by tahanson43206 » Mon Aug 10, 2015 4:00 pm
In further reply to germanforestgump ...
First, please note the ** excellent ** news that Dr. Dartnell is indeed still keeping an eye on this forum! The arrival of a message from Keithd21 signals that an administrator has approved Keithd21's request to post.
My guess is that if the membership wants to see Dr. Dartnell on this forum, a pathway to achieve that is to help to create a flow of positive energy.
Hans ... I've been thinking about your mention of having knowledge of family farming, including the skill of milking, which includes animal husbandry, product management and a myriad of other skills that you have won over the years, but which (I suspect) you take for granted.
In proposing that EVERY person has the potential to become a repository of knowledge and skill, I recognize the wide range of capability demonstrated over the eons.
We celebrate Nobel prize winners because they are so rare. Tesla enthusiasts in the United States (and surely around the globe) celebrate the unusual genius of Nikola Tesla.
However, the vast majority of us master "ordinary" skills which we take for granted, but which robotics engineers find challenging to emulate.
It may seem unhelpful to identify all the humans who can tie their shoes, even though no robot has accomplished that feat (that I know of).
The commercial world provides an "index" of skills. In recent days, I've found the limits of my ability to repair an appliance, and so I've consulted Mr. Google to find local repositories of knowledge and skill in diagnosing problems with appliances. I would take this opportunity to point out that both knowledge and skill have economic value.
Thus, a first cut at creating an index of useful knowledge available in the world of 2015 is to examine the commercial offerings by individuals and companies.
Many of us create Resumes, or Curriculum Vitae, and these (usually) contain snapshot summary statements of bodies of knowledge and skill we have accumulated.
However, I now offer for consideration the sad fact that there is an arc of capability for any human, starting with apprentice or novice level, peaking, and then declining with age and disuse.
A challenge for this forum then, is to find a way to enable identification of specific persons with specific knowledge or skill (and related resources such as books), and THEN to be able to follow the natural arc of capability.
A possible benefit of the existence of such an index (could be) an opportunity for persons with similar skills or knowledge to form a connection.
At present, I am unaware of any mechanism along this line.
Publication of papers by researchers is certainly a model for what is possible.
Posting of articles on the Internet has also proven to be a way to share knowledge or insight.
Whatever is done needs to have a economic benefit, starting with increased sales of "The Knowledge".
After all, the sponsor of this forum IS an author, and it is appropriate for this forum to encourage potential readers to investigate the book that started the forum, as well as related offerings.
(th)
May every member of The Knowledge forum grow financially, intellectually, socially and beyond.