The introduction and first two chapters of Weinberger's Everything Is Miscellaneous discuss the way we organize things; what I found most interesting is the distinct ways we have of organizing things based on what they are, what they do, and what their importance is. Weinberger begins by describing the way things are put away in a Staple store in order to make shopping as easy as possible for each and every shopper. He brings up the fact that items have certain material limits and can therefore only be placed in one location. This limitation disappears when an object is digitalized; a book that can only be found in one location in a store can have endless categories when found online. Users help in this categorization, adding information on where to find the object, and tags so they reach even more users.
The alphabetization of things and its controversy is a big part of Chapter 2, individuals trying to find ways to organize the world we live in and making it understandable to each and everyone of us. Weinberger insists on the fact that there are different ways to organize things, from letters to encyclopedia to planets. I enjoyed the section describing the way the Periodic Table of Elements went through a number of changes before becoming what it is today.
One thing I attempt to keep organize is my bookshelves back home. I have a shelf for hardbacks, and English classics; one with the Harry Potter series and a few of my personal, favorite books; a third shelf with a collection of French books my mom brought along when we moved here; another with paper-backs I've bought myself; one with more educational books from past university classes and a last one with French comic books. All of these are organized by their author's last name; I'd never quite thought why I organized them that way, considering for my French books, I don't know half of the authors, I'm just used to the way my mom used to have them organized before they became mine and have kept them this way. When I look for a specific title I know exactly where to find them; having them organized any other way would have me a bit confused.
The alphabetization of things and its controversy is a big part of Chapter 2, individuals trying to find ways to organize the world we live in and making it understandable to each and everyone of us. Weinberger insists on the fact that there are different ways to organize things, from letters to encyclopedia to planets. I enjoyed the section describing the way the Periodic Table of Elements went through a number of changes before becoming what it is today.
One thing I attempt to keep organize is my bookshelves back home. I have a shelf for hardbacks, and English classics; one with the Harry Potter series and a few of my personal, favorite books; a third shelf with a collection of French books my mom brought along when we moved here; another with paper-backs I've bought myself; one with more educational books from past university classes and a last one with French comic books. All of these are organized by their author's last name; I'd never quite thought why I organized them that way, considering for my French books, I don't know half of the authors, I'm just used to the way my mom used to have them organized before they became mine and have kept them this way. When I look for a specific title I know exactly where to find them; having them organized any other way would have me a bit confused.
