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1. [MOHD NOR MAT SALLEH 2011, A REFLECTIVE ESSAY FOR THE
SEVEN AGES OF INFORMATION RETRIEVAL] October 2011
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a Reflective Essay-The Seven Ages of Information Retrieval
Bibliographic Citation:
Lesk, M. (1995). "The Seven Ages of Information Retrieval”. UDT Occasional paper # 5.
www.ifla.org. 1995-2000. 26 September 2011
< http://archive.ifla.org/VI/5/op/udtop5/udtop5.htm>
This article is explained about the history of Information Retrieval using the
Shakespeare’s concept of seven ages of man to describe and predict the evolution of
Information Retrieval from 1975 to 2010. Michael Lesk is the Professor at Rutgers
University, New Brunswick, NJ. Besides the original article from Michael Lesk (1995), in
order for me to understand the article I also read the article review by Mohamad Rahimi
(2008) and paper review by Lanny Lin (2008) then I figure out each stage into the simple
diagram as follows:
Figure 1.0 The seven ages of information retrieval as describe by Lesk (1995)
[Extracted from Mohamad Rahimi (2008)]
According to Lanny Lin (2008), this article are tried out to compare two “competing”
approach to IR: simple statistical methods- statistics (Warren Weaver’s approaches) and
sophisticated information analysis- artificial intelligence (Vannevar Bush’s approach). As we
know, Information retrieval (IR) is the science of searching for documents, for information
within documents, and for metadata about documents, as well as that of searching relational
databases and the World Wide Web
1
. This definition may not suitable during the Childhood,
1
"Information Retrieval". Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 26 September 2011,
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki /Information_retrieval>
Childhood
Schoolboy
Adulthood
Maturity
Mid-­‐Life
Crisis
Fulfillment
Retirement

2. [MOHD NOR MAT SALLEH 2011, A REFLECTIVE ESSAY FOR THE
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Schoolboy, Adulthood and Maturity stages because the World Wide Web exist during Mid-
Life Crisis (1990s). I will describe what I understand from the Lesk (1995) article in each
stages before deeply go into three chosen element.
Childhood (1945-1955)
Lesk (1995) describe the childhood stages by showing the diagram of Vannevar
Bush’s predictions. The major discoveries during this stage are the KWIC indexes and the
integration between hardware and technology. KWIC indexes are concordances as used for
information retrieval. The most famous piece of equipment of this period was the WRU
Searching Selector, built by Allen Kent at Western Reserve University (now Case Western
Reserve) (Lesk, 1995, p.12). In the childhood stage of IR, Lesk (1995) ague that people still
worked with old technology. For me the old technology as argued by Lesk (1995) is advance
technology at that era (1945-1955) so the term “old technology” here means old or less
effective technology compare today’s technology. In fact WRU Searching Selector was
considering advance technology at that time. Bush predicted about photographic inventions
and automatic typing from dictation and OCR. Lesk didn’t agree on photographic inventions
(such as ultramicrofiche) but Bush’s prediction about the capabilities of computer system
become reality in 1960s (Lin, 2008). Based in Bush paper, and looking at it from today's
standpoint, the hardware seems mostly out of date, but the software goals have not been
achieved. Bush, of course, did not realize the progress that would be made in digital
technology, or in semiconductors, and wrote about bar coded microfilm and instant
photography (Mohamad Rahimi, 2008, p.3). In my opinion, user can do better today than
what Bush described, such as the availability of a digital recording and Polaroid film.
The Schoolboy (1960s)
The schoolboy (late 1950s and 1960s) were a time of great experimentation in
information retrieval systems by following Shakespeare's concept of life. This period also saw
the first large scale information systems built (Lesk, 1995, p.2). Computer can search indexes
much better than human and demanded more detailed indexing. According to Lin (2008)
indexing could also become too expensive, hence arose the idea of free-text searching, which

3. [MOHD NOR MAT SALLEH 2011, A REFLECTIVE ESSAY FOR THE
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eliminates the need for manual indexing. Actually Lin (2008) agreed with Lesk (1995) who
argue that “indexing could become too expensive to do properly”. There is nothing wonder
here because people will accept if they pay for better quality. Lesk (1995), Lin (2008)
collectively said that there is a need for detailed indexing and of course it is expensive to do
properly. Lesk also wrote about the idea of recall and precision as methods for evaluating IR
systems and it shows that free-text indexing was as effective as manual indexing and much
cheaper.
Three Important Elements
While doing this assignment, looks likes I'm doing the summary of the article for
childhood and schoolboy. So I decide to stop doing summary here and start provide three
important elements that I observed and learned from the article. It is 1. the power of
imagination; 2. stick to the main great original ideas will create followers; and 3. the good
analysis of the past great idea will produce new ideas. It was illustrated in the figure 2.0
below.
Shakespeare
(1599)
seven
ages
of
man
|
Lesk
(1995)
seven
ages
of
Information
Retrieval
|
2
approach
of
prediction
|
|
Bush
(1945)
Weaver
(19555)
*Artificial
Intelligence
vs
Statistics
1.The
power
of
imagination
3.
The
good
analysis
of
the
past
great
idea
will
produce
new
ideas.
2.
Stick
to
the
main
great
original
ideas
will
create
followers

4. [MOHD NOR MAT SALLEH 2011, A REFLECTIVE ESSAY FOR THE
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Figure 2.0 : The three important elements from Lesk (1995) article's “seven ages of
Information Retrieval” observed and learned by Mohd Nor Mat Salleh.
Michael Lesk apply the Shakespeare (1599) concept about seven ages of man into his
research interest field to become the seven ages of Information Retrieval. Lesk choose the
correct author to refer as Shakespeare is a well known writer in English literature. This brings
attractive to the article and people will start thinking what is next in this article? What is the
consequences between Lesk (1995) and Shakespeare (1599)? Actually Lesk (1995) explained
the prediction of IR by Vannevar Bush (1945) and Warren Weaver (1955) using the seven
ages concept by Shakespeare (1599). Lesk (1995) don't propposed new idea or new
prediction but his deep analysis of the Bush and Weaver's ideas makes this article one of the
most influenced article in IR field. In order to explain more about the prediction of both
authors, Lesk shows the difference method uses by Bush (1945) and Weaver (1955). Lesk
(1995) argue that Bush approache is more to analytical process and Weaver's approach is
using the accumulation of statistical detail which means Bush (1945) approach can either use
manual indexing or artificial intelligence program while Weaver (1955) approach can be
done entirely with probabilistic retrieval techniques (Lesk, 1995, p.1). This shows that
Weaver idea can be done by manual indexing pre-dates computer and information retrieval
technology.
Lesk (1995) doing the good analysis job, in every stages of IR he will provide with
deep explanation about Bush and Weaver's predictions. Lesk also give the example shows
that the different approach between Bush and Weaver's predictions. By using the compare
and contrast techniques, Lesk brings confidence to the audience about his writing. For
example he wrote “Just as Vannevar Bush's paper begin hypertex, Warren Weaver's paper
began research in machine translation” (Lesk, 1995, p.1). Another example is the Fulfillmen
(2000s) stages, Lesk wrote about Bush and Weaver predictions to handle large volume of
pictures and videos that need to be retrieved. There is the Bush choice in which individuals
will make indexes and pointers; and the Weaver choice, in which projects like IBM QBIC
system will be expanded and make it possible for us to do content retrieval in images (Lesk,
1995, p.17 as cited in Flickner, 1995). From this example I'm confidence to says that Bush

5. [MOHD NOR MAT SALLEH 2011, A REFLECTIVE ESSAY FOR THE
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(1945) still stick to his approach which is analystical process uses manual indexing or AI
while Weaver (1955) approach is using statistical detail by applying retrieval technology.
That why Weaver (1955) prediction always comes with suggested idea of certain specific
machine or application.
Idea competition will encourage research and lead to rapid development in retrieval
technology. Lesk (1995) does not mention about the idea competition between Bush and
Weaver but each ideas of both author is using different approach to predict the same things.
Lesk (1995) take both idea, classify it into seven ages and produce new knowledge about the
evolution of IR or in the other hand can be called as IR timeline. From the article, I realize
that the power of imagination is borderless. I wonder to Vannevar Bush (1945) and Warren
Veaver (1955) who can predict the evolution of Information Retrieval from the early stage
until the era we live now. Both author had put the great effort to predict the future of IR and
most of their prediction are accurate. For example Bush (1945) predicted about manual
indexing during 1945-1955 (Childhood ages according to Lesk (1955)), now manual linking
is coming back but on the web and people link between one web pages to other web pages
manually using hypertext. Actually the starting point idea predicted by Bush is manual
indexing and then expanded to the idea of hypertext. Lesk (1995) imagination about the
seven ages of man is very clear hence he will apply it into seven agen of IR.
Lesk (1995) article shows that Bush (1945) and Weaver (1955) always stick to their
main idea. Bush with his analytical process and Weaver with his statistical detail. Each author
had their own followers and then the follower boosted the idea into many ways and
techniques. Lesk (1995) effectively can listed the follower's of Bush such as Michael Keen,
Wilf Lancester, and Gerard Salton. Lesk (1995) also listed Weaver's followers such as Keith
van Rijsbergen and Calvin Mooers. According to Lesk (1995) the AI researchers were trying
to do intellectual analysis automatically and it lead to the problems of overpromising results
because there was a split between AI community and the IR community. Lesk explained this
situation happened in the Adulthood (1970s).
The good analysis of the past great ideas will produce great ideas. This is happened to
Michael Lesk when he successfully can interprate Shakespeare's seven ages of man into

6. [MOHD NOR MAT SALLEH 2011, A REFLECTIVE ESSAY FOR THE
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seven ages of IR then evaluate the prediction by Bush and Weaver to produce this article.
Firstly I'm amazing with Bush and Weaver's predictions as mentioned by Lesk (1995) in the
article, then I'm started to respect the author (Lesk) who can give deep explanation about
those predictions complete with examples and reference source. So Lesk (1995) have do the
good analysis in explaining the Bush (1945) and Weaver (1955) idea to become his idea
using the concept from Shakespeare. As the audience of the article, I feel that the whole
article is comes from Michael Lesk own ideas even the author had mentioned that he take and
elaborate the original idea from Shakespeare, Bush and Weaver. Congratulations Michael
Lesk ! Well done.
Conclusion
The transformation of Information Retrieval had done successfully. Vannevar Bush's
1945 prediction look like can be achieved in a person whole life span. For the person who
birth in year 1945 now (2011) is in his 66 years old . The National Budgect 2012 presented
by Prime Minister last week (7 October 2011) will extend the retirement ages from 58 to 60.
Related to that IR is in his six years after retirement age and Shakespeare gives the last age as
senillity. Bush (1945) and Weaver (1955) predictions had give the idea and motivation to the
scientists and researchers to make it real and available for use. Nowdays, as Bush (1945)
predict, most research task will be prformed on screen, not on paper. More and more text was
available online, everyone will be on the net, everyone is providing information, consumers
are generating their own information and classifying it themselves (Lesk, 1995, p.13). The
user of hypertext will migrate to hypermedia, knowing to handle text is insufficient without
sound and image retrieval. The individual interface as predicted by Bush will be relize soon.
Individual interface means that every user had their own personalized interface while using
information retrieval system that reacted in the unique way for each user. Scientist are trying
to developed the CPU that will act like human brain. Expert System, Artificial Intelligence,
Robotics will rapidly boosted and IR will react into natural language question-answering.

7. [MOHD NOR MAT SALLEH 2011, A REFLECTIVE ESSAY FOR THE
SEVEN AGES OF INFORMATION RETRIEVAL] October 2011
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REFERENCES
"Information Retrieval". Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2 August 2010,
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki /Information_retrieval>
Ahmed, S.M. Zabed. "A study of users’ performance and satisfaction with the Web of
Science IR interface". University of Dhaka, Bangladesh 2004. 2 August 2010,
<http://univdhaka. academia.edu/documents/0093/4986/JIS.pdf>