Monthly Archive: September 2010

Bridging Weak and Strong Ties

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Bridge

When it comes to social change, the problem with online social networking tools has less to do with the tools themselves – and more to do with how organizations fail to connect their social network organizing with their efforts to deepen their relationships with people. A healthy mix of weak-tie and strong-tie connections and the processes for moving people from the former to the latter is the essence of the Engagement Pyramid and it’s what Malcolm Gladwell is missing in his critique of social networking tools.

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De-censoring Censorship: Google & The Economist

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Rope

An interesting coincidence. Google and The Economist each just decided to do something about the censorship they face in various countries. Though these companies are obviously quite different from each other, they both have an annoying habit of exposing embarrassing information that some rulers would prefer their people not see. Some of the reasons for …

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The “Local Tail” Exposes What’s Hidden Right Next to Us

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Local-Giant

Chris Anderson’s concept of the “Long Tail” offers an interesting analogy to what I’ll call the “Local Tail” – which is how the mobile web connects people back with the places they live.

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+1 The Creativity of Relationships

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Whoa

I usually think better when I’m talking with someone. There’s something about the process of sharing an idea that instantly makes it better. There’s the obvious aspect of this, which is getting good feedback from another person and iterating on an idea until it gets better and better. But I’m talking about something else. There …

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Virtual Sticky Notes: No More Fake Personalizations

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Sticky

This morning I got an email invitation to an event. I probably won’t go though. It is a busy time of year and I do have a conflict on the calendar. I probably could have moved it, but I didn’t. Why not? Because the email had that ‘mass communication’ feel to it that made it …

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How Much Do You Trust Your Stoplight?

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Traffic

Readers who worry too much about The Matrix or Terminator may want to skip this post. Scientists are now envisioning a new approach to managing traffic flow by turning traffic lights into self-organizing nodes in a network. Move over SkyNet; say hello to RoadNet. The plan is to build sensors into each traffic light so …

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How Connections “Wrap” Our Engagement

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Relationship Graphs

You can think of connections as analogous to the packaging that wraps a product you buy at the store. The underlying “product” is the activity, or work, you want to coordinate with someone; the packaging is the connection between you.

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Connections are Different than Relationships

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Connection and Relationship

A connection, or point of contact, in a relationship can take many forms. It might be your voice in my ear, my words before you on screen, or a simple pat on the back from a loved one just when you need it the most. Connections are really important, and very ancient, tools that biological life of all types uses to stay connected with its surrounding environment in a productive and safe way.

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Networks and Autonomy

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“Networks  are voluntary connections between autonomous peers.” Organizations are autonomous when they have final say over their own future. People are autonomous when they have final say over their lives. I might be autonomous at home but not at work, by the way, just as I’m free to decide who I vote for in an election …

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