Fw: [searchnet] The Math of Networks

Wed Sep 10 23:50:01 PDT 2003

Sweet synchronicity Meg...I'm liking the long link thing more and more,
thanks to yours and Don's explanation.  I'm especially liking the
"tipping into a new dimension" idea.  I'll roll with that one for a
while.

Chris

---
CHRIS CORRIGAN
Bowen Island, BC, Canada
http://www.chriscorrigan.com
chris at chriscorrigan.com

(604) 947-9236

> -----Original Message-----
> From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Meg
> Salter
> Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2003 5:52 PM
> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> Subject: Re: Fw: [searchnet] The Math of Networks
>
> I got the 'long link' reference from an earlier posting - via Peggy
Holman
> and Kenoli.
> To paraphrase - my understanding is that ...most networks are both
tightly
> clustered [go to nodes close by - people who already know each other
> fairly
> well] AND have 'weak connections - which go to totally different
places' -
> aka long links - between previously isolated clusters - people who
didn't
> know each other. So it's the old both - and. both similarity and
novelty.
> so building on the ken wilber thing - yes, long links  help to bring
the
> network to life, translate the current maximum possibility. And depth
> links
> act like a heightened vector. Still - I think that enough of the long
> links
> stuff, and - presto magico - thru the power of self-organization, you
> naturally 'tip over' into another depth dimension.
>
> you know a funny thing happened today. In the middle of this somewhat
> gruelling 2 hour meeting with research scientists/ steering committee
> reviewing the agenda - they kept coming back to the invitation list.
Who
> should come? have we got the outlying people? somehow the right
questions
> seem to pop up. We KNOW this stuff - intuitively, in our heart of
hearts.
> end of day thoughts in glorious fall weather Toronto
> Meg
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Chris Corrigan" <chris at chriscorrigan.com>
> To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2003 11:45 AM
> Subject: Re: Fw: [searchnet] The Math of Networks
>
>
> > Hi Meg:
> >
> > Long links.not a term I have heard before.  I'm wondering though,
taking
> > a turn at invoking Ken Wilber here, if what you are describing is
"deep
> > links," in other words, links that extend through the levels of
matter,
> > mind, body, soul and spirit.  To me, "long" implies breadth of span,
and
> > those people are really useful in Open Space too.  Maybe they appear
as
> > butterflies and bumblebees, somehow seeming to be connected to the
whole
> > group in a way that others are not, somehow standing on both the
inside
> > and the outside.
> >
> > I think the OST facilitator is the deep link and the act of holding
> > space, as we continually define it, is the act of enfolding the
group in
> > higher levels of possibility, or as you have put it "a space meta to
the
> > network...a link to enspiritng energy that is the source of all new
> > creative potential"
> >
> > I like that.
> >
> > Chris
> >
> >
> > ---
> > CHRIS CORRIGAN
> > Bowen Island, BC, Canada
> > http://www.chriscorrigan.com
> > chris at chriscorrigan.com
> > (604) 947-9236
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of
Meg
> > Salter
> > Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2003 8:01 AM
> > To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> > Subject: Re: Fw: [searchnet] The Math of Networks
> >
> > Thanks Chris
> > I'm meeting with a bunch of research scientists this afternoon to
plan
> > an open space. For some people, mathematical or exterior language
helps
> > them to feel at home with this concept.
> > And another musing thought about ... long links. Certaiinly links
among
> > disparate groups/ people create a long link within the current
> > network, helping to energize it, create a living group from what
might
> > have been disparate, unconnected people/groups.
> >  I wonder if the facilitator is a long link too. ie, by holding
space,
> > being invisible and deeply present, the facilitator is energiziing a
> > long link to - a potential outside the network.  . a space meta to
the
> > network?.. a link to enspiritng energy that is the source of all new
> > creative potential???
> > And then I wonder too, why in so many spiritual traditions, the link
to
> > the teacher is considered critical... another long link?
> > Meg Salter
> >
> > MegaSpace Consulting
> > (416) 486-6660
> > meg at megsalter.com
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Chris Corrigan
> > To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> > Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 12:21 PM
> > Subject: Re: Fw: [searchnet] The Math of Networks
> >
> > Welcome Alexander, and thanks for your blog link too.  Several of us
> > here have weblogs as well, including myself
> > (http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot ) , Michael Herman
> > (http://www.globalchicago.net) and Martin Leith
> > (http://www.martinleith.com/blog/).  I like what blogging (keeping
> > weblogs and linking to sources) is doing in the wider world to
connect
> > people and ideas and create networks.  I'll add you to my list of
links.
> >
> > As for the math of networks, I like what David P. Reed has said on
this.
> > In this article - http://www.epublicrelations.org/Reedlaw.html -
someone
> > has outlined his mathematical law of group formation:
> >
> > "The Group Forming Law (or, Reed's Law) calculates the number of
groups
> > of two or more people which can be formed a single group.
> >
> > For example, how many groups of two or more people can be formed
with an
> > initial group of three? According to Reed's Law is 2N-N-1.
Substituting
> > 3 for N the answer is 4. Not a very impressive number. However, the
> > answer grows dramatically as N grows. For example, how many groups
of
> > two or more people can be formed in a classroom of 20 students? The
> > answer? 1,048,555!!!
> >
> > More here:
> >
http://www.contextmag.com/setFrameRedirect.asp?src=/archives/199903/Digi
> > talStrategy.asp
> >
> > I sometimes like to do the math before meetings to use the figures
to
> > explain the amount of potential in the room. Walking the circle,
> > uttering the second principle about whatever happens, I sometimes
say
> > "and if you don't believe me, understand this:  The twenty of you in
> > this room can form yourselves in over one million permutations, so
don't
> > be too worried about what might have been.work with what is."
> >
> > And Harrison, I've often thought of responsibility not so much as an
> > initial condition, but more as a kind of boundary that both enables
and
> > bounds the passion.  Passion and responsibility have a symbiotic
> > relationship in Open Space, but my experience has been that people
> > discover their responsibility AFTER they tap their passion.  In
other
> > words, without passion as the initial condition, it's less likely
that
> > people will feel like they need to propose a topic, much less
convene a
> > conversation or follow up.  But people motivated by passion can seem
to
> > do anything.  Reminding them that the CAN do anything (with the Law
of
> > Two Feet) certainly helps.
> >
> > ---
> > CHRIS CORRIGAN
> > Bowen Island, BC, Canada
> > http://www.chriscorrigan.com
> > chris at chriscorrigan.com
> > (604) 947-9236
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of
> > Harrison Owen
> > Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 5:23 AM
> > To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> > Subject: Re: Fw: [searchnet] The Math of Networks
> >
> > At 11:58 AM 9/9/2003 +0200, you wrote:
> >
> > Hi
> >
> > Yeah, small world networks are definitely a big part of why Open
Space
> > works. Actually it's a big part of why the world works :o)
> >
> > Mark Buchanan has written an excellent and highly readable book
called
> > "Small world" on this very new and very promising science. I've
reviewed
> > it here: http://www.kjerulf.com/journal/00000214.htm .
> >
> > Obvious parallels between small world networks and open space
gatherings
> > include:
> > * Small world networks are highly adaptable, yet very stable - as
are
> > Open Space gatherings
> > * The structure in small worlds networks arises without central
planning
> > - as in OS
> > * Bumblebees can be seen as "weak connections" between tightly knit
> > groups - one of the main reasons that small world networks are
tightly
> > knit
> >
> > Right on! Despite the fact that some folks think they actually
organize
> > networks, I think the truth of the matter is that they happen all by
> > themselves in the way of all self-organizing systems. The critical
point
> > of initiation is the convergence of passion and responsibility --
> > somebody cares about something and takes responsibility to talk to
> > others who might share the care. If the fire of passion ignites --
you
> > have a network. If it fizzles and goes out in a puff of smoke, you
don't
> > -- and no amount of huffing and puffing will make any difference.
Sounds
> > a lot like Open Space to me.  All of which relates, I guess, to
Artur's
> > thoughts about "essential conditions" . . . Chris put it neatly
> > (although I am not so sure how elegant I was)  "As for the
conditions
> > that make Open Space really hum, I go back to
> > Harrison's elegantly stated four: passion, diversity, complexity and
> > urgency.  The more of each, the better the process works." I think
it
> > might work better if one were to say passion/responsibility -- but
> > anyhow I find the same essential conditions apply to all useful
> > networks.
> >
> > ho
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Harrison Owen
> > 7808 River Falls Drive
> > Potomac, MD 20854 USA
> > phone 301-365-2093
> > 207-763-3261 (Summer)
> > Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
> > Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
> > Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm
> >
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> >
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