HyperText, HyperMedia. HyperMultiMedia...
This describes a Tool-System and techniques for managing knowledge. The elements are:
1. the Dynamic Knowledge Repository,
2. the Open HyperDocument System, and
3. cooperative participants in the knowledge acquisition and processing steps.
The need for this process is shown when it is believed that accumulation and use of a certain body of knowledge can lead to the practice of some wisdom that may result in achievement of a well defined goal, or a solution to some previously unresolved problem.
The OHS Minimum Elementsand OHS Framework define the user interface to the DKR. The DKR providesa tool to evolve data to knowledge by cooperative interaction ofinterested contributors.
The OHS and the DKR shalluse only "open" recommendations and specifications for implementation of data storage, search, retrieval, and submission.
The idea is to use the best of XML, XHTML, HTML4, VRML, SVG, ISO, ECMA, and OHS encode, store, browse/search, retrieve, control, and presentation features with minimum proprietary content and methods. While some DKR and OHS features may require special implementaions, overall the product is intended to comply with current and future XML open standards and recommendations. Where this project encounters improvements and extensions to recognized recommendations, it is the intent to submit these to appropriate standards/recommendations bodies for consideration. Over the long term this will provide best accessibility to the widest range of users and devices, and allow interoperability with other DKR projects.
In overview, the goal of the DKR specification is simple. Give a set of Users the best possible process to create and build content that helps themselves and others achieve a goal. In the detail, the purpose of the specification becomes defining functionality of the repository in management of an evolving set of related shared hyperdocuments. The OHS uses a specified interface to the DKR, where the capabilities of the OHS are matched to content in the DKR.
The User shall be equipped with a multimedia interface. The Repository shall contain multimedia content searchable by the OHS interface.
Multimedia means the User is as free as possible to use various media and inteface technologies to browse, search, comprehend, and use the content. The model for content is the 'hyperdocument' as described by the OHS.
The Submitter inputs the document/email to using the OHS interface by enclosing the content in a pre-defined XML wrapper which identifies the content as a node in the Repository. The Submitter identifies the content by giving it a unique or preexisting node identification.The wrapper also includes fields for submitter, title, category, node identification, keywords,relation to other nodes, and any necessary security information.
If the content is not actually contained in the Repository, such as if the submitter includes a link to content instead of the actual content, the Repository shall have the capability of retrieving the content from the external source and delivering it to the user.
The DKR can be configured to contain any number of categories, with each category consisting of any number of information items, and each having a well defined or no relationship to other categories.
The DKR can be re-configured to change/add/delete categories, move items from one category to another, and define/break relationships between categories.
The DKR shall maintain a complete searchable and navagable node map of the Respository contents. The OHS shall be capable of presenting this node map to the user using textual and graphical techniques. References to other nodes, as given by the submitter in the wrapper, shall be clearly shown. In the event of duplicate node identication, the node map shall arrange them according to time of submission.
As well as the overall node map, it is expected that the search and indexing technology will allow mapping of relationships such as evolution and terminolgy between nodes, as well as within each node.
To show an example for use of this, we provide three catagories intended to show evolution of content from raw to refined. This example Repository includes content in three categories:
1. Experience,
2. Learning,
3. Knowledge.
* Experience. This contains information relatively raw data andobservations. It is indexed and cross referenced by the users andoriginators of the information.
* Learning. This contains turorials and structured materials used fororganized learning about Experience and Knowledge topics. This contentis indexed and cross referenced by the authors and users of the material.
* Knowledge. These are proven 'facts' and supporting data. This content is indexed and cataloged using the highest level tools and techniques available.Some sort of Gatekeeper status is required to submit and maintain this part of the repository.
So, an item of information might begin its career as a documentedExperience, be incorporated into a Knowledge fact, and then become part of, or the subject of, a guided Learning experience. (Or any combination and sequence thereof.)
Submitters and Users will be the primary organizers of content and references in the Experience and Learning catagories. With interest in the process, clarity of organization and consolidation of related content will result. This will allow progressively bettter conversion of the Experience and Learning content into Knowledge.
The Information Item is the basic component of the DKR. It includes the actual content of the item, or reference to it, as well as attributes describing its creation and evolution.
The general structure of each information item is:
<DKRtopic attr1="value" ...>content</DKRtopic>
where DKRtopic identifies the particular content as part of this DKR, attr represents some number of attributes describing evolution of the item, and content represents a structure which is or leads to the actual content of the item.
This is a very general purpose structure with easy software access to attributes and content. This component design allows:
1. Installation configuration of the DKR to a specific purpose and scale,
2. Evolution of the DKR organization to match the needs of the contributors and the content,
3. easy assimilation of standardized document types, and
4. Standardized interface with other DKR implementations.
Internally, the DKR uilizes this markup to manage the structure and provide intuitive access using a node map that shows linkages and evolution of each information item. From the OHS interface, the user is able to navigate the DKR to a specific item in several ways.
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