> an item crossing the topic of metadata and its possible
trans-culture application to preservation. Bibliographic control is
created with a diffused authority and loose interaction between humans
and search engines.<
Group dynamics are powerful. We are the sum of our wisdom
and the difference of our faults. Achives aside, the
simultaneous interaction of the population on political
issues would alter government. Direct participatory
democracy would replace representational republics.
With regard to archival organization, certainly the
frequency of exchange of any one item would tag it for the
attention of the archivist. Popularity is not a final
statement of a document's worth, but it elevates it to a
level of attention above others in such comparisons.
I have always felt that the ability to ask questions
rather than provide answers was the talent needed in such
group activities. The Yahoo model is very interesting,
because to some extent, it is my understanding, this seeding
of the group has occurred. The key archivists have
formulated some of the topics to be opened for discussion,
waited for interaction and then sorted the results.
Indeed, it could be said that we could be doing this now.
Here are my words, added to the original T&B conference,
because an enlightened leader or leaders invited outside
contributions. I suspect that eventually the net will be
drawn back into the Getty or the Long Now and the wheat
will be sifted from the chaff.