Taylor
Glyphs are used in this document as fonts.
In order to not get strange letters,
scattered throughout the document,
Download and install the Taylor fonts:
Windows [ink]
Mac [ink]
|
| This
Article is in four parts. The first establishes
the context for understanding and using this material.
Part Two, covers the first 11 Aspects of Memory.
Part Three, the final 11 Aspects. Part Four, outlines
the required capacities, that applying this Method
to the creation of dynamic systems, are necessary
in order to accomplish the aim of this System and
Method. It also addresses some aspects, in terms
of this Method, that memory is not. |
|
| This
material is based on several sources. Aspects of
the patent as issued, patent applications in pending,
other sources related to the invention as well as
documentation of various 7 Domains Workshops, and
classes that
I have conducted on the Taylor System and Method. Some material that has been, until this publication, held in trade secrete is also included.
Originally,
the material was organized in the same framework
as the patent as issued. Over time, this has given
way to a more informal and accessible presentation.
My purpose here is not to represent the Patent in
the narrow sense - nor, even the invention in all
its technical aspects. My intention is to provide
information
that provokes a thought process useful for thinking
about the design of complex adaptive processes and
systems and the role which memory plays in their development. I am particularly interested in how memory can be built-into human processes and organizations. |
| There
are three primary ways to get “into” the
Taylor Method. One is to learn the habit of
the way of working. This is accomplished by doing
under the instructions of those who have achieved a certain
mastery of the Method. Another is to learn the intellectual
and technical aspects
of
the
method including the Modeling Language and all the
formal distinctions that support the work. The third
is to understand the 22 Aspects of Memory and
the the 22 Habits of Creative People and EMBED these
in the environments you build and employ. Of course,
there is a fourth way which is some combination of
the first three. Each person has to choose their
own path through this material. There is no one
right way to achieve mastery. Whatever you path, a combination of historical learning, the experience of doing and understanding the theory has to be fused in real-time work in order for knowledge of the Method to be achieved. |
| A
method that does not have multiple channels of access
is weak and will ultimately fail.
Most KnowledgeWorkers will adopt some combination of these three strategies
depending
on
their cognitive
orientation,
the application
of the method to their work and other circumstances
in their environment: time, resources and so on.
Of the three, the most powerful tool, for the investment
involved, is the latter. If you truly understand
the implications of memory
and
creativity and if you function as a designer to make
these intrinsic to the processes, artifacts
and environments you build, you will be able to generate
a variety of useful solutions to a broad number of
systemic challenges. This is a principle of Biomimicry [link] and
organic design [link].
Study nature and apply this to design challenges. |
| This
is so because complex systems are life-like.
I have arrived at the principles outlined below by
applying the method, itself, to the discovery and
creation of the method through an iterative process
of Design/Build/Use.
The goal has been to discover design principles and
that function over a broad range of applications
in many level of system recursions. The primary
source of these discoveries has been the
study and
facilitation
of
humans - as
individuals
and groups - as they grappled with and solved difficult
problems by using the method itself. This has been
done by applying “Black Box Theory” as developed
by cybernetic practices a half century ago. This,
if done correctly, is a self adapting process -
it learns. As complex systems cannot be predicted
or controlled, traditional methods cannot deal with
them. This is the basis of our present condition:
the failure to be requisite with the systemic
consequences of the sum of our own actions. Humans
and groups
of humans are the most complex systems
we
presently
know. They provide a rich knowledge-base of design
strategies. So above, so below. |
| All
this said, the following employs Taylor terms-of-art
ToA and
Modeling Language in fairly terse language. The purpose
of which is to be a precise as possible. Even so,
you will bring your own experience to this language
and understand it in your own way. This is fine as
long as you bring rigor and consistency - within
your own framework - to the exercise. |
| Design
Assumptions ToA [link] related
to the nature of mind and memory functionality and
the executive routine [link] ToA of
any intelligent Agent [link] ToA are
a core
aspect [link] of
this System and Method. I
have conducted mind
experiments [link] ToA,
related to the nature of mind, executive functions
and memory since
1966 - these have proven predictive in several areas
of scientific research and technology development
[link]. |
| Between
1980 and the present, tests have been run, by Gail
Taylor myself and others, in various DesignShop ToA and
PatchWorks ToA events
and in Various Management Center ToA and
NavCenter ToA environments,
to refine this model of Memory and the processes
that support the building of “strong” [link] memory
in intelligent Agents and complex systems. |
| These
various experiments and observations formulate the
basis of this Model (of memory). This Model is not
offered as hard, verified, science - although many
aspects
of it qualify as such. It is a conceptual Model
built for the purpose of building and employing certain
systems. The processes, tools, environments required
to do this are described elsewhere [link]. |
| It
is not necessary for an idea to be totally true or
verifiable to be useful. This statement, itself,
is an insight of this System and Method. “The
only valid test of a concept or theory is what it
enables you to do” [Taylor
Axiom]. What is necessary
is that the idea can be applied as an algorithm,
process 2 or
artifact of this System and Method and produce reasonably
consistent, useful results as specified by the Appropriate
Response [link] Model.
In other words, not all natural systems employ all
aspects of this Model, nor does
the Model cover all aspects of natural memory phenomena.
The Model is, however, complete enough to do two
things: be employed to build “artificial” memory
processes and systems and facilitate significant
memory processes of many living beings - notably
humans. |
| While
the following statements are not presented as science,
they are presented as engineering design assumptions ToA useful
for generating practical insights about memory-systems [link] across
a wide band width of type, scale, application and
system media ToA.
These assumptions, and the algorithms presented with
them, make up an example of a generalized design
tool-kit that can be successfully aplied to a wide
variety
of design
challenges. |
| These
assumptions are useful for creating the architecture,
processes, artifacts, tools and rule sets (algorithms)
of the method and many expressions of
it on multiple levels of recursion [link] ToA
in many different kinds of application environments. |
| In
the following explanation, each of the 22 design
assumptions (or memory aspects and functions) are
stated with examples (in the realm of Environment,
Process and Tools) for each assumption along with
a brief explanation. Following each set of examples,
are some general observations relevant to the assumption.
The examples are specific to some aspect, on a designated
level of recursion and a particular Subsystem, of
the System and Method. These examples
are stated as system specifications, rules, algorithms
or pseudo-code. While not exhaustive of the System
and Method nor it’s full practice (which remains
in Trade Secrete), these examples indicate the
potential range and scope of the design assumption as
rules for
building specific expressions, artifacts and processes
of the System and Method. The detail provided is
sufficient for thinking about the process of building
significant “mind-like” processes,
tools, environments, systems and artifacts across
a broad range of applications in a wide range of
media. |
Recap
of Recursion Levels:
To
facilitate understanding of what Level
of Recursion T0A a
given description or definition is applied
to, the following convention is employed:
rL1 = neural
nodes, computer code, small
parts scale;
rL2 = machine
environment, molecular scale;
rL3 = human
scale;
rL4 = human
team and group scale;
rl5 = human
environments and organizations scale;
rL6 = social, ValueWeb ToA and regional economy/ecology scale;
rL7 = global
network and economy scale.
These
scales are roughly
derived from and related to Miller’s
system [link].
This code is part of
an Agent
Definition Code [link] which
is an aspect the “Agent
Builder” toolkit
- Subsystem 3 Ss3. |
|
|
| In
the following examples, the Principle of Minimum
Claim [link] ToA is
employed. The statements are
made in a way that claims the least amount of certainty
and information necessary to support the
design assumption in focus, and the examples and
rules necessary to
implement this principle, in some operating subsystem
or component in some part of and level of recursion
of the Taylor System and Method. |
| The
best approach to “learning” this material
is to apply it, as active design principles, in
the creation
of real processes and systems. The is the way most
true to the material itself and why the material
is presented in the way it is. In a nut shell,
this material is best used as meta-programming
[link] in
a specific design process. In time, the precepts
become ingrained -as an understanding
- a one aspect of how complex systems
evolve and behave. This approach, to learn by design [link] is employed
throughout the Taylor Method. |
|
| Go
to part Two of this Article for the first 11 of
the 22 Aspects of Memory. |
|
Return to
Taylor System and Method Outline |
Matt
Taylor
Palo Alto
May 12, 2000
SolutionBox
voice of this document:
• ENGINEERING • STRATEGY •
PRELIMINARY
|
click on graphic for explanation of SolutionBox |
posted:
September 20, 2002
revised:
June 15, 2005
• 20020920.473711.mt • 20020921.789718.mt •
• 20020922.075531.mt • 20020923.441411.mt •
• 20020924.450902.mt • 20020925.344512.mt •
• 20050615.070816.mt •
(note:
this document is about 55% finished)
Matt
Taylor 615 525 7053
matt
Taylor e-mail [link]Taylor
IP
Statement and Policy [link]
Copyright© Matt
Taylor 2002, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2005
|
|
|
