Categories - Intertwingled: Information Changes Everything - page 30

Figure 2-4. Complementary and alternative medicine.
There are many reasons why medicine is a mess. Patients want a quick fix. Doctors hate saying
“I don't know.” And the truth is obscured by industry-funded research, advertising, and a gov-
ernment beholden to special interests. Marcia Angell, former editor-in-chief of the New England
Journal of Medicine states “It is simply no longer possible to believe much of the clinical research
that is published, or to rely on the judgment of trusted physicians or authoritative medical
guidelines.” xxx
Considering the source, that's a scary conclusion, but ending fraud won't solve the problem. On-
tology is a root that runs deeper than corruption. The separation of mind-body is a category er-
ror that's hard to undo. In the 1600s, Descartes set out to validate his mechanical philosophy -
the body is a machine made of parts - and to prove the existence of an immortal soul, so he
wouldn't risk heresy charges from the Catholic Church and the Inquisition. Centuries later, our
culture and language are subject to reductionism and dualism. The consequences of classifica-
tion expand and endure.
That's why the origin of our work is ontology. Organizing for users isn't just about findability.
In designing taxonomies and vocabularies, we serve as architects of understanding. We shape
how users view the business, the topic, the task. For better or worse, our groups and labels en-
dure across channels and platforms. Mega-menus designed for desktop get stuffed inside mobile
hamburgers, and users are stumped. Departments conceived for retail store layouts are mapped
to navigation menus on e-commerce sites, and luggage gets lost.
Our work is hard to undo, so we must resist the urge to rush. While our colleagues may run
screaming from the abstraction and ambiguity of this ontological inquiry, we must have the