Everything Is Miscellaneous

1. The Digital Revolution Transforms Information Organization

In the third order of order, knowledge doesn't have a shape. There are just too many useful, powerful, and beautiful ways to make sense of our world.

From atoms to bits. The digital revolution has fundamentally changed how we organize and access information. Unlike physical objects, digital information can be infinitely rearranged and accessed in multiple ways simultaneously. This shift from atoms to bits allows for unprecedented flexibility in categorization and retrieval.

Three orders of order. The author describes three "orders of order":

• First order: Physical organization of objects (e.g., books on shelves)
• Second order: Analog metadata (e.g., card catalogs)
• Third order: Digital information and metadata

The third order enables a "miscellaneous" approach to information, where items can belong to multiple categories and be organized in countless ways, freeing us from the constraints of physical organization.

2. Traditional Classification Systems Face Limitations

You can't publish a book without using glue: The pages have to go in one order and not another, so the Mortimer Adlers of the world have to come up with an order for them.

Physical constraints. Traditional classification systems like the Dewey Decimal System were designed for physical libraries and are limited by the need to place each item in a single location. These systems often reflect the biases and worldviews of their creators, leading to problematic categorizations.

Evolving knowledge. As our understanding of the world changes, rigid classification systems become outdated. Examples include:

• Racial categories in censuses
• Definitions of planets
• Medical classifications of conditions

The digital world allows for more flexible and evolving categorization systems that can adapt to new knowledge and perspectives.

3. The Rise of Tagging and User-Generated Metadata

To get as good at browsing as we are at finding—and to take full advantage of the digital opportunity—we have to get rid of the idea that there's a best way of organizing the world.

Democratized categorization. Tagging systems, like those used on websites such as Delicious and Flickr, allow users to create their own categories and metadata. This bottom-up approach to organization reflects how people actually think about and use information.

Benefits of tagging:

• Flexibility: Items can belong to multiple categories
• Scalability: Systems grow organically with user input
• Relevance: Categories reflect actual use and interests
• Serendipity: Unexpected connections emerge

However, tagging also introduces challenges, such as inconsistent terminology and the need for systems to manage and make sense of user-generated metadata.

4. The Power of Miscellaneous Organization

In the miscellaneous order, a topic is anything someone somewhere is interested in.

Embracing messiness. The digital world allows us to embrace the inherent messiness of information. Instead of forcing items into rigid categories, we can allow for multiple, overlapping organizations that reflect different perspectives and needs.

Faceted classification. Systems like faceted classification allow for multiple, simultaneous ways of organizing information. This approach, pioneered by S.R. Ranganathan in the 1930s, has found new relevance in the digital age.

Examples of miscellaneous organization:

• Amazon's product categorization and recommendation system
• Wikipedia's interconnected articles and categories
• Google's ability to find relevant information across diverse sources

By allowing information to be miscellaneous, we increase its potential value and discoverability.

5. Social Knowledge and Collaborative Understanding

Knowledge—its content and its organization—is becoming a social act.

Collective intelligence. The internet has enabled new forms of collaborative knowledge creation and curation. Platforms like Wikipedia demonstrate how a large group of people can work together to create and maintain complex bodies of knowledge.

Characteristics of social knowledge:

• Iterative improvement through discussion and editing
• Transparency of process and decision-making
• Rapid response to new information and changing contexts
• Diverse perspectives contributing to a more comprehensive understanding

This shift towards social knowledge challenges traditional notions of expertise and authority, emphasizing the importance of process and collaboration over individual brilliance.

6. The Evolution of Authority and Expertise

Authority now comes from enabling us inescapably fallible creatures to explore the differences among us, together.

Changing nature of authority. Traditional sources of authority, such as encyclopedias and academic institutions, are being challenged by more open and collaborative systems. The digital age requires a new understanding of expertise that values:

• Transparency and openness to criticism
• Ability to synthesize and contextualize information
• Facilitation of discussion and knowledge-sharing

Distributed expertise. Instead of relying on a small number of recognized experts, we're moving towards a model where expertise is distributed across networks of individuals with diverse knowledge and experiences.

This shift doesn't negate the value of deep expertise but changes how it's developed, recognized, and applied in a more connected and rapidly evolving information landscape.

7. The Future of Knowledge in a Miscellaneous World

Making sense of what we know is the broader task, a task for understanding within the infrastructure of meaning.

From knowledge to understanding. As information becomes more abundant and easily accessible, the focus shifts from accumulating knowledge to developing understanding. This involves:

• Making connections between diverse pieces of information
• Contextualizing knowledge within broader frameworks
• Applying information to solve real-world problems

Implications for business and society:

• Education systems need to emphasize critical thinking and information literacy
• Businesses must adapt to more open and collaborative knowledge management
• Innovation increasingly comes from unexpected connections and combinations

The miscellaneous organization of information enables new forms of creativity and problem-solving by allowing us to see and explore connections that were previously hidden by rigid categorization systems.

Last updated: January 24, 2025