This text discusses the history and significance of the filing cabinet in the context of information organization and modern technology. It highlights the role of filing cabinets in revolutionizing office work and information management, drawing parallels to contemporary technologies such as search engines and virtual assistants. The text also explores the challenges and limitations of information systems that prioritize certainty and efficiency over complexity and ambiguity. It emphasizes the importance of balancing information retrieval with the acquisition of complex knowledge and the human capacity to navigate uncertainty. Overall, the text emphasizes the evolving nature of knowledge and the need for adaptable and multifaceted approaches to information organization.
| Signal | Change | 10y horizon | Driving force |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail and Google’s G Suite still operate on the same basic principles | Continuity | Improved efficiency and user experience | User demand for easy email management |
| The filing cabinet informed innovative technologies like search and Siri | Influence | Further integration of filing cabinet principles into technology | Need for efficient organization and retrieval of information |
| Filing cabinets represented efficient work in the past | Shift from physical to digital storage | Increased reliance on digital storage and organization systems | Desire for streamlined workflows in the digital age |
| Filing cabinets provided “granular certainty” in information management | Standardization and efficiency | Continued emphasis on information standardization and retrieval | Maximizing profit and minimizing time spent on tasks |
| Modern information systems prioritize certainty over complexity | Tension between information and knowledge | Striving for a balance between information retrieval and complex knowledge acquisition | Demand for accurate and contextualized information |
| Emergent knowledge coexists with an internet that privileges certainty | Coexistence of certainty and ambiguity | Development of tools and platforms to capture and classify evolving knowledge | Desire for comprehensive understanding and learning |
| Data collection and distribution follow rigid logic, leaving complex puzzles unattended | Bias towards rigid information frameworks | Recognition of the need for comfort with uncertainty and ambiguity | Embracing complexity in understanding the human condition |