KnowCat: A Web Application for Knowledge Organization

In this paper we present KnowCat, a non-supervised and distributed system for structuring knowledge. KnowCat stands for "Knowledge Catalyzer" and its purpose is enabling the crystsdlization of collective knowledge as the result of user interactions. When new knowledge is added to the Web, KnowCat assigns to it a low degree of crystallization: the knowledge is fluid. When knowledge is used, it may achieve higher or lower crystallization degrees, depending on the patterns of its usage. If some piece of knowledge is not consulted or is judged to be poor by the people who have consulted it, this knowledge will not achieve higher crystallization degrees and will eventually disappear. If some piece of knowledge is frequently consulted and is judged as appropriate by the people who have consulted it, this knowledge will crystallize and will be highlighted as more relevant.