(2003-09-06) Web Knowledge Management

Sean McGrath on the World Wide Web (and BlogWeb) as Knowledge Management system. Looking back on it, I think it is fair to say that I would not have solved the problem without the Web. A strong statement I think you will agree. A statement that begs the question: "what did we do before the Web? How did Complex System-s get debugged without it?"... I'm not happy with the word "information" as I have used in here. The Web certainly provides raw information in abundance but I think the critical thing it provides to IT practitioners these days is access to conversations - not merely raw information. Conversations which, for the most part, take place from consumer to consumer. Developers talk to each other, exchange questions and answers. Theories and snake oil solutions go to and fro... Vendor manuals: 10%; Googling: 20%; Reading developer blogs, user mailing lists etc.: 70%.