Scalable Information Networks for the Environment The social dimension of scaleable information networks for the environment Geoffrey C. Bowker gbowker.

Scalable Information Networks forScalable Information Networks for the Environment the Environment

The social dimension of The social dimension of scaleable information networks scaleable information networks

for the environmentfor the environment

Geoffrey C. BowkerGeoffrey C. Bowker

http://weber.ucsd.edu/~gbowkerhttp://weber.ucsd.edu/~gbowker

OECD Working Group on Access to Publicly OECD Working Group on Access to Publicly Funded ResearchFunded Research

OECD Group includes Peter Arzberger, OECD Group includes Peter Arzberger, Geof Bowker, Paul Uhlir from the USGeof Bowker, Paul Uhlir from the US

LTER – study of information practices LTER – study of information practices (with Karen Baker, SIO)`(with Karen Baker, SIO)`

Scalable Information Networks forScalable Information Networks for the Environment the Environment

The world of information is The world of information is messy…messy…

Scalable Information Networks forScalable Information Networks for the Environment the Environment

And the cleanup won’t be easyAnd the cleanup won’t be easy

Scalable Information Networks forScalable Information Networks for the Environment the Environment

Sharing Knowledge at a DistanceSharing Knowledge at a Distance

Scalable Information Networks forScalable Information Networks for the Environment the Environment

The Technology of the ArchiveThe Technology of the Archive

Scalable Information Networks forScalable Information Networks for the Environment the Environment

The Scientific ArchiveThe Scientific Archive

scientific papers are no longer the main result of a scientific papers are no longer the main result of a scientific projectscientific project

the distributed database is becoming a new model the distributed database is becoming a new model form of scientific publication in its own rightform of scientific publication in its own right

the negotiation of data standards is a central site the negotiation of data standards is a central site for political and ethical work in this processfor political and ethical work in this process

Scalable Information Networks forScalable Information Networks for the Environment the Environment

Standardizing the World…Standardizing the World…

Whose standards?Whose standards?

It's surrogates all the way downIt's surrogates all the way down

Scalable Information Networks forScalable Information Networks for the Environment the Environment

Folding narratives into databasesFolding narratives into databases

European biasEuropean bias in classification systems in classification systems

PresentismPresentism

She who controls the databases…She who controls the databases…

Highly asynchronous updates (centuries)Highly asynchronous updates (centuries)

Scalable Information Networks forScalable Information Networks for the Environment the Environment

A view from Europe…A view from Europe…

Scalable Information Networks forScalable Information Networks for the Environment the Environment

A view from New ZealandA view from New Zealand

Scalable Information Networks forScalable Information Networks for the Environment the Environment

The new colonialism (1) … The new colonialism (1) …

Scalable Information Networks forScalable Information Networks for the Environment the Environment

The new colonialism (2)The new colonialism (2)

Scalable Information Networks forScalable Information Networks for the Environment the Environment

The politics of data structuresThe politics of data structures

political issues are fought out using technical political issues are fought out using technical language (Carlson)language (Carlson)

data models fold in legacy assumptions data models fold in legacy assumptions (Edwards)(Edwards)

the distinction between the material world the distinction between the material world (hardware; wiring) and the discursive world (code; (hardware; wiring) and the discursive world (code; protocols) breaks down in modern infrastructuresprotocols) breaks down in modern infrastructures

Scalable Information Networks forScalable Information Networks for the Environment the Environment

Infrastructure is performativeInfrastructure is performative

Differences between communities of Differences between communities of practice are reified over time (fossil record; practice are reified over time (fossil record; gastropod distribution)gastropod distribution)

There is no single nesting of data objects There is no single nesting of data objects into a normalized time and space into a normalized time and space

Scalable Information Networks forScalable Information Networks for the Environment the Environment

The Ideal Symposium: Front EndThe Ideal Symposium: Front End

… … and I don’t want to also have to juggle all the and I don’t want to also have to juggle all the economics around in my mind. I just want to have economics around in my mind. I just want to have the economically receptive module, you know, the economically receptive module, you know, being able to plug in and out of everything, and being able to plug in and out of everything, and then you know like and so I’ll go to one discipline, then you know like and so I’ll go to one discipline, say can it into code, put it into code, get it all say can it into code, put it into code, get it all working, make sure it’s calibrated and forget about working, make sure it’s calibrated and forget about it and go to the next one. Work that, forget about it and go to the next one. Work that, forget about and then all these these modules by themselves and then all these these modules by themselves become individual entities that then can plug become individual entities that then can plug togethertogether

Scalable Information Networks forScalable Information Networks for the Environment the Environment

Sliming Data: What the modeller wantsSliming Data: What the modeller wants

Modellers like the slime, they like to aggregate. Modellers like the slime, they like to aggregate. Get the big picture, get the general idea or so. Get the big picture, get the general idea or so. People who collect data, they uh, and they just People who collect data, they uh, and they just work in their particular field and they get, you work in their particular field and they get, you know, through long term observations, they get know, through long term observations, they get they actually get the whole thing in more and more they actually get the whole thing in more and more detail…. They just, they just to try to to get more detail…. They just, they just to try to to get more and more detail in that particular niche.and more detail in that particular niche.

Scalable Information Networks forScalable Information Networks for the Environment the Environment

Infrastructure is DiffuseInfrastructure is Diffuse

Representing the work of others:Representing the work of others:– you have//right//to slime it//yeah you have to slime it, you have//right//to slime it//yeah you have to slime it,

right//um hm hm//Right and there is a lot of resistance right//um hm hm//Right and there is a lot of resistance against sliming, because it doesn’t represent their hard against sliming, because it doesn’t represent their hard work.work.

Career trajectories and slimeCareer trajectories and slime– And if you talk with GIS people and they say, oh, I got And if you talk with GIS people and they say, oh, I got

the really nice map of one by one and you say, well, but the really nice map of one by one and you say, well, but can you make that – a yeah but’s exactly the wrong dircan you make that – a yeah but’s exactly the wrong dir—oh we did that 20 years ago—yeah but that’s what I —oh we did that 20 years ago—yeah but that’s what I want!!! (ha ha ha). want!!! (ha ha ha).

Scalable Information Networks forScalable Information Networks for the Environment the Environment

Registration and Synchronization Registration and Synchronization

this global mapping, mapping model on the ecosystem surface. So it this global mapping, mapping model on the ecosystem surface. So it tries to model the whole happening with the globe, and look at the tries to model the whole happening with the globe, and look at the economic system in there and see how the economic system is driving economic system in there and see how the economic system is driving the ecological system and its services. So now we try to predict what the ecological system and its services. So now we try to predict what this economic forces do in the future, so well, so if I want to look at the this economic forces do in the future, so well, so if I want to look at the economics, how its been done since the Second World War you know, economics, how its been done since the Second World War you know, things look really bleak. If I go back maybe two or three hundred years things look really bleak. If I go back maybe two or three hundred years and I draw that out, you know I can still see some disaster happening and I draw that out, you know I can still see some disaster happening but I will trust that after we got rid of after, you know, once all the oil is but I will trust that after we got rid of after, you know, once all the oil is burned up, that we still have still quite some population of people who burned up, that we still have still quite some population of people who will be able to populate the globe./Mmm Hmm/So you can tweak those will be able to populate the globe./Mmm Hmm/So you can tweak those scales.scales.

Scalable Information Networks forScalable Information Networks for the Environment the Environment

Caribou in CanadaCaribou in Canada

Scalable Information Networks forScalable Information Networks for the Environment the Environment

The Use of the ArchiveThe Use of the Archive

The rare orchid problemThe rare orchid problem

The difficulty of changing names (and the The difficulty of changing names (and the need to change them)need to change them)

Scalable Information Networks forScalable Information Networks for the Environment the Environment

Representing Local Knowledge 1Representing Local Knowledge 1

Scalable Information Networks forScalable Information Networks for the Environment the Environment

Representing Local Knowledge 2Representing Local Knowledge 2

Scalable Information Networks forScalable Information Networks for the Environment the Environment

Infrastructure is…Infrastructure is…

PerformativePerformative (partially creates the world it (partially creates the world it subtends)subtends)

DiffuseDiffuse (no centralized update) (no centralized update)

Scalable Information Networks forScalable Information Networks for the Environment the Environment

Databases as Communication ToolsDatabases as Communication Tools

The digital culture of biodiversity science The digital culture of biodiversity science leads us very quickly on the one hand into leads us very quickly on the one hand into deep theoretical questions and on the other deep theoretical questions and on the other to questions of communication patterns both to questions of communication patterns both between various scientific disciplines and between various scientific disciplines and between those disciplines and legal and between those disciplines and legal and political bodies. In a biodiverse world we political bodies. In a biodiverse world we need to be able to manipulate ontologically need to be able to manipulate ontologically diverse data.diverse data.

Scalable Information Networks forScalable Information Networks for the Environment the Environment

And, in the end, the world you make And, in the end, the world you make is equal to the notes you takeis equal to the notes you take