Introduction to Knowledge Networks

The word "network" has a myriad of similar meanings. Simply put, it means connecting separate pieces together to form a single or contiguous piece. When we talk about a network of knowledge, we mean connecting separate pieces of information together. The concept of Knowledge Networks dates back to the work of Mark Granovetter. His most famous work in networks theory can be found in an article called "The Strength of Weak Ties." The basic argument is that your relationship to family members and close friends ("strong ties") will not supply you with as much diversity of knowledge as your relationship to acquaintances, distant friends, and the like ("weak ties"). In other words, in the world we live in, there is information that we know and information that we must go somewhere to get. Sometimes we must go to another person to either have them give us the knowledge or show us where to go next to obtain the knowledge. If we were to do this and document how often the information existed physically for consumption or whether the information existed in the mind of another person, we would be surprised to find that the majority of the information (knowledge) we seek is found in the latter case. This is where Knowledge Network for SharePoint Server 2007 helps.

Knowledge Network is focused on enterprise social networking, automatic discovery, and sharing of undocumented knowledge and relationships. If we were to divide people into two groups-Information Seekers and Information Repositories-the software helps connect Seekers to Repositories with the objective of helping the Seekers obtain the information they desire. The Seekers then become Repositories themselves. Knowledge Network for Office SharePoint Server 2007 enables you to quickly locate who knows whom and who knows what within your organization.