Hidden Dependencies
Where is it that links to this?
Luke & Thomas
intro
Case studies
There are too many notations that are interesting, and the seeing the breadth and difference between them is both important to know that the framework is general and a useful source of inspiration for when you have a design problem. Also seeing the range of all of the things that
mechanism
Conditionals, or how to say Maybe
Why we’ve included this: we have to cope with conditional structures quite often in everyday life, and if you misunderstand there are consequences. Even more so in programming and other formalised situations.
mechanism
Codings, Slips, Defences, and Repairs
Emphasis on transcription and on avoiding errors and sometimes repairing them A coding is a transcription. Instead of a postal area spelled out in words, we can use a zip code or a postal code. Our interest is in transcription errors: what happens when somebody writes down the wrong code,
notation
Chemical notation
Good example of evolution from iconic to more abstract, with improved modifiability Originally alchemists named substances by where they ‘came from’: spirit of salt = hydrochloric acid, made by mixing sulphuric acid ("spirit of vitriol", where "vitriol" is the glassy metal sulphate) and salt.
notation
Causal Loop Diagrams
Good example of sloppy, casual notation, with excellent secondary notation; only possible because the ontology is weak Start with a field of lettuces. Rabbits come and eat the lettuces. Lots of food means more rabbits, but soon most of the lettuces have been eaten and the rabbits decline in number
notation
Aerobatics notation
Good example of evolution from iconic to abstract and from verbose to succinct Aerobatics is the art of making an aeroplane dance: “loops, rolls, and other feats of spectacular flying performed in one or more aircraft to entertain an audience on the ground”, says the online dictionary. We were momentarily
Welcome & Introduction
Look around and you will see many examples of notations and ‘information artefacts’ - things made with notations. This website is itself one, with its chapters and subheadings, its table of contents and its cross-references, even its page numbers. Check out the time –another example; one notation uses two hands