just as artificial. Inter disciplinary transfer of knowledge and experience should be the norm, not the exception. We need to free ourselves from the constraints of such thinking if we are to move forward. 4.0 The MultiCentric Knowledge System (MCKS) MCKS is a computer based system for the modelling of the real world with all its complexity. It is an attempt to overcome current deficiencies in the documenting and management of knowledge. MCKS exists only in the virtual world of the computer and the mind. It cannot be represented physically. Information in MCKS is stored in elemental form as objects, where an object represents anything that can be given a name. MCKS records the relationships, groupings, and interfaces between each object and any other object. This harks back to mind mapping but MCKS makes it multi-dimensional, integrated and enables one to select any object as the centre of focus, hence "MultiCentric". 4.1 Objects In MCKS, objects can represent anything that has a name. It can represent a person, an organisation, a company, a department, a country, a concept, a system, a procedure. 4.2 Relationships The following diagram shows an object and its relationships. Groups Link Obj ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ Link Obj Members ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄ¿ ÚÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿³ ÚÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Group A ÃÄÄÄÄ´ ÃÄÄ¿ ³Assoc ObjectsÃÙ ÚÄÄ´ ÃÄÄÄÄ´ Member A ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÀÄÙ ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ³ ÀÄÙ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ³ ³ ³ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄ¿ ³ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ ÚÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Group B ÃÄÄÄÄ´ ÃÄÄÅÄÄ´ Object ÃÄÄÅÄÄ´ ÃÄÄÄÄ´ Member B ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÀÄÙ ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ³ ÀÄÙ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ³ ³ ³ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄ¿ ³ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ ÚÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Group C ÃÄÄÄÄ´ ÃÄÄ´ ³ Aliases ÿ ÃÄÄ´ ÃÄÄÄÄ´ Member C ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÀÄÙ ³ ÀÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ³ ³ ÀÄÙ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ³ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄ¿ ³ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ ÚÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Group D ÃÄÄÄÄ´ ÃÄÄÙ ³ Descriptionsÿ ÀÄÄ´ ÃÄÄÄÄ´ Member D ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÀÄÙ ÀÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ³ ÀÄÙ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ An Objects and its relationships ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ The object can have a list of descriptions from different contributors with different perspectives. þ The object can have a list of associated objects, þ The object can have a list of names, þ The object can belong to a list of groups, þ A list of objects can be members of the object. The relationships between the object and the groups it belongs to and between the object and its members are also objects. þ A list of relationships can exist between two objects. With MCKS, the user can view the object and all the objects shown in the above diagram together with the multiple descriptions of each object from different contributors. The user can navigate through the system by selecting any visible object and making it his new centre of focus. By these means, MCKS gives the user a more comprehensive access to the knowledge available. 4.3 Interfaces Objects can interface with each other. Interfaces between objects can be visualised with the diagram below:- ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ ³ ³ ³OutputÚÄ¿ ÚÄ¿ ÚÄ¿ ³ Object A ÃÄÄÄÄÄ´ ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´ ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´ ³ Link ³ ³ ÀÂÙ ÀÂÙ ÀÂÙ Objects ³ ³ Input ³ ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÅÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ ³  ³ ³ ³ ³ ÚÁ¿ ³ ³ ÚÁ¿ ÚÁ¿ ³ ÃÄÄÄÄÄ´ Object B ÃÄÄÄÄÄ´ ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´ ³ ÀÂÙ ³ ³ ÀÂÙ ÀÂÙ ³ ³ ³  ³ ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÅÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ ³  ³ ³ ³ ÚÁ¿ ÚÁ¿ ³ ³ ÚÁ¿ ³ ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´ ÃÄÄÄÄÄ´ Object C ÃÄÄÄÄÄ´ ³ ÀÂÙ ÀÂÙ ³ ³ ÀÂÙ ³ ³ ³ ³  ³ ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÅÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ ³  ³ ³ ÚÁ¿ ÚÁ¿ ÚÁ¿ ³ ³ ³ ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´ ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´ ÃÄÄÄÄÄ´ Object D ³ ÀÄÙ ÀÄÙ ÀÄÙ ³ ³ ³ ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ An Object and Its Interfaces ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Ný Chart Notation ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ The above chart is based on the N-Square method developed by TRW for their NASA projects. The chart illustrates the following points:- þ Each object can interface with any other object, þ Each interface consists of an input and an output, þ The output from one object is the input to another object, þ Each interface is also an object, þ There can be multiple interfaces between two objects. As with relationships, the user can view the object and all the objects shown in the above diagram together with the multiple descriptions of each object from different contributors. In addition, MCKS also displays the relationships at the same time. This view provides access to the total recorded knowledge on the object. 5.0 Applications of MCKS MCKS is a tool for the documenting and management of knowledge. It can be used across industries and disciplines. With MCKS, you can get a view of your world that you were never able to see before - a multi-centric view where every object is the centre of its own universe. The MCKS database also allows you to find:- þ the relationship between any two objects through multiple levels, þ common members of a groups of objects, þ common groups of a list of objects, and þ find common associations for a list of objects. As a tool MCKS will find many applications. Some obvious ones are listed below. 5.1 Organisation Structure and Procedure Organisations striving to rejuvenate themselves are re-engineering their organisational structures and business procedures. The re-engineering process can be traumatic and success is not guaranteed. A great deal can be attributed to the lack of understanding of the actual structure and business procedures of the organisation because of the difficulty in documenting it. With MCKS, it is hoped that the odds may be changed. 5.2 Economic Model The study of economics is such a complex subject. Economic entities range in size from economic blocs, nations, whole industries, communities and companies down to the individual. All these entities relate and interface with each other in many complex ways including trade, culture, defence, technology, law, geography and so on. We know that a lot of economic phenomena are the result of chain effects. Documenting the links between the various economic entities is a first step towards understanding this complexity. 5.4 Studies In a typical study a vast amount of information is collected. If more than one team member is involved, reviewing this information is very time consuming and we need high concentration and memory power to retain all these information for us to prepare the final report. MCKS will allow all the little bits of information to be documented and links can be established for instant recall. The MCKS where study database can be supplied as part of the final report. More importantly, if a future study is required, it can continue from where the last study left off. 6.0 MultiCentric Technology The underlying philosophy behind MCKS MultiCentric Technology. Existing systems can be greatly enhanced by incorporating this technology. Examples include computer operating systems, inventory management, asset management, contact management, library systems, trade directories, Internet Newsgroups and so on. 7.0 What Next? The obvious next step is to develop a MultiCentric Knowledge client/server system for the Internet. On this can be built public knowledge databases containing contributions from experts around the world on various subjects. Each database will contain the past and current knowledge and thinking in the relevant field. It will be necessary for the database to be moderated to ensure that it is not populated with duplicated information. The text display of the MCKS object can be in the HTML format to allow for inline images and hypertext links. We will then have a tool that combines both information and knowledge databases. Acknowledgements KH Koh - for his assistance in the documentation of MCKS. Zhiwen Chong and KH Koh for beta testing the program and providing valuable suggestions. Copyright (C) 1995 - Aw Kong Koy kkaw@online.po.my http://www.jaring.my/~online Updated: 10-08-95 03:20pm Disclaimer This document is presentation based and can represents at best, only a small fraction of my thoughts and knowledge.