What a Document Is

From: Linda Lane
Sent: Monday, November 27, 2006 5:34 PMTo: 'buckland berkeley.edu'

Subject: a 'document' is what it is used for; something that intends to inform, a document also refers to that something itself.

Hi Dr. Buckland,
Thank you for your recommendation for me to read “What is a Document” - I found it more informative than expected, especially regarding the spiritual overtones which while scratching the surface so lightly I would not expect to spring so quickly and significantly to the surface.

One thing is that I remain unsure of is - what you think a Document is. The closest I can figure out is that you have closely analyzed other’s opinions and feel that although they did not say it so clearly as have you, that a document has nothing to do with it’s flatness or what medium it’s in or is stored in, a document is what it is used for and also refers to that thing itself. You infer:

“1. There is materiality: Physical objects and physical signs only;
2. There is intentionality: It is intended that the object be treated as evidence;
3. The objects have to be processed: They have to be made into documents; and, we think,
4. There is a phenomenological position: The object is perceived to be a document.”

But you question even these things. I can think of things that inform which may not be documents, until they are documented in a way that others can read them. Such as termas.

The question “is it art because it’s framed as art” – no pun intended I hope – by this you seem to be saying that you agree that information, and documentation can be defined by the context it is in. That’s it is relative to use, to what you are using it for, that it is for informing one about something.

So to give a crude example which suddenly came to mind, a person on an outhouse throne can read a Sears and Roebuck catalog page, but the second that they intend to use it for something other than entertainment, say as toilet paper, it’s no longer a document (unless it was to be then used as a sample for medical reasons or other research).

Besides the obvious reasons I care about your definition, is back in the dark ages of home computer use (1989-1991), I labored as a technical support worker at Microsoft. One day while working in the Works unit, not the preferred department, a confused customer called and after speaking for a while I said, “ok, open your document.” And the person having just discussed whatever file they were having trouble with, said, “What is a document?” This person said they had never heard that word before.

Bang! ‘What is a document’ I thought – that’s a real basic question. But having supported 18,000 individual questions over a 2 year period, I was used to questions such as “File Menu? What is file? What is menu?” and “where do I put the mouse?”. The repetitive nature of answering simple questions with very practical answers = “Yes, the print menu item is always in the same place, from now on.” For the 6th time with the same customer. Sort of causes you to stop thinking about the symbolic or higher meanings of just about any question. (and caused me to think it was the fault of the software.)

Regarding signs, I foresee soon a kind of digital display device that I will see in my lifetime in wide use that is displayed on some medium like ionized air and hangs down in long brightly lit transparent panels.

Back to your paper – so you are inferring that a document is something that intends to inform. If you wanted to tell me what a document is, you would have named your paper that, but since you asked a question, that is exactly what your paper does – posit the question, not necessarily tell us, but to get us to think.

So I will read the second document – “What is a digital document.”
Cheers!
-Linda

http://www.ischool.berkeley.edu/~buckland/whatdoc.html