John Cutler Argues Context is ‘Compositional’ and ‘Constructed Through Interaction’

In a recent LinkedIn post, John Cutler discusses the nature of context in business and technology, challenging the notion that it can be easily summoned or manipulated. Cutler argues that context is not a static entity but a dynamic, emergent property that arises from the interplay of various elements.

Context as a Compositional Element

Cutler begins by refuting the idea that context can be simply “hooked up” or conjured. He emphasizes that context is fundamentally “compositional,” meaning it is built from multiple contributing factors.

“What we call ‘the context’ is often a function of many contexts: customer, system, team, market. historical context, and the perspectives people bring to the situation.”

This perspective suggests that understanding a situation requires synthesizing information from diverse sources, including the customer’s needs, the internal systems at play, team dynamics, market conditions, historical precedents, and the individual viewpoints of those involved. As John Cutler notes, these elements do not exist in isolation but contribute to a richer, more complex understanding.

The Active Construction of Context

A core theme in Cutler’s analysis is that context is not passively waiting to be discovered but is actively constructed through interaction. He posits that context becomes relevant when it is made applicable to a specific action or goal.

“Context is not just sitting there, waiting to be retrieved. Context is constructed through interaction. It emerges as people, systems, histories, goals, constraints, and perspectives come into contact and interact.”

To illustrate this, Cutler uses the example of a codebase. He explains that a collection of files, comments, and tickets only gains contextual meaning when someone is actively trying to achieve a specific task, such as debugging an issue or reviewing a pull request. The context, therefore, is not inherent in the code itself but arises from the interaction between the codebase, the individual, their objective, and the surrounding circumstances.

Affordances and AI’s Potential Role

Cutler further explores how the environment shapes our engagement with context through “affordances” – the possibilities for action that an environment presents. These affordances influence what becomes relevant and how we interact with information.

“The environment does not simply contain context. It offers possibilities for action: what can be seen, asked, changed, connected, ignored, or automated. Those possibilities shape what becomes relevant.”

Looking ahead, John Cutler speculates on the future role of Artificial Intelligence in this domain. He suggests that AI might act as a catalyst for more effective context capture and, perhaps more importantly, for fostering the creation and engagement with context.

In conclusion, John Cutler’s insights underscore the complex, interactive, and constructed nature of context, urging a more nuanced understanding beyond simplistic retrieval or manipulation. He encourages readers to begin “contexting” – actively engaging in the process of building and utilizing context.