Information System and Knowledge Management - Essay Example

Information system and Knowledge Management A "problem" is the "difference between [an] existing and the desired goal". How does problem identification assist in problem solving What is the importance of identifying different "possible solutions" Ans: Problem identification is a process of generating possible scenarios where the difference between the existing state and the desired goal is clear. If a problem is identified, it literally implies that an uncommonlity is observed which needs to be addressed with several phenomenons so that it satisfies the practical or logical implication of it. Problem identification assists in problem solving as the identification is the first step to get the problem defined correctly. If there remains a flaw in identifying a problem then the focus is always on deciding the right things for the wrong purpose. This is what Egan (1998, p. 27) calls leverage: choosing the right problems or opportunities to work on solves the problem 50%. On correct identification of the problem the steps for solving is already paved in the right direction. Identifying different possible solutions for a problem is essential to view the problem from all angles. Often problems are complex which are highly coupled with other ones in a system. Identifying possible solutions will not only make the problem further understandable but would take care of the various penetrations and solve accordingly. Alternatives are suggested as tentative or possible solutions. They should not be evaluated nor should a preference be given for the best alternative. Evaluation and judgment tends to decrease the number of alternatives. The goal is to come up with as many viable solutions as possible. (See: http://classweb.gmu.edu /rfeeg/nurs436/problemsolving/sld002.htm) Every solution may not be justifiable or appropriate to the same problem. However generating possible solutions provide us with enough instances to solve the problem. References 1. Egan, Gerard (1998). The Skilled Helper, 6th edition. Pacific Grove, California: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company. 2. See: http://classweb.gmu.edu/rfeeg/nurs436/problemsolving/ sld002.htm 2. The name of something does not represent its identity. How does this distinction apply within information systems What is the importance of the distinction between name and identity for information systems Ans: In Information systems the name of a particular aspect does not represent its identity. It can be catered to several aspects of Information system. In data communication terminology, data is sent across several networks and it faces possible threats of stealing information by intruders. Thus obscuring data is essential and thereby name is hidden from its identity for safety reasons. It is also termed as encryption where the original data or identity is concealed and does not represents its real name. The concept of I-names and IP addresses where the original name is usually hidden with user friendly ones are also a good example. The domain names are usually represented by user friendly names which are in reality numbers which represents a unique address. Domain names are intended to unambiguously associate a name to an IP address. This cultural identity and empowerment comes from seeing communication and identification occurring in a way that seems natural in one's native language. While the bulk of the content on the Internet has been in English, this is increasingly changing. (Christine, 2006) The importance of the distinction is a balanced presentation of whether names should be allowed to represent its identity or not. Online personal spaces which allow a person to be known over the internet are often represented by his identity and his real name is often hidden. For instance, in many cases in these spaces it is difficult to check the validity of the information declared by a user, and therefore to trust the validity of the "displayed" identity (for instance people do not hesitate to change gender in online forums or online games). For instance, a fantasy world will give an insignificant employee in the real world the opportunity to become a renowned knight (Steinkuehler, 2004), a blog will provide a professor the possibility to become a rock and cultural critic (Nardi et al., 2004), and a dating system will permit an introvert to overcome his/her shyness in an online world and to engage in some relationships with individuals of the opposite gender. The negative approach to the distinction is that enormous fraud is taking place with regard to identity theft and false impersonation which results in breach of law and trust. References: 1. Christine (2006). Internationalized Domain Names. 2. Nardi B., Schiano D., Gumbrecht M., Swartz L. (2004);"Why we blog"; Communications of the ACM 47(12): 41-46. 3. Steinkuehler, C. A. (2004). "Learning in massively multiplayer online games"; In Y. B Kafai, W. A. Sandoval, Enyedy, A. S. Nixon, & F. Herrera (Eds.), Proceedings of e Sixth International Conference of the Learning Sciences (pp.521-528).Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. 3. Some methods of classifying things are based on universal categories (that is, applying to all cultures). What are some of the ways in which universal categories obscure important information What are the ways in which universals allow commonalities to be understood Ans: Universal categories are precisely used to identify a concept globally. In the process they hide information. There are several ways in which universal categories obscure important information. In the field of astronomy it is observed quite a much. The scientific case is itself controversial, but many scientists and philosophers believe in the existence of unobservable, provided the theories that postulate them best explain the observable phenomena under study. For example, many believe the universe contains "black holes," in part because the best way to explain a range of stellar phenomena is to suppose that black holes are responsible. (See:http://www.iep.utm.edu/u/universa.htm) In fact, universals have been called on to answer a range of philosophical questions. If we recall our points about subjects, predicates and reference, Prima facie, a name wouldn't be a name if there weren't something for it to refer to. What about general terms, terms that can be said of many things, such as "red" or "wise" What gives those terms meaning Some have said that predicates must have referents to be meaningful, and universals fit the bill. Universals have also been called on to solve problems in the theory of knowledge. Plato, for instance, said that for us to know something which is known must be unchanging. (See:http://www.iep.utm.edu/u/universa.htm) Since material individuals are subject to change, Plato argued, there must be things that don't change, suitable as objects of genuine knowledge, not just belief. Universals might fit the bill here, too. We need universals to understand the stable, unchanging laws of nature that govern individuals' changes. Indeed, it has been argued that a law of nature just is a relation among universals, by which one universal brings about, or necessitates, others. The word 'data' is in itself universal in nature. It means raw form of information and also used to store in databases. It also is used for statistical analysis and is also a major component for meaning information which is fetched out of it. In the field of Information technology, the word 'computer' is itself universal in nature. It is used to compute the human genome, predict weather, calculate operations and used in mining. It stands universal in nature. The word 'system' captures commonalities of representation of interrelated parts (Hoffer, 2002) in almost every sphere of technology. Both of this is universal in nature and address the commonalities to be understood. It is quite evident that commonalities are classified most often using universals which facilitates their usage in general. References: 1. Hoffer (2002). Modern Systems Analysis and Design. 2. See: http://www.iep.utm.edu/u/universa.htm. Read More