Preface

Why DMX?

Its creators describe DMX as a “Knowledge Building Platform”. At this moment you may wonder: “are DMX’s system designs actually grounded on reflections about Knowledge and its genesis, or is DMX another one of those tech apologists who like to misuse words like Knowledge, Learning (as in Machine Learning), and Intelligence (as in Artificial Intelligence) to characterize their software creations – just as if terms which belong to the realm of life for thousands of years could be transferred to the realm of machines as easy as a frog jumps from one water lily to another?” – Well, this preface is for you.

Knowledge vs. Information

Actually the DMX system design, and in particular the DMX user interface, began with the insight that Knowledge is not the same as Information, and that documents or databases never store Knowledge but Information. That was in early 2000 when Knowledge Management was the current hype topic.

Knowledge is not the same as Information

Information is reassembled to knowledge in ever changing constellations, based on the individual’s current situation. Information becomes knowledge only by individual assessment. Knowledge is created in heads.

Knowledge is information connected in a meaningful way.

What that meaning is depends on:

• the situative context

• the intended purpose

• subjective factors (mood, preconceptions etc.)

At this point it becomes clear that machines do not store knowledge. They never will.