Monday, December 15, 2008

Knowledge Building Concept

The concept of Knowledge Building begins with the first layer in a stack. Each layer contains different types of content. The first layer is commonly known as the Header. The Header contains specific information such as the Name of the Content or a Description. Successive layers below the Header are known as the Body. The Body contains general information such as a List of Content Recipients or Attachments. The last layer, known as the Details, contains the relevant information like a list of Authors, or the time of the last update.

A simple example of Knowledge Building can be found in an internet message. A message is defined by its Subject, and commonly contains a Body of text (though not necessarily as in the case of Twitter). Messages also contain other general details, such as a shared file or a list of recipients. Finally, the Details of a message include the date it was sent, the size of the message, and so forth. This model not only applies to email and "Tweets," but blogs and instant messages as well.

The process of Building Knowledge requires certain Controls like the ability to Create Content or Add and Edit existing types. Other Controls include the ability to Send Content, or Find Items within the Content. Permissions, defined in the Details, can also include the ability to Remove specific Content or Delete everything, including the Header -- effectively removing Knowledge from the System.

The final component of Knowledge Building, apart from the Header, Body, and Controls, is the Menu which displays each of the layers. These layers, or Sections, can be Grouped and Sorted in a variety of ways. The most common Menu identifies the individual Section types, though Content may also be sorted Alphabetically, by Rating, Popularity, or Revision Date.