02.21.12
The Secret Behind Analogies
[Cartoon]
There is a secret behind analogies that is often overlooked. The secret is not hiding – it is in plain sight.
We all understand that analogies are a great way to increase understanding of an idea by mapping the new idea to another one that is understood. For example, describing an element as electrons rotating around a nucleus of protons by comparing it to planets rotating around the sun.
In computer software, we are always using analogies for our user interfaces. We open windows to give us views into applications. We use spreadsheets, contact lists, and calendars to view information and buttons to take actions. Of course none of these things actually exist. They are all convenient analogies that allow anyone to begin using an application with little training.
The secret behind using these analogies is the result of the fantastic ability of our minds to think in the abstract. We can look into the clouds and see objects that do not really exist. We have formal written languages of symbols that we can translate into ideas and understandings for communications. You can read this text and absorb its meaning just as the author intended and envision even more from your own mental capabilities.
Our minds are a wonder that we have only begun to understand. Yet, we do know that having the ability to think abstractly is a major factor. It may be that this ability is just part of what we need to survive. It lets us evaluate circumstances and solve problems. It allows us to share our solutions for the advancement of our civilization.
The secret is our ability to quickly organize what we see, hear, smell, and touch into classifications. Classifying things into living things and inanimate things is straight-forward. We know monkeys from humans and men from women. We also know how to classify problems as science, politics, and religion.
Having the ability to classify problems is the secret. We can have two different problems and spot the commonalities. We can then draw the knowledge we have of one problem and relate it to another. If we didn’t have this ability, there would be no science.
Enterprise Architecture is all about classifying problems by identifying patterns for reuse. Some of the identified patterns are actually composite patterns. This approach to patterns has proven to be of great value to move design of computing systems to a level of greater functionality and reliability.
Using the methods of ontology to record the patterns provides a layer of knowledge for the construction of new ideas. With machine-readable ontologies, the axiomatic descriptions can be analyzed and proven. When new ideas add new layers to the knowledge, they can also be proven without needing to test the previous axioms.
The real secret of analogies is in ontologies. Developing the ontologies that expose the underlying axiomatic principles will expose the secrets. Because most analogies are actually composites of things known, there must also be an approach to organizing the ontologies. Ontology experts conceptualize an upper-ontology on which all ontologies exist. The ontologies then come together in a lattice of related ontologies. Each ontology node in the lattice derives knowledge from other ontologies and then extends our knowledge with new ideas.
Ontologies are in plain sight and exist in every analogy. But, learning to read and write in machine-readable ontologies is like learning to speak French or Japanese. Oops! There goes another analogy.
Enterprise Architects are well-aware of the continuing evolution of technology. They creatively look for technology convergence that can provide breakthroughs in thinking. We are at one of those convergent junctions today. What is about to happen will give non-professional information technologists control of their use of automation in their business. No longer will they simply peer through windows and see only what applications let them see. They will be able to go inside, see how things work, and control their automation. – Enterprise Architects Masters of the Unseen City
Closing the Business / IT gap.
