Got this via Email from Wolfgang Neurath. The following is a quote from the introduction to the anthology Mapping Knowledge domains. Sounds interesting. Who can read it and feedback?

The term “mapping knowledge domains” was chosen to describe a newly evolving interdisciplinary area of science aimed at the process of charting, mining, analyzing, sorting, enabling navigation of, and displaying knowledge.

Using the term “collaboration” in German means using the term “Kollaboration” which has a distinct historical connotation that leads back to World War II. A person who collaborates is considered (more or less) as a traitor because he “collaborates” with the enemy - though there is a more elaborate discussion going on in the field of historiography.

Another helpful and necessary argument from David Weinberger. Weblogs are not about replacing journalists/media. They are maybe not even about challenging them or improving their professional conduct. The article David quotes is on blog-celebrities, their daily live, and sources of income all presented like an ethnographic study. Good stuff to read but as David is underlining: the power of weblogs is not at this fraction it’s where the readership is low and the fascination is high.

Just talked to a colleague of mine about the phenomenon of web-based social tools and their use for private and business issues. We talked more precisely about usability and those tools and if there is a market for usability studies. And yes I think there is growing need for that. If services are going commercial there is already a proof of some usability issues met.