DOCAM04: SIMS

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DOCAM04 SIMS Document Academy Conference
2004 Media Convergence A Myth
Considered Michael Buckland, University of
California, Berkeley buckland_at_sims.berkeley.edu B
erkeley, Oct 24, 2004
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Society operates through documents. Documents
dominate our lives! So there is a great need to
study the nature and use of documents -- and it
is not simply a question of technology.
A myth is a powerful belief. It may or may not be
true, but the belief is influential.
Media convergence is a myth. It is a powerful
belief. What could media convergence mean?
How media convergence be tested? -- How
measured?
Maybe Convergence means increased
interoperability. How can documents can become
more convergent? or less?
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1. Phenomenological aspect Documents are objects
perceived as signifying something. The status of
being a document is not inherent but attributed
(given to) an object. Meanings are always
constructed by observers.
2. Cultural codes All forms of expression depend
on some some shared understandings, language in a
broad sense. Convergence here is cultural
convergence or interpretation.
Character Status

3. Media Types Different type of expression
have evolved Texts, images, numbers, diagrams,
art
4. Physical Media Paper film analog magnetic
tape bits.
Anything perceived as a DOCUMENT (1) has
cultural (2), type (3), and physical (4) aspects.
Being digital affects directly only aspect 4.
Limited benefit in studying only digital
documents.
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Example Moving between two media types, both
digital. Text
Social datasets It
is difficult to move between different kinds of
document. For example A numeric dataset of
social statistics and passages of text. You
cannot use text to search among numbers -- or
numbers to search texts.
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Text TOPIC
LIST Captions Social datasets
Different media types on the same topic can
be linked indirectly via topical metadata, but in
the case of numeric social data you need to
specify place also.
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Text TOPIC
LIST Maps GAZETTEER Captions Social
datasets Normalizing place names
requires a gazetteer -- and latitude and
longitude allow points on maps. But the time
period is also needs to be specified . . .
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Text TOPIC
LIST Maps GAZETTEER Captions Social
datasets TIME PERIOD DIRECTORY
Timeline Chronology So, one
can normalize time terminology and calendar.

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BIOG. DICT.
Text TOPIC LIST Maps GAZETTEER Capti
ons Social datasets TIME
PERIOD DIRECTORY Timeline
Chronology Similarly with personal names . . .
etc.
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BIOG. DICT. 2 BIOG. DICT. TOPIC
LIST 3 Text 2 TOPIC LIST
2 Text TOPIC LIST Maps GAZETTEER Captions
Social GAZETTEER 2 etc datasets
GAZETTEER 3 TIME PERIOD DIRECTORY
Time line TIME PERIOD DIRECTORY 2
Chronology TIME PERIOD DIRECTORY 3 Many
resources exist . . . and many for normalizing
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BIOG. DICT. 2 WHO WHAT
BIOG. DICT. TOPIC LIST 3 Text 2
TOPIC LIST 2 Text TOPIC LIST
WHERE Maps GAZETTEER Captions Soc
ial GAZETTEER 2 etc datasets
GAZETTEER 3 WHEN TIME PERIOD DIRECTORY
Time line TIME PERIOD DIRECTORY 2
Chronology TIME PERIOD DIRECTORY 3
Many resources exist . . . and many for
normalizing
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Descriptive metadata constitute an intermediate
infrastructure to compensate for lack of
convergence. So document convergence comes
INDIRECTLY through an infrastructure of
DOCUMENTATION (e.g. Topic list gazetteer time
period directory biographical dictionary etc.)
or comparable algorithmic infrastructure.
Suggestion Bibliographic access depended on
stable points of reference. Traditionally,
perfected for published printed books Author,
title, publisher, place and date of publication.
But these points are unstable / unclear with new
media. So new / different / more general and
stable points of reference are needed.
Perhaps WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHO?
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1. Phenomenological aspect Documents are objects
perceived as signifying something. The status of
being a document is not inherent but attributed
(given to) an object. Meanings are always
constructed by observers.
2. Cultural codes All forms of expression depend
on some some shared understandings, language in a
broad sense. Convergence here is cultural
convergence or interpretation.
Character Status

3. Media Types Different type of expression
have evolved Texts, images, numbers, diagrams,
art
4. Physical Media Paper film analog magnetic
tape bits.
Convergence (at least, interoperability) is
understood for no 4. How should / could 1, 2, and
3 become more convergent?
I thank Niels W. Lund, Marc Davis, the
Institute for Museum Library Services, and
others for helpful discussions.