Digital Humans: Thriving in an Online World

1The Digital Spine

It is better to create than to learn!

Creating is the essence of life.

Attributed to Julius Caesar

We explore how the widespread access to digital knowledge in all its forms has fundamentally shifted our organizations and our lives. We reveal what we mean by the digital spine and why it is fundamental for our digital reality. Our worlds have become complex labyrinths of knowledge and how knowledge informs decision making. We also discuss why quality decision making for large groups is difficult, especially when working in virtual teams, and how the spine helps us get things done.

The Power of the Book

Julius Caesar is credited as the inventor of the spine of the book. This small change revolutionized the way information was processed and transmitted. It is said he required his scrolls and papers to be bound at the edges as it was easier to transport them. The spine had the added benefit of providing easier access to the information and apparently aided his decision making on the battlefield.

In a scroll, access is strictly sequential; in a book we can be less linear and jump straight to the page we want. The invention of the spine meant that information could now be indexed, accessed at any point, and cross-referenced. It was perhaps the first random access memory system. The spine's ability to provide not only detailed information but simultaneously retain access to that information's context (i.e., the entire book) is not something we have bettered ...