• myGriffith
    • Staff portal
    • Contact Us⌄
      • Future student enquiries 1800 677 728
      • Current student enquiries 1800 154 055
      • International enquiries +61 7 3735 6425
      • General enquiries 07 3735 7111
      • Online enquiries
      • Staff phonebook
    View Item 
    •   Home
    • Griffith Research Online
    • Conference outputs
    • View Item
    • Home
    • Griffith Research Online
    • Conference outputs
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Browse

  • All of Griffith Research Online
    • Communities & Collections
    • Authors
    • By Issue Date
    • Titles
  • This Collection
    • Authors
    • By Issue Date
    • Titles
  • Statistics

  • Most Popular Items
  • Statistics by Country
  • Most Popular Authors
  • Support

  • Contact us
  • FAQs
  • Admin login

  • Login
  • Seeing the network for the trees of knowledge: Paul Otlet's (1868-1944) Universal Network of Documentation

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    95796_1.pdf (1.355Mb)
    Author(s)
    Van Acker, Wouter
    Griffith University Author(s)
    Van Acker, Wouter
    Year published
    2009
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    In several accounts, Paul Otlet has been portrayed as the forgotten forefather of the World Wide Web. Several information historians see in his index card system and UDC system a precursor of current hypertext systems and communication networks. Although several of the current characteristics of the Web may indeed be traced back in history, such comparisons easily fall in the trap of making teleological bridges. Instead, this paper compares the importance of the network metaphor in Otlet's theory with two other metaphors: the tree of knowledge and the universe of knowledge. Otlet used the notion of 'network' only to describe ...
    View more >
    In several accounts, Paul Otlet has been portrayed as the forgotten forefather of the World Wide Web. Several information historians see in his index card system and UDC system a precursor of current hypertext systems and communication networks. Although several of the current characteristics of the Web may indeed be traced back in history, such comparisons easily fall in the trap of making teleological bridges. Instead, this paper compares the importance of the network metaphor in Otlet's theory with two other metaphors: the tree of knowledge and the universe of knowledge. Otlet used the notion of 'network' only to describe the necessary infrastructure of a communication network between documentation centres and libraries. The word network was used in the sense of transport network, and the comparison was often made with railway networks. As to what concerns the semantic world of knowledge - or what Otlet called the 'universe of knowledge' - the traditional 'tree of knowledge' rather than the network, served as the structural model. The fact that Otlet believed in the model of the tree rather than the network for the future organisation of knowledge, marks an important point in the history of knowledge organisation. The difference between the tree and the network lies in the definition of unity. Otlet reacted against the crisis of a disappearing unity by restoring that unity. He believed in the unity of the sciences and the possibility to control that unity through the scientific community and its institutions.
    View less >
    Conference Title
    Networks of design : proceedings of the 2008 Annual International Conference of the Design History Society (UK)
    Publisher URI
    http://www.designhistorysociety.org/events/previous_conferences/index.html
    Copyright Statement
    © 2008 Design History Society. The attached file is reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the conference's website for access to the definitive, published version.
    Subject
    Architectural History and Theory
    Publication URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10072/61716
    Collection
    • Conference outputs

    Footer

    Disclaimer

    • Privacy policy
    • Copyright matters
    • CRICOS Provider - 00233E

    Tagline

    • Gold Coast
    • Logan
    • Brisbane - Queensland, Australia
    First Peoples of Australia
    • Aboriginal
    • Torres Strait Islander