let's think "Computational Thinking"

At about 2009, on finding the term PNA I thought that I had finally managed to define "myThinking" (the shortest description I can find for the time being). The key word that supported the conclusion above was "pattern" in the realm of Network comprehension.

After a period of assimilation and reading the book "patterns in Network architecture - a return to fundamentals", I re-examined "myThinking" to be a kind of alternative introduction to John Day's subject matter, Network architecture. This was not ad hoc as years ago I had pursued the same goal by researching the term "network" and named the problem to be solved as "WITI- what is the internet".

But the linking to PNA/RINA although fruitful and logical left me with the sense that something is missing in relation to the content worked out within the so-called "myThinking". I do see John Day's point about producing clean consistent definitions of basic network concepts and move to clean implementations but "meta-artificial" has a more general direction.

My recent arrival to the term "Computational Thinking" provided an explanation to the above sense. I am embarking on the task to assimilate CT, looking deeper into it. The goal of defining CT (a hot issue for the National Academy in USA) offers me a new opportunity to re-vitalize "myThinking", slide way from PNA (RINA) and steer it towards firm self-definition and perhaps contribute to the established "what is CT?" dialogue.

Computational Science and Internet Systematics

Let me prologue this post by stating that my degree (1983) from St.Andrews University is in Computational Science. I asked onced the Head about his vision encapsulated in the term "computational". Prof. Jack Cole referred to knowledge somehow more general than specific computing tool usage. The fact that the department did not keep this naming, perhaps unable to work it out further.

In previous post titled John's Apocalypse I expressed a "eureka moment" concerning my goal of
Understanding Networking. I had to see Jon Crowcrof's review of John Day's book that states the book shows us (Internauts) how we arrived to the present state of the Net as a criterion of validity and analyzed my response.

John Day constructs an architecture which elucidates the basic concepts of Networking (address, name, directory, application) that the current running architecture of Internet failed to concentrate systematically in order to avoid hasty patching and ad-hoc solutions. The cause of the big problems: scaling, performance, security, mobility.

So, for some time I thought that the journey starting at around the end of 80s is almost finishing and I should be getting in line to co-march with RNA, PNA, RINA.

But ...

recently I have come across a new area of work called Computational Thinking which sheds new light in my work both to the grand problem "Understanding Networking"(late of 90s) and to the older problem "New Computing paradigm" (beginning of 80s) that my research degree hooked me into.

In this blog I use terms such as Meta-artificial, Meta-mechanical process, Internet Systematics, network theory (NET8) etc but one idea stands out which says that I am not quite sure about the actual logic of the corpus of ideas, concepts, schemes, research-notes etc that I have produced so far.

Initially I thought I have a "Network theory" (*) that tells fundamental things about the Net.

Next working further down this line and locating on my radar "Knowledge communication as Killer application on the Internet" I thought that since my base is Turchin's systems approach then my set of knowledge better be named "Internet Systematics".

Of course the set itself became an object of investigation, soon enough.

In addition,

John Day's RINA excludes Application Architecture and my NET8 model wants to ponder about social networking for example. What does it mean to have billion of minds thinking closer ? A new automation quantum is being cooked perhaps. I conclude that although I appreciate RINA deeply I cannot stop there, there has been some thinking that escapes RINA's lid.

Well, while thinking along these lines I came across Jeannette Wing's vision called Computational Thinking and quickly I realize there is common ground, she thinks about automating abstractions, about scaling computing education, about general concepts related to computing that engender innovation and problem solving.

Let me finish this note by quoting this blog's definition:

This blog is working out a picture of the evolving Net, it tries to formulate basic concepts that explain the nature of this global machine & its applications in contemporary Society. It tries to comprehend the ongoing (net) construction process by examining analogies drawn from the process that built its ancestor entities: the computer, the operating system, the programming language and the global telekom

Stay tuned...





(*) Network theory is concepts such as Automation Quantum, Virtual Von Neumann Machine, Meta-mechanical transitions (pls see older posts)