topsight

n.

An understanding, awareness, or view of the entirety or full scope of something.

Example Citations:

Under the guidance of John Poindexter, of Iran-Contra fame, the Defense Department developed the Total Information Awareness (TIA) program last year, a vast computerized database that, according to the official TIA website, utilizes "topsight" — a term coined by tech guru David Gelertner — to enable users "to see the whole thing."

— Lawrence Rinder, "Of Friendsters and foes," The Village Voice, December 16, 2003

The sheer size, scope and speed of modern warfare requires extensive computerization and networking among forces. With the old three-dimensional battlefield now the four-dimensional battle space of today, with time as an ever more-crucial factor, commanders require real-time "topsight" — a bird's-eye view made possible by wider bandwidth, greater computing power and more creativity than ever.

That topsight is provided by satellites and a combination of high-tech aircraft and unmanned surveillance planes that beam real-time imagery and other data to command centers.

— J. Michael Waller, "High-Tech Tools of War," Insight on the News, April 28, 2003

First Use:

The upper layer deals with the ultimate motivation in building Mirror Worlds — the search for what I will call "topsight." ...

Hence, "managing complexity" must be your goal. Or, we can describe exactly the same goal in a more positive light. We can call it the pursuit of topsight. Topsight — -an understanding of the big picture — is an essential goal of every software builder.

— David Hillel Gelertner, Mirror Worlds, Oxford University Press, September, 1991

Related Words:

disconfirmation bias

filter bubble

get granular

incestuous amplification

top-to-top

Category:

Psychology