In a previous post (Over 2 millions of badge types…) I explored the typology of Open Badges and the idea of a taxonomy to conclude to the inanity of any attempt at enumerating the different types of Open Badges.

Recently, while discussing with a colleague the ideas developed in this previous post, she reminded me of the Celestial Emporium of Benevolent Knowledge, a fictitious taxonomy of animals described by Jorge Luis Borges in his 1942 essay “The Analytical Language of John Wilkins.” Borges used this taxonomy to illustrate the arbitrariness and cultural specificity of any attempt at categorising the world.

Taken from an ancient (fictitious) Chinese encyclopaedia, The Celestial Emporium of Benevolent Knowledge divides all animals into 14 categories:

1. Those that belong to the emperor
2. Embalmed ones
3. Those that are trained
4. Suckling pigs
5. Mermaids (or Sirens)
6. Fabulous ones
7. Stray dogs
8. Those that are included in this classification
9. Those that tremble as if they were mad
10. Innumerable ones
11. Those drawn with a very fine camel hair brush
12. Et cetera
13. Those that have just broken the flower vase
14. Those that, at a distance, resemble flies

Reading this taxonomy I wondered how it could be translated into the realm of Open Badges. The result is Open Badge Taxonomy #1.

Open Badge Taxonomy #1 (directly inspired by The Celestial Emporium of Benevolent Knowledge):

1. Those issued by someone with more than 5,000 Linkedin connections
2. The revoked ones
3. Those related to formal training
4. Those that have never been issued
5. Marine-related ones
6. Those earned by only 10 people in the whole world
7. Those that were erased from the backpack at Christmas time
8. Those included in this classification
9. Those with an animated PNG
10. Those that cannot be counted
11. Those which picture has been hand drawn
12. Et cetera
13. Those that cannot be uploaded in the Backpack
14. Those that, at a distance, resemble nothing special

After this first attempt, I wondered whether I could create more of them, let’s say “the behaviourist Open Badge taxonomy,”  and “the constructivist Open Badge taxonomy.” The combination of both gave Taxonomy #2.

Open Badge Taxonomy #2 (the behaviourist-constructivist Open Badge Taxonomy):

• Those issued by those who believe in the need for controlling others
  • Those issued by those who believe that studying pigeons provides an insight into the human mind
    • Those issued by those who believe in behaviourist theories
      • Those issued by those who believe in the need for doggy biscuits and praise for motivating learners
      • …
    • Those issued by those who believe in gamification
      • …
    • Those issued by those who think that Open Badges are more ‘chic’ than gold stars
    • …
  • Those issued by those who believe that Open Badges should be ‘quality assured’
  • …
• Those issued by those who believe in the need to empower others
  • Those issued by those who believe that only idiots can believe that studying pigeons can provide any insight into the human mind
    • Those issued by those who like to ridicule behaviourist beliefs
      • …

Although rather self-indulgent, this taxonomy is perfectly operational to organise the knowledge on Open Badges. Looking at power relationships is a-priori not less valid than any other classification. In the opinion of the author of this post, differentiating between the different ‘types’ of Open Badges, trust vs. distrust, is probably the only valuable taxonomy, if one is needed. Continue reading →