One can argue the case that adaptation is one of the critical roles in information systems (2). Many of the common activities associated with information systems can be considered different manifestations of the same property: adaptability:
Thus, the bulk of the expense of traditional information systems can seen to be the cost of adaptation. In this paper we will call these systems manually adaptive: each instance of adaptation is handled via special intervention by humans. Entire departments in organizations are dedicated to this function. Given that their very existence is based on their manual adaptation of traditional systems, it is unlikely that self-adapting systems will emerge from within them. It is much like expecting to get out of hole by digging it deeper.
