Intertwingularity

Intertwingularity is a term coined by Ted Nelson to express the complexity of interrelations in human knowledge.

Nelson wrote in "Computer Lib/Dream Machines" Harv|Nelson|1974|p=DM45:

:EVERYTHING IS DEEPLY INTERTWINGLED. In an important sense there are no "subjects" at all; there is only all knowledge, since the cross-connections among the myriad topics of this world simply cannot be divided up neatly.

and added the following comment in the revised edition Harv|Nelson|1987|p=DM31:

:Hierarchical and sequential structures, especially popular since Gutenberg, are usually forced and artificial. Intertwingularity is not generally acknowledged—people keep pretending they can make things hierarchical, categorizable and sequential when they can't.

References

* Citation
last = Nelson
first = Theodor
author-link = Ted Nelson
title = Computer Lib: You can and must understand computers now/Dream Machines: New freedoms through computer screens—a minority report
publisher = the distributors
year = 1974
location = South Bend, IN
edition = 1st
isbn = 0-89347-002-3
* Citation
last = Nelson
first = Theodor
author-link = Ted Nelson
title = Computer Lib/Dream Machines
publisher = Tempus Books of Microsoft Press
year = 1987
location = Redmond, WA
edition = Rev.
isbn = 0-914845-49-7

External links

* [http://www-archive.mozilla.org/blue-sky/misc/199805/intertwingle.html blue sky: miscellaneous] by Jamie Zawinski
* [http://www.intertwingly.net/blog/] - Sam Ruby's blog named for this concept