Hello,
(i) A physical classification of objects according to size, colour or
anything else is an information system without any technology. Like a
collection of stones in a museum. Once you classify objects in a
particular class, each class becomes a measure to which you can
evaluate a new object that has to be classified. This is a system,
because you physically can put each item in a class. Like the
collection of stones, you have a class of
dark stones, one of lighter ones and so on. You could classify them by
weight, looks, sort,... When you have to find a particular object, you
can
look for a particular characteristic, then go to that class, and find
the
object.
(ii) Once you start using databases to classify objects, you don't
classify
them physically, but by use of terms (words), which you put in a
database. That database can be a sheet of paper, but it can also be a
computer
database. Let's use the piece of paper, because it is an information
system with extensive use of technology: Insert different columns for
each characteristic, each row is the name of the stone.
When you have to find a particular object (stone), you look at the
name and than you check the whole row for other characteristics like
colour or place for that object. You can also work inverted, f.e.
search all blue stones.
Intensive use of technology: In a computer database, you only need 1
'index card', the 'cards' are automatically sorted by class. Looking
up an object is significantly easier and faster, and is taken care of
by the computer.
(iii) Information or Communication technology before 1900:
-A system of index cards, like used in libraries untill the 80's. Each
card
contains the details of a book, classified by author, title or
subject. For
each class the user could look up, you needed a closet. For each book,
you
needed a card in every closet.
-A book in which shopkeepers kept the items sold and the money
received.
This system made it easy to calculate the profit or loss that was
made.
Four columns needed: item sold, money received, money paid, profit
made.
Should this not be enough, or you have anymore questions, let me now,
I'll elaborate some more.
Greetings,
cubist |
Clarification of Answer by
cubist-ga
on
16 Oct 2002 22:48 PDT
(iii)the shopkeepers book: the output of such a book is interesting,
you could calculate profit, loss, total items sold, how many items
from 1 product sold, total items lost. But first of all it was created
to keep track of things, so you could know what was sold 2 years ago.
While the index cards learns you nothing more than where the book is,
the author, subject and title (the items on the card)
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Clarification of Answer by
cubist-ga
on
18 Oct 2002 19:59 PDT
An Information System is:The knowledge obtained from investigation,
instruction or study (=information) that is put in a system (=a manner
of classifying, symbolizing or schematizing)
(i) is an information system : with the knowledge obtained from
investigation and study you can clasify the stones in a system, since
you classify the stones physically, you don't need artefacts (or
symbols) to represent them.
(ii) the rows and columns represent (they are symbols) the
characteristics that where obtained through study of the objects you
want to classify, so it is clearly an information system.
The extensive use of technology (artefacts) is relative, once you use
artefacts to represent something, you use technology. But how much
technology (artefacts) do you need before talking of extensive use.
The sheet of paper with it's columns was a form of extensive use in
the 1800's, but nowadays you would be talking about computers or more
complicated devices. It is not the quantity of artefacts that counts.
And since you cannot compare 2 artefacts if they are more artefact (or
technology) than the other, you cannot clearly state the definition of
extensive.
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Request for Answer Clarification by
georgina1-ga
on
20 Oct 2002 11:41 PDT
Thanks for your answer. I think you misunderstood my definition of
system. The properties of the system should include: boundary, control
surface, process, purpose, viability, homeostasis, adaptation,
equifinality, inputs and outputs, organisation, components, the system
should be more than the sum of its component parts.
Secondly, when I enquire about an information system with extensive
use of technology, I mean one which uses lots of technology, as
opposed to one which uses zero technology, and not one which is used
extensively.
Please could you answer the three questions again in light of this
clarification.
Thanks
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Clarification of Answer by
cubist-ga
on
22 Oct 2002 06:57 PDT
Hello,
I'm sorry that my explanation didn't help much. But you didn't give a
definition of a system, I'll rememeber next time to ask some
clarification first. But you need to understand that when you ask a
question like that, you have to give people the whole picture.
I'll restart to answer the 3 questions.But I need to know some more:
-Does your answer need to be computer-minded?
-You said:
"An information system with extensive use of technology (not
necessarily computer based): Secondly, when I enquire about an
information system with extensive
use of technology, I mean one which uses lots of technology, as
opposed to one which uses zero technology, and not one which is used
extensively."
You 'll have to give me a definition of extensive, as I said in my 3d
comment:
"It is not the quantity of artefacts that counts.
And since you cannot compare 2 artefacts if they are more artefact (or
technology) than the other, you cannot clearly state the definition of
extensive."
Or should I look at it like:"a computer is more technological than a
sheet of paper"?
-When do you need the answer, is it urgent?
Kind regards,
Cubist
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