The Architecture of Information: From Encylo-pedias to AI

 

The Architecture of Information: From Encylo-pedias to AI

Good morning. There is something uniquely peaceful about the 6:00 AM hour—the world is quiet, the coffee is hot, and the digital slate is clean. Today, I’m thinking about how we categorize the vast amount of "stuff" we learn.

This Day in History: February 2, 1884

On this day, the first portion of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) was published. It was the result of decades of labor, aimed at documenting every word in the English language and its history. It was the ultimate "database" of its time—a massive effort to bring order to the chaos of human communication.

Curation vs. Collection

The creators of the OED weren't just collecting words; they were curating them. They looked for the history, the context, and the subtle shifts in meaning over centuries.

In our modern era, we face a similar challenge. We have tools like NotebookLM and Gemini that can ingest thousands of pages in seconds. But without a human at the helm—someone to "ponder" the relevance—it’s just a collection of data.

To turn data into wisdom, we need a structure. Just as the OED used alphabetical order and etymology, we use our own filters:

• The PWW List: Who is contributing something original?

• The Executor's Lens: What information is vital for the future, and what is merely noise?

• The Blogger’s Voice: How can I take this complex idea and make it accessible?

A Thought for Today

As you go through your digital routine today, think of yourself as a lexicographer of your own life. You aren't just "using" the internet; you are building a library of insights. What "word" or idea will you define for yourself today?

Don't just collect information. Curate it. Make it mean something.