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MULTIMEDIA SOCIOLOGY
LEXICON:
AN interfaccia PROPOSAL |
As soon as you enter the program, a voice will warn you: "This
is not a dictionary...".
Meanwhile, a whole world of fractals originates and changes.
In fact, the Sociology Multimedia Lexicon we are developing is not
thought of as a dictionary, so it doesn't show the common reassuring INTERFACCIA
of electronic dictionaries: there are no metaphorical desks, nor shelves.
We discussed the INTERFACCIA matter long before we actually started to
develop the program. We took into consideration many possibilities, trying
to understand which one would best drive the user through the great amount
of information. After long discussion we concluded that the most commonly
used models didn't suite our aims, and we explored different pathways.
The INTERFACCIA we are developing is an attempt to give a graphic face
to the key-point of the Lexicon as an archipelago of conceptual islands.
We tried to represent the archipelago in the form of a map or in the form
of an ipothetical radar layout. We want to make clear to the user that
he cannot look for a word, but only try to find his bearing in the labyrinth
of subjects and problems that Sociology consists of, exploring (free) worlds
that are open but that depend on the personal choice of the user. Access
to the data is, therefore, organized by logic, but managed by case. The
user can only see, on his "radar", a layout showing an unidentifyed
object, the equivalent of a word in a dictionary, and that's where she
is supposed to start the research from.
We would like to draw a distinction between what we call "sailing
the data" and what we would call "drowning into the data".
The first impact with the Lexicon does not produce an index, but rather
gives access to a chain of connections. The user is not provided with data
and a way to handle them, but , first of all, the conceptual structure
of data connection is shown.
Each concept will be, then, developed and defined. Definition, however,
the common feature of every Lexicon, is thought of as a stimulus to further
research among the subjects and problems, connected to the fact itself
that a definition has been given.
Every conceptual island, therefore, will become a micro-world to be explored,
with a history, inhabitants, institutions.
The user will have the possibility to be present at a virtual debate, where
people who never met in the real world discuss a theme.
Images of historical events that are regarded as relevant for the development
of the concept by the authors of the program, both in the form of chronologies
and of "historical geography", will be provided. Of course, references
will be available, but the user will also meet questions he will be expected
to answer.
What happens next? Is that all that is new? You can expect just every
sort of things from an INTERFACCIA, or simply nothing. The INTERFACCIA
we are developing is not thought of as a sort of mediation between the
contents of the program and the users, nor as an attempt to build a metaphor
upon abstract concepts. In a way, it will be a provocation. But it is still
a work in progress, up to date. Shall we discuss the point?
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The Lexicon Project |
Conceptual map |
Lexicon
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An appeal to CYBERNAUTI |
Sailing Sociology |
