KMS: A Distributed Hypermedia System for Managing Knowledge in Organizations

Robert M Akscyn, Donald L McCracken & Elise Yoder

KMS Introduction KMS is a specific Knowledge Management System Knowledge Management is now an entire information field established in about 1995

Article was published in 1988 Authors worked KMS on for 7-10 years before this article was published. (Started in ~1980)

A large scale hypermedia system designed for collaboration

Developed from ZOG project

Definition of Hypermedia Information that is broken up into smaller units. Think paragraphs versus pages.

Can also contain graphics, images, sound, animation. They call it frames, nodes, note cards.

Units of information displayed one per window

Interconnected by links by which users navigate the system

Definition of Hypermedia Users build information structure by creating, editing and linking.

In shared hypermedia multiple users may use database system simultaneously

ZOG Project

Real World ZOG test project Used to build a computer assisted management system for nuclear powered aircraft carrier with 4 applications Online policy manual Interactive task management system On-line maintenance manual with video dick interface

Interface to AirPlan expert system

KMS Overview Based on a conceptual data model

Composed of WYSIWYG workspaces called frames that are screen sized Items within these frames can be linked to each other or used to invoke programs

There can be as many frames as storage allows

Direct point and click manipulation via a combined browser and editor and a 3 button mouse to move through the data base

KMS Overview KMS databases strong hierarchical orientation Multi level hierarchy that serves as a skeleton to index database

Can have any structure that the creator wants, does not have to be hierarchical

KMS User Interface Screen

Normally split into two frames, though full screen can be used•Each frame holds one page of materials

Navigation Navigate frame to frame by pointing mouse at links, displays linked frame in same window in less than 1/2 second

KMS User Interface Editing

No boundary is made between editing and navigation•User can manipulate contents at any time

•Creating new links and frames can be done at anytime

When users navigate away their changes are saved automatically

KMS User Interface Invoking Programs

Clicking on items that have attached programs invokes these programs (such as printing)

Context sensitive cursor Where the cursor (empty space vs. text space) is placed when mouse is clicked determines which operations are available

KMS/ZOG found to be useful: Electronic Publishing On-line manuals Electronic Mail & Bulletin Boards On-line help for other software Project Management Issue Analysis Financial modeling and accounting User interface to video disk materials User interface to other systems Software engineering Computer Assisted foreign language translation Operating system shell

Hypermedia Design Issues: Data Model

What is the appropriate data model for a node? In KMS it is the frame

• Supports spatial context, space exists even if there is nothing in it.

• Makes items easy to recognize• Easy to reposition items in the space• Provide room for annotation

What size should a node be? 1132 px by 805 px Allows for whole frame to be displayed on large screens, with room for a boundary and message

Reduce scrolling because most items can be represented as hierarchies of frame sized units

Hypermedia Design Issues: Data Model

What types of nodes should there be? Other hypermedia systems have different types, KMS has one, the frame, that is able to represent a wide base• variety comes with in the individual items in a frame (text, graphics)• And the ability to link any of the items into hierarchies

This reduces the number of concepts for a user to learn

Reduces the number of command context to master

Hypermedia Design Issues: Data Model

What sort of object should be used for the data link? In KMS (unlike conventional hypertext) the source is an individual text item in a frame, not embedded.

Links source not highlighted (circle icon used to left of each linked item)•Text and links are decoupled

Hypermedia Design Issues: Data Model

What types of links should there be? Most hyper text provides for different link types to provide use an idea of the destination

KMS only two types• “Tree items” noted with a o

• Linked to lower level items in hierarchy

• “Annotated items” noted with a @• Peripheral information

Should links have internal structure? No: In KMS a link is not an object

Hypermedia Design Issues: Data Model

How can nodes be aggregated? Through creating hierarchies of frames and linking the frames together through “tree items”

How can versioning be supported? Through “freezing” a frame

•Once frozen when altered it creates a newer version

Hypermedia Design Issues: User Interface

What style of user interface should be used? Interface should be designed from scratch•Single node= Frame, with only 2 link types.

How should nodes be presented on the display? 2 nodes, each taking up 1/2 the screen or if users chooses 1 node taking up full screen

Hypermedia Design Issues: User Interface

How fast should the system respond when following a link? Goal less than .25 seconds

How should the system support browsing? Standard frame layout Large targets for selection No scrolling

Hypermedia Design Issues: Collaboration Issues

How can interference be reduced amoung multiple users? Because large artifacts are broken into smaller frames less chance of interference: optimistic concurrency control.

How is data restricted? Owner locks frame

Hypermedia Design Issues: User Interface

How is communication supported? No mail, BBS, or discussion forum per se, frames so flexible users can create these

How is annotation supported? Commenting included directly in the document, but not as part of the official document

Makes it easy to comment so it increases the incentive

Questions to consider KMS is very similar elements to many current day system designed to aid in KM How do you think these systems have evolved beyond KMS?

One of the major challenges in KM systems is getting the broad base of users to contribute information How does this original KMS aid in this? How does it impede this process?

Questions to consider In what ways do you think this KMS Doesn’t reflect the Bush’s idea of “As we may think?”

How does it support “As we may think?”

Do you think their reliance on “hierarchy” affects the manner in which people use this tool?