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Tacit Knowledge

/ˈtæs.ɪt ˈnɒl.ɪdʒ/ Polanyi (1958)
Definition Knowledge that is difficult or impossible to transfer to another person by means of writing it down or verbalizing it. As Michael Polanyi summarized: "We can know more than we can tell." Examples include riding a bicycle, speaking a language, or intuiting a system's health.

The Embodied Archive

Digital preservation often focuses on explicit knowledge (files, databases). But true heritage requires the preservation of Tacit Knowledge—the rigorous, embodied know-how of Stewards who keep systems alive.

When a community dissolves, its explicit data may remain, but its tacit knowledge evaporates. This is why "Community Immunity" depends on mentorship and apprenticeship, not just documentation.

The Foxfire Model

Inspired by the Foxfire project (which preserved Appalachian folk wisdom), Myceloom seeks to capture not just the "what" of digital culture, but the "how." We treat the subtle art of community moderation or server maintenance as a form of folk craft.

Stratigraphy (Related Concepts)
Stewards Foxfire Self-Documentation