The data-information-knowledge-wisdom (DIKW) hierarchy seemed like a really great idea when it was first proposed. But its rapid acceptance was in fact a sign of how worried we were about the real value of the information systems we had built at such great expense. What looks like a logical progression is actually a desperate cry for help. We can learn some facts by combing through databases. We can see some true correlations by running sophisticated algorithms over massive amounts of information. All that’s good. But knowledge is not a result merely of filtering or algorithms. Where the decisions are tough and knowledge is hard to come by, knowledge is not … Continue reading David Weinberger