Workshop vs Library

  • main differences:
    • workshop is my knowledge
    • library is other people's knowledge
  • there's a different "language" used in both:
    • in a library it's used as a common medium - you have to know the language, but you can know it
    • in a workshop it's my language - probably only I will fully know it, it's optimised for my cognitive landscape
      • my own cognitive workspace changes over time, so is it possible that some of the workshops notes won't be understandable after some time?
      • how to have a good dialog across time?

knowledge is personal

(...)

At the very base of this idea lies the fact that people—real, live human beings—are the best containers for knowledge and wisdom. Any tool, structure, or interface attempting to collectively manage knowledge must have people at its very core.

— https://www.are.na/blog/willa-koerner

Bret Victor's Thesis
  • Bret's idea is that we use the same representations of thought both for communicating with others, and for thinking with internally (tensions with Workshop vs Library), so by improving ways to communicate with others we'll improve our thinking
    • humans can interact with things on multiple levels:
      • symbolic (mathematic equations)
      • visual (data visualizations, Solving Things Visually)
      • tangible (working with physical things, direct manipulation)
      • spatial (moving in a space)
        • relevant to this is what Alan Kay said in "Doing With Images Makes Symbols" - Einstein used to "feel" math in his hands, and would move around the room when thinking (spatially) - most of the mathematicians and physicist do this - use tangible/spatial "modes" for thinking, and symbolic representation for communicating
    • we can (and should) use Dynamic Medium to improve on each of these!
Cognition Shape
Dialog Across Time
Memex and My Limits
Memex
Thinking by Writing

Conclusions from Thinking with Zettelkasten and Workshop vs Library: