- Historically, the roots of information science lie in mathematics
on the one hand, and in accounting (financial administration) on the
other. We have, however, gradually outgrown this stage. It is therefore
time that information science were regarded as an autonomous science,
with no more ties to mathematics than any other science, such as physics,
chemistry and astronomy. As with these sciences, mathematics is no
more and no less than an important auxiliary science. The child has
grown up; it is time for the parents, ‘mathematics’ and
‘economics’ to realise it.
- Information science belongs to the science faculties undivided.
The division into Administrative Information Theory (under the Economics
or Business Administration Department) and Information Science (under
the Mathematics and Information Science Department) which exists at
many universities, is improper. After all, everyone would be surprised
if physics were divided into theoretical physics under mathematics
and experimental physics under chemistry. The challenge facing business
information science is to create the synthesis between exactness and
empathy with business. At the moment, there is a little too much exactness
in Mathematics & Information Science, and a little too much empathy
with business in Economics and Business Administration. Practice has
shown, however, that it is easier to teach business administration
to exact people than to teach business-oriented students a more exact
attitude. A plea to move the Administrative Information Theory components
to Business Information Science.
- Theoretical information science is important, but should temper
its current pretension. (Pretension with respect to error-free software
or other grand quality improvements.) As we have learned from chemistry,
chemical processes that work well in a test tube, cannot yet be performed
in a basin. Such effects of scale also apply to many results achieved
in theoretical information science.
- The profession of information scientist is an equally beautiful
one for men as for women. A wide range of personality structures can
find pleasant and useful jobs in this profession. Keen puzzler, for
example, might become database or network specialists. More creative
persons may eventually become information architects. The more exhibiting
personality can fulfil his ambitions in consulting. The foreman type
can develop into a project leader. The university education of information
science ought to activate the development of these four basic talents
more.
- Socially and professionally, the use of automation should primarily
be aimed at the simplification of our society: a reduction of the
seeming complexity of our society towards a more natural order of
things, in which there is no need for the support of rigid and overly
complex patterns. The role of automation is to help find the way out
of this society that is supersaturated with information. After that,
automation can transparently fulfil its serving role in this physical
era.
- Pupils at secondary schools must be made more aware of the opportunities
and challenges of a (university) education in information science.
In our society, the dominant presence of information technology is
becoming more manifest all the time. To prevent computer illiteracy,
enthusiastic training must be given during pre-university education,
attracting pupils to deepen and widen their knowledge in higher education
and university education. Unfortunately, negative reports about automation
projects that failed and software firms that went bankrupt have made
the profession lose some of its lustre. That is unfortunate!
Besides, high-school students should be taught restraint in dealing
with the need for information.
- Philosophy is of vital importance as part of every professional
education, concepts such as order, moderation and discipline being
key words. The present education system is slipping further and further
into the exclusive treatment of a small part of the physical world.
Plato already complained about this over 2400 years ago. IT professionals
should be obliged to take lessons in philosophy, in view of the mechanical
impact of their work.
- The necessity of a user manual with machines in general, and with
information systems in particular, is often a contraindication of
the user-friendliness of the technology in question. Many standard
packages and operating systems are extremely user-unfriendly. The
reason for this is that there is more attention for the so-called
logical structure from a linear line of thought, than for the holistic
side, which comes more natural to us, people.
I am pleased to see that there are already prototypes of machines
that show a short film in case of a malfunction, showing how to act
or how to repair. A visual example is much more effective than a simple
linear text, which cannot be read well anyway by a mind upset with
the machine that won’t work.
The small amount of affinity I personally have with the use of personal
computers is determined by the same user-unfriendliness. It hurts
the mind to be obliged to follow those technically petty patterns
for an automated support of our thinking and acting.
- If Government and industry are really convinced that information
technology is or will become the backbone of our economic and social
system, a little more concern for regular information science education
is in order. Adoption of a discipline such as Business Information
Science by industry would be desirable.
- In fact, it is rather old-fashioned for an inaugural lecture to
consist of a monologue. This does not give a proper reflection of
the interactive way of knowledge acquisition that goes back to the
Socratic tradition of dialectics and which ought to be common practice
in present-day tutorials
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