Stephen Downes

Networks in nature run by themselves so I'm always wary of attempts to impose order on networks, because usually that leads to centralization and, eventually, destabilization (and ultimately, in human spheres, privatization, then commercialization, then enshittification). There is a bit of an awareness of this in this article. For example, "One shares, 'our governance is decentralized, not uniform in many ways' and 'there are processes that enable us to be accountable to each other based on our strategy and plans.'" Still, networks don't build themselves (except in nature): "Stewardship means creating concrete tools and guides, as well as explicit permission and role-modeling." But a lot of this is necessary only is network use is instrumental, "for members to harness the network towards their individual and collective goals." And instrumentalism is the beginning of the end for a network.