Enterprise Search is Green

While I’m all for eco-friendly goods and services, I don’t usually think of my work as helping to save the environment. But this post from Vivisimo Chief Scientist Jerome Presenti about “Recycling the Information Wastelands” reminded me that making information more accessible is like recycling on steroids:

The same piece of information can be consumed an unlimited number of time. Using it does not degrade it. Sharing it does not involve any sacrifice. In fact multiple usage often increases the value of information and sharing it often benefits both ends.

While of course I see information access–and information technology in general–as a way to increase productivity and reduce waste, I had never thought of it in terms of literal recycling. It a nice thought–or, dare I say it, a convenient truth.

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