Putting our digital information in its place: Lessons learned from fieldwork and prototyping in the Keeping Found Things Found project

Does place matter for digital information? If so, how? Research points to the importance of “place-like” senses of direction, context, connection and control when managing digital information. Support for place in the Personal Project Planner prototype begins with the idea that relevant information can be located with reference to a simple planning document. This document works as a light-weight, editable overlay to existing applications and the stores of information managed by these applications. A basic premise of the Planner is that effective management of personal information can leverage and emerge from informal planning and other everyday activities.

Speaker Details

William Jones is a Research Associate Professor in the Information School at the University of Washington where he manages the Keeping Found Things Found project. Dr. Jones wrote the book “Keeping Found Things Found: The Study and Practice of Personal Information Management” (2007) and has also edited the book “Personal Information Management” (with co-editor Jaime Teevan). He holds 5 patents relating to search and PIM based upon his work for six years as a program manager at Microsoft (in Office and then in MSN Search). Dr. Jones received his doctorate from Carnegie-Mellon University for research into how human memory works.

Date:
Speakers:
William Jones
Affiliation:
University of Washington