Information Modeling for Context Aware Systems
Jan van Til
Human beings are context aware
– by nature. How about our modern information systems? They really should be,
but they are not! Truly context aware systems require contextually modeled
information. Did you know that? We need contextual information modeling
capabilities in order to be able to produce context aware solutions that
optimally support context aware people in modern businesses as well as our
networked society.
Human beings are context aware
– by nature
We all know [1] that human beings assign meaning to information based on
its ever accompanying context. Information, so to speak, never travels on its
own; it always shows up together with a certain context. And it’s that very
context that inescapably helps to ‘shape’ information into its situational
meaning.
We all know [1] that human behavior springs forth from personally
assigned meaning to individually sensed information – information being sensed
and processed over time.
In day to day life human beings aren’t consciously aware of their
(generally speaking) fine grained context awareness capabilities. Most of the
time they ‘simply’ sense, interpret and act. Actions which, in turn, result in
new signs/information that also can be sensed. Etc. etc.
Modern information systems
should all be context aware – but they are not
So… to human beings the meaning of information is not at all fixed, but
always depends on its accompanying context – represented, of course, by
contextual information [2].
All of our contemporary systems, however, still work with information of
fixed and predefined meaning. This meaning of information usually is determined
during design. As a consequence the resulting information system is highly
inflexible with respect to changes in meaning – changes that inevitably will
occur over time. Situations change…. Our interests change…. We all know that.
Because of ever increasing dynamics – in our modern businesses as well
as in our information society/network society – fewer and fewer things remain
the same for very long anymore. We all know that.
Context aware systems require
contextually modeled information
In order to solve this wicked problem [3], we need context aware
systems. We need information systems that can handle change-of-meaning of
information because of change-in-context. Why? Because we need to be able to
quickly and optimally support human beings in the way they are naturally
‘wired’: sensing, interpreting, acting, sensing, ….
We all know that information systems are all about… information [4]. It
is for that reason that context aware systems are most naturally built around
contextually modeled information [5]. Contextually modeled information is
suitable to be processed by context aware systems in order to be situationally applicable by human beings.
Needed: contextual information
modeling
Contextual information modeling, also called systematic information
modeling [6], qualitatively differs from traditional information modeling.
Contextual information modeling requires systems thinking.
Traditional information modeling [7] needs a specific problem for which
a specific information model annex software is created that specifically
matches that specific problem in a specific way. Also read: the system is
designed to works for one specific context – solving precisely (and only) that
specific problem.
In case of systematic information modeling [7] – from the perspective of
the designer – there is no specific problem to create a model for. The
resulting model will be systematic in nature and will therefore cover a wide
range of problems – one of them, of course, being the specific problem at hand.
Compared with a traditional information model a systematic information
model shows quite a bit of an upside down experience to the traditional
modeler/designer. Elements that appear to be of key interest in traditional
models, show up at quite other positions in systematic ones.
Yielding context aware
solutions
As said: the resulting systematic information model is fit to match a
wide range of problems – including the specific problem at hand. Because of its
systematic nature, i.e. the systematic organization of information in the
model, the software aligns around it in a contextual fashion – yielding a
context aware information system [5].
Supporting context aware
people
Context aware systems provide true support to contextually operating
human beings that need to quickly, confidently and accurately find their ways
in the ever increasing dynamics of our modern businesses/society [8].
[Notes]
1. We all know that from social psychology
(wiki).
2. Indeed, meaning is
situational, always and 100% of the time: Situational
Meaning. In case you need some extra theoretical background, please read Semiotic
Ennead.
3. It’s a wicked problem because
we, human beings, ‘naturally’ look for far too long for faster
horses; we seem to hate to thoroughly solve our problems.
4. Explained in more detail in The
Core of Information Oriented Architecture.
5. For more details, please view infOrmation
Orchestration (on slideshare).
6. A profound method for
systematic information modeling is Metapattern – a surprisingly elegant as well as
powerful method. As a method metapattern comes with a
strong philosophy: Subjective
Situationism. Metapattern
is supported with a tool-set/operational platform, called Knitbits.
7. For more details, please study
Systematic
Organization of Information.
8. For more details, please view Human
Interoperability (on slideshare – via information
roundabout).
February 2013, 2013 © Jan van
Til