Instead of explaining the Meta Grid, as I describe it in my book Fundamentals of Metadata management, I have decided to use my Substack to progress in my thinking, and describe what I call the Meta Grid Laws. As such, I hope you will find the Meta Grid Notes to be a continuation of my book, more than a shallow repetition of it’s content.
These laws pays homage to one of the masterminds of Library Science, S. R. Ranganathan and his work Five Laws of Library Science. However, this is not a translation of Ranganathan’s laws into our era - it is the way of thinking, that is used. There is something inherently rule based at play for characteristics of metadata, when applied in an enterprise context, using technology.
The laws continue the train of thought in my book, and will expand further in the future. So far, I will begin be describing these laws:
Metadata (the semantic universe of a company) is bigger than any one, single technology
Metadata is perspective, not truth
Metadata repositories have intentions
Perspective and intentions create a point of view, a structure
Point of views manifest a capability
Metadata creates possibilities for AI
AI makes metadata management more difficult
…
8. The Meta Grid is the juxtaposition of metadata repositories that are only seemingly very different
I just started your book. When I read it for the first time, I had the impression that I was doing it wrong all this time, and I just talked about it to some friends, and metadata wasn't even a thing for most businesses, so most of us never see this in companies, which was a bit of relief. Now, some companies might start to consider, given the need for context in AI.
I am fascinated by the simplicity and value of this concept. Have you ever had a business reach out to you about the need for metadata, or is this a problem you offer to solve based on the pain you got from the requirement gathering of the information, just like the scientist example at the beginning of your book?