A new type of book
Traditionally people expressed their ideas in books. These are collections of texts which have two main characteristics: they are linear and static. I would argue this is not natural and is only a consequence of practical limitations on the physical assembly of texts. Since these practical limitations are now overcome through the use of electronic forms of expression, it is now possible to use different data structures to organize and transmit ideas. I discuss aspects related to the linearity of traditional data structures, and then their static, or fixed nature.
Students of computer science are familiar with the various types of data structures available to a programmer. The most primitive of these is the array: a straightforward sequence, or row, of data. However, it is obvious that the array is far from being the most natural data structure for organizing the contents of a human mind. Writers of books usually compensate for the linear structure of a book’s presentation through features like cross-references, footnotes or bibliography. However, these devices often break the flow of the narrative or the argumentation and make it more difficult to follow and assimilate the ideas transmitted.
The electronic medium now makes it possible to organize information in any way that one sees fit, while the use of hyper links is a remarkably easy and non-intrusive way to follow digressions, references or other tangential structures without breaking the flow of the narrative or the argumentation. An example of a non-linear electronic note taking medium is the tiddly-wiki and its various adaptations. There are also numerous commercial products (such as TheBrain) offering non-linear platforms for note-taking, brain-storming and other tasks involving recording, connecting, grouping and generally organizing ideas.
WordPress and very many other platforms allow the construction of a networked structure of pages. In the case of WordPress the structure is nominally hierarchical, but the use of hyper-links can be used to create almost any topology one’s heart desires, including cyclical ones.
I now come to the static nature of traditional data structures such as books.
A book, once written, is difficult to modify or update. The reediting and reprinting of a book is a considerable expense of both time and money, and most often it is the form, not the substance which is updated. There are several other factors which work against a dynamic format. Most notable is the bias of western thought in favor of static, fundamental and universal truth or knowledge, which I discuss on the Philosophy page and sub-pages therein. It is unfashionable for one’s ideas to evolve or change, lest one be accused of unreliability or hypocrisy. Changing one’s mind is looked down upon, so people are forced to present their ideas as final and absolute knowledge, and to stick by them even when they are fully aware they need important adjustments or modifications. Being wrong is seen as a failure and it is socially penalized.
Intellectual loyalty is a deep seated, instinctive value of human society, and it is often commended even when the opinions concerned run counter to evidence. Sometimes loyalty and blind conviction trump reason and evidence. This feature of human psychology is most deftly used by political demagogues to distort and manipulate public opinion, for instance using arguments of “social stability”. It is a mainstay of public discourse exploiting the human need for continuity.
The bias in favor of fixed works also helps perpetuate a political philosophy based on Authority (see also the Politics page). It is common to recommend or compliment some popular books by referring to them as “authoritative”. This usage is an indicator of how deeply Authority and derived notions have been etched into our collective consciousness, in part through the use of static formats for transmitting ideas.
It is by adopting a dynamic electronic format that I try to break free of these prejudices and irrational impulses, in my own thinking as well as that of my reader.
Yet there is an obstacle to the implementation of these ideas. A dynamic nonlinear data collection requires a computer connected to a network and cannot be used with the same ease as paper books. Moreover, reading on a computer is often uncomfortable and even unhealthy for the human eye. However, I am placing much hope in electronic paper technologies that have recently been brought to market. An example is the $100 laptop of the OLPC project. I believe this is the future of the dissemination of ideas. The books of the future will be electronic, non-linear and dynamic.
