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 (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 (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

• Nelson, Theodor (1974), Computer Lib: You can and must understand computers now/Dream Machines: New freedoms through computer screens—a minority report (1st ed.), South Bend, IN: the distributors, ISBN 0-89347-002-3
• Nelson, Theodor (1987), Computer Lib/Dream Machines (Rev. ed.), Redmond, WA: Tempus Books of Microsoft Press, ISBN 0-914845-49-7

External links

• blue sky: miscellaneous by Jamie Zawinski
• Intertwingly - Sam Ruby's blog named for this concept