Information and Society 50-60

Going off of what Buckland said about what it means for a community to "know" something, I think it's interesting to examine the different communities that we simultaneously exist in. For example, everyone in the U.S is part of a community, and perhaps most or all of us have some knowledge of parts of our countries history. But we also are separated into states and cities, each with their own standards of common knowledge. I also think the internet is allowing us to bridge some of the divides of these separate communities, by giving us access to information about other parts of the world or people that we would never know about otherwise.

Information and Society 33-50

What I found very interesting about this section was the various ways scholars from the 19th century created methods of documenting information. It made me think about how we endeavor to accomplish the same things in today's world, documenting collections of data and knowledge, especially on the internet. And how we often run into the same problems, such as keeping that information updated and relevant, or ensuring that the information is factual or from a reliable source. Today, the latter is even more difficult to maintain due to the massive volume of information from endless sources that exists online. With the way the spread of information today can have such an immediate and visceral impact on our lives, it is so important that we have well maintained and curated collections of information.

Information and Society xii-10

I think Buckley's use of his passport in this section to illustrate his point about the growing importance and interconnectedness of information was an apt one. From the point of view of the user, the passport seems like a relatively simple document, something that we need to carry with us when we travel. However there is much more that goes into a passport. Buckland points out things like various digital features that are scanned by computers, the customs officials that have to examine passports, and even governments of nations that need to recognize the document's legitimacy for the system to work. This demonstrates Buckland's point that the division of labor in our society creates a final product of a seamlessly flowing network of information. I think it's important to look for and recognize how and why things in our lives work the way they do. For example, we use computers every day, but the average user probably doesn't know much about the actual processes that make computers run. I think these things are important to have an idea about so we can be informed, especially with regard to our privacy and security.