Team Knowledge Base Construction in Mozilla Thunderbird

Part 1 Knowledge Base Introduction and Planning.

Encase Team Know-how and Project Management Experience in a Knowledge base........................................... ...1
Internet Messaging Platform contributes Content to Team Knowledge Base................................ .........................2
Collection of Information Assets by Team Sharing......................................................................................... ...............2
Three Aggregates for knowledgeable Customers and Support .............................................................................. ......2
Development Cycles leading to Knowledge Base Refinement...................................................................................... 3
TbKb_Editor. Internet Messaging produces „Message Documents containing Team Knowledge bases...............4
Traditional Database Functionality........................................................................................................... ...................4
The Thunderbird „View“ Document Database or Message Document Paradigm................................................. ...4
Standard Databases in Use..................................................................................................................... .....................5
TbKb View..................................................................................................................................................... .................5
Communication through Internet Messaging and building Sales Cycle Management Aggregates with Mozilla
Firefox and Thunderbird................................................................................................................................................ ..6

Encase Team Know-how and Project Management Experience in a Knowledge

base
Markets tend to reduce support personal but produce products needing intensive, continuous and close
user support. Internet sources offer the user documentation answering his support needs and help guide
to a solution or give tips. Companies excelling in producing support content and tailoring it to answer the
individual user needs achieve a competitive advantage by improving the value of support. Information
contained in Internet Messaging contributes significantly to producing a knowledge base for support. Use
of Internet Messaging for the collection and construction of the knowledge base reduces resources
needed to address the complete range of customer problems and questions. It assists in tailoring it to
the educational and support needs of the searching customer. Consider a vision streamlining the flow of
knowledge from collection, development and formatting it in a timely manner for project documentation,
and to fulfill corporate and customer needs. It achieves the vision by storing Project Management and
Web Research knowledge as it accumulates. Then it later edits it for exporting to the designated media
of blog, web or documents. Project Management brings projecting experience and knowledge of value to
development and support adding substantial value to the user. Internet Messaging collects contacts and
knowledge resources to contribute in research and provide solutions to current project obstacles. Further
it assists in knowledge collection and a Team Knowledge base offering assistance in the combination of
the stored knowledge and application in current tasks. Collect the Information Resources (IR) where they
coalesce and combine them into useful knowledge elements. During the maturity and sorting of the
collected knowledge; the knowledge base (KB) helps by indexing and sorting the knowledge elements. A
Kb_Editor within the knowledge base edits the stored Information Resources into basic documents later
formatting for use in typical media such as webs, blogs, published documents, collateral, support
documentation and marketing documentation.

Knowledge accumulation results from Web Research and Project Management. In general a knowledge
base contains topics (Information Resource domains) covering the complete range of projects, activities
and research. It provides a team with information for project completion in accordance with deadlines,
cost and performance. In return the teamwork generates a growth of project management experience
and Information Resources (IR). This knowledge equates to value for the team and the environment of
the technology users.

Examples of knowledge bases developing in Strategic Business Development:

- Sales Cycle Management and Information
- Application Technology
- Business Technology
- Related interests and topics including computer science, math, physics, language, philosophy, IT, .....

Media Knowledge base

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A knowledge base also supports the needs of a particular media. It helps action the problems
encountered by the participants in this media. The knowledge tailors to meeting their needs over a
chosen communication channel.

Examples:
- Blog
- Web
- Document publication

The knowledge base collects and stores specific information resources required by the selected media
channel. It adapts to their needs based on interaction of the Internet and e-mail communication. It offers
an effective means to collect, combine and share the team research, development and project
information. Editing tools enable production suitable for group use. It expedites media availability,
dissemination and publication.

Internet Messaging Platform contributes Content to Team Knowledge Base

Collection of Information Assets by Team Sharing

Team Sharing connects the group collecting the Information Resources and proceeds mainly over e-mail
and Internet. Extracting the information directly from the Internet Messaging and storing it; the Kb
speeds up the construction, reducing the time and effort required to produce and maintain support
documentation and adapt it to the media needs. Ideally it collates the information from the source as it
collects. Experience shows that this saves considerable time, effort and offloads resources. It treads in
the direction of the vision of a knowledge base collating on time or as the information assembles.
„Writing as it comes“. Like a reservoir, the data collects in storage where tools process it into helpful
documentation for the team and continue the processing to profit the user and the technology
implementation. This vision identifies standard Internet Messaging tools to decrease training time and
leverage tool use and experience to equip the Aggregates. Hence it takes the Internet Messaging
Platform to produce basic knowledge documents for application. These documents later adapt to specific
needs of channels, media or corporate functionality. The vision guides the construction of a Kb_Editor to
produce the documents in a standard and compatible format to ease later publication. Mozilla
Thunderbird proves useful and beneficial for the Internet Messaging user to collate, index, combine and
format the collecting knowledge base documents. A knowledge base incorporates a useful editor into a
document database. Containing the typical functionality of a database, it stores documents and the
related Meta Data for use in customizing, and publishing to fulfill the educational and support needs. It
eases the job of selecting, combining, indexing and rewriting the collected information and then
formatting it for the publication of choice. This paradigm produces message documents.

Three Aggregates for knowledgeable Customers and Support

Three Aggregates fire customer satisfaction and produce results for customer benefit. Aggregate 1
empowers a knowledge base collection system. It builds a team-sharing network for the research and
project management Information Resources. It excels at storing information as it collects in an unedited

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form. Then allows the user to survey the information to decide what information needs combine to fulfill

Cognition (understanding) is aware of the environmental properties and the ability to direct the input
into the assembled processes to accomplish the task at hand. Recognition is the ability to
productively recognize how and what to input to accomplish the designated task. Experience shows
that the success of an information system depends on how well the user cognizes (understands) the
processes to improve his efficiency and how well the user recognizes how to employ them.

the educational and support needs. After the survey collects the information; it assists in building an
index and Table of Contents (TOC) for the document set. Meanwhile it continues to assist in TOC
development and refinement. During this phase the editor presents the writer with tools to write the Kb
documents. The message documents produce in standard formats that later efficiently transform into the
target media format. Aggregate 2 uses the Knowledge base to produce Educational Systems for the
users that enable successful implementation and system use by an educated user. These systems
continue the education for the further system development and maintenance. It takes the documents
and transforms them into educational media. Aggregate 3 takes the research, development and project
information to fuse it into support documentation for the user and internal technical support structures.
A knowledge base in Aggregate 1 takes the first step to efficiently flowing know-how through networked
support organizations.

Development Cycles leading to Knowledge Base Refinement

Experience shows that the conceptual support of databases do not fulfill the needs of Contact
Management and information collection and processing to enter and record the contact identity. The
contact identity is the information used in a profile. Take the example of a sales consulting system which
collects the customer information relating to system needs and produces a concept showing how the
cost, deadline and performance needs best meet the requirements. An early version of this system used
a relational database containing individual masks to collect the user requirements, targets and data.
Then the sales consultant used the database to produce a proposal including a concept, quote and
targets. A database characteristically stores data in set masks and fields. Data entry proves time
consuming and tiring because it requires the user to search for the fields to enter the data in trying to
match his information with the mask. He does not easily recognize which data belongs to a particular
field. There is a wide gap between the notes that the sales consultant collected at the meeting and fields
available to enter it. Interrelationships between the facets of the customer data get lost between the
fields. Then when he sits down to do the problem analysis and later to assemble the concept, it does not
conform to his flow of thought and offer the needed data connected by their relationships. Similarly in
producing the proposal it did not effectively save time because searching for the information broke the
train of (creative) thought. It was a stop and go effort and did not effectively meet the production needs
because recognition does not lend it ease.

An iteration and next generation of this system went to a document database using forms to enter the
data and then produce the proposal. It significantly improved data entry by producing forms suitable for
the contact management and entry of the situational data. Cognition of the format and recognition of the
entry significantly improved. Experience and success showed these phases to be: Project Analysis and
Plan, Corporate Profile, IT Infrastructure, Success Factors, and Project Management. The change to a text
or free form database proved useful for data entry and producing an initial concept and targets. A
relational database produced the quote. Initially started about 1983; the technical stability of the product
in use impeded achieving the targeted timesavings. The editor was not powerful or flexible enough to
produce standard formatting and use typical presentation techniques important for understanding and to
be convincing. It did not generate a TOC from headers so that indexes of the written material generate
automatically for change and refinement. Changes in a later development enabled managing multiple
entry documents for combination and collection. For example the sales consultant used one form for
each phase mentioned above. It generated document indexes (in multiple document proposals the index
field of each document indexed). This was very helpful and useful but did not prove stable cutting
productivity. Current versions do not appear to incorporate Internet de facto standards such as Html, Xml
and Xslt. Hence it necessitated the decision for a next iteration and trial. Wikis and Collaboration
Platforms usefully store shared documents and experiments proved the value. They share the
documents for team editing. However current trials showed the collection and collation of information to
be time consuming and awkward for the user. Each system relies on individual formatting perhaps
neglecting industry „standards“ such as Open Office or Microsoft Office and use of Html. For these
reasons a wiki, document or collaboration system is considered to be a media where formatted
documents export for sharing and editing after writing the articles from collected information. Within this
iteration period Internet Messaging established itself, and the use of Internet and e-mail for team
communication encircled the information flow. Initial experiments with the combination of Firefox and

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Thunderbird configured and customized by add-ons proved successful in meeting the requirements.
These products are flexible enough to expand the tools needed for the knowledge base. This
combination collects the information where it occurs and transforms it into assets. Internet Messaging
opened another step: a paradigm using multiple knowledge base documents as „Message documents“.
Information collection builds a messaging system between Information Resources and Activities and is
indexed by a „PN“ a „Promotion Number“ to index the documents during the message cycle.
Implementation shows the PN to be unique and replaces other indexes. See [MFTSTD] >>> and [SSCS]
>>>

TbKb_Editor. Internet Messaging produces „Message Documents containing

Team Knowledge bases
Internet Messaging welds Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird into a project management and web research
platform to follow-up on team to-dos and facilitate web searching. Welding produces a nucleus of flexible
messaging to implement a network of shared, collected knowledge. Custom configuration produces an
editor suitable and powerful enough for the task of collation, combination and production. Thunderbird
offers e-mail editing in the „Compose“ view. The TbKb_Editor extends the „Compose“ capability to fulfill
the needs of a knowledge base editor. It configures Thunderbird and integrates add-ons to extend the
typical e-mail editing capability to produce documents suitable for export to focus media.

Traditional Database Functionality

Fields. Fields define and contain the data stored within them. They usually limit in size. Documents
contain fields in html Meta Tags or in the Meta Data. Going one step farther in a document
database system fields define as the search terms used in searches to locate needed information.
Masks or panels contain a set of fields and usually define a view. The fields connect logically and
the logical view provides the user with more information. The Address Book is a typical example.
Contact data belongs to a set and usually enters in a standard set of fields.
Indexing. Indexing uses a defined field to sort and order the records in a list. This determines the
order that records display and makes records easier to find and displays the consistency of the
data. Indexing helps in combining and collating information from different sources into a logical
structure. Use an index field to define the document contents as accurately as possible, and then
index the documents according to this field. The view lines them up in an order corresponding to
the similarity in terms in this field. (Threading)
Search. Setting search conditions selects records satisfying the conditions.
Reports or Lists. Reports take data out of specified fields and define search conditions to select the
records. They list the records fulfilling the search conditions with the desired data.
Menus. Combine the display of masks, reports or lists and use the combination to help build
process guidance or use.
Security. Data security is a major issue. Data and information shares within a group or team, but
access must be controlled and limited within this circle. Generally two opposing needs arise and set
design criteria. The individual user secures and controls all data. The team opens the data within
the team.
Process control and transactions. Contact Management is a process and Contact Entry is a
transaction. These systems build to chain the functionality into automating processes. While this is
complex and requires implementation time and resources it automates and saves user time.
Maintenance. Reliable database use requires regular maintenance. Re-indexing takes unused space
out of the fields and restores the indexing that disorders during use. Data should be exported to
storage to use in case of corruption or crash. Probably every database user has experienced both
data corruption and crashing databases with the destruction of data and information. Regular
backups store data for eventual problems or mistakes.

The Thunderbird „View“ Document Database or Message Document Paradigm

Internet operates on the paradigm of the document database. Fields expand to documents. Search words
or key words or key terms replace fields. The user no longer looks in a specific field for information but
searches the document for the location. Meta Tags or defined field names still provide service but
effective use relies on document searching to find the necessary information. The development
iterations showed that a document database offers the following functionality to fulfill requirements.

Headers. Headers contain specific and defined information. They function primarily to set and
control operation and to store standard or indexed information. They substitute for data fields in
masks.
Toolbars, Masks, Views. Toolbars tend to replace the Masks and Views. They collect similar
functionality. A database uses a mask to select the data fields for the user display. The mask
chooses the fields to display out of the data file.

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 Folders. The user sets up folders to store messages or documents. They contain the associated
records.
Indexing or Threading. In Tb indexing changes to threading. Tb uses the „Subject:“ field to index
and sort messages or documents. A message document assembles information out of various
sources and combines them. To write an understandable document; the writer orders the document
information logically. Use headers for the topics and subtopics and compile the TOC and index. This
outline helps to illustrate weaknesses in the outline or material. Sorting provides the user with
different fields to index the documents. Mozilla equipped Tb with „Grouping“ which threads the
index in the „Group“ View.
Tags. Categories and Tags label messages or documents or designate process participants. A
traditional database would use a Picklist or Dropdown Menu in a field to insert standard or defined
field value as record identification.

Mozilla built Thunderbird (Tb) as an e-mail client and combines standard databases within a specific
mask. They gave Tb a flexible configuration and opened it to standards. Customization adapts
Thunderbird well to the requirements of collecting information, storing and editing it. Combining it in a
document set to meet specific requirements precedes formatting it for the needs of typically used media.
Thunderbird changes the configuration in a profile.

Standard Databases in Use

Mozilla implemented Mbox as the e-mail message database. This widely spread and supported format
stores messages. Use shows it to be robust and stable. It allows adequate maintenance by compacting
folders. Also in the case of corruption, it restores adequately.

TbKb View
Look at the view to see the component parts of the TbKb knowledge Base.

Storage contains the e-mail folders in “Local Folders” including the Activities and Information Resources
and Processes on the left side. Storage also lists the message documents to choose from in the upper
pane

Kb_Editor in the lower pane contains the message documents under construction or being edited.
Kb_Editor would usually be a standard Html editor.

Processes in the left pane contain the to-dos and project management. ToDo.Quest includes the To-Dos.

The next article in this series explains how to install, configure and use the TbKb Knowledgebase and
Kb_Editor.

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Communication through Internet Messaging and building Sales Cycle
Management Aggregates with Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird
This article is in a set of articles explaining Internet Messaging and how to use Mozilla Firefox and
Thunderbird to share to-dos in Project Management or streamline Strategic Business Development and
expand Team Resources with Sales Cycle Management. Refer to the following articles for more
background information, construction details and technical information.

[TbKbConstruct] Part 2 Configure and Install the Knowledge Base in Aggregate 1 Use Mozilla Thunderbird
Explains how to start with Thunderbird and expand it to build knowledge bases from Internet Messaging
documents.
URL: >>>

[BISA] Building Information System Aggregates to drive Strategic Business Development Team Resources
Explains Sales Cycle Management and demonstrates the Aggregates.
URL: >>>

[SSCS] Streamlining Sales Cycle Management with Internet Messaging

Combines the Aggregates to streamline Strategic Business Development.
URL: >>>

[MFTSTD] Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird share To-Dos and simplify the Follow-up
Internet Messaging make Web Research and Project Management more effective.
URL: >>>

[BSTD] Basics of sharing To-Dos and Follow-up with Mozilla Thunderbird and Firefox. Improve Web
Research and Project Management.
Development of Internet Messaging and how it supports Project Management and Web Research

URL: >>>

[CGMFT] Configuration Guide for Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird for shared Team To-Dos and Project
Management Follow-up
Start with this configuration guide and end with shared To-Dos in Internet Messaging using the Mozilla
components. Configure Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird to share Team and Project To-Dos and thereby
simplifying project follow-up and management. Just the bare bones configuration work

URL: >>>

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