Thinking About Networks
Paul Ellerman, Thoughts on Training, Teaching and Technology, October 2, 2006.

Two-part discussion of my recent excursion into the topic of groups and networks. Part One and Part Two. To the second part, which looks more closely at the diagrams I used, I have attached a longish comment.

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Re: Thinking About Networks

Anymouse, October 2, 2006

I think of a network as an abstract thing. There are no people in my network. People belong to groups. Let's use a standard term and call the points of a network "nodes". The more associations (or links) that one node has with other nodes, theoretically the more information flows to and from that node. If a node has a unique link with one or more other nodes - providing a unique route, then that node is a critical node. Thinking about "six degrees of separation" in human social sciences, that statement implies a certain uniformity of nodes and links - when it is clear that some nodes form large numbers of links, and others form few. Is there a magnetic effect in nodes with large numbers of links, meaning that a node with more links has a higher probability of forming new links than a node with few links? After all, we all love a party girl, blondes have more fun and nobody likes a wallflower. (Generalisations, I know - but they became generalisations somehow.) Perhaps my understanding of a node relationship to a person - is that the node defines the "role" that the person is in. The Minster for Trade and Enterprise role has certain implicit links. Any new person in that role will assume those links not because of who they are, but because of what they do. Someone leaving that job may keep some of those links because they have formed a link at a level other than "business". Like playing 3D chess, links can form in many different strengths, directions and levels. Interesting discussion. [Comment] [Permalink] [Previous][Next]

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