Network Principles |
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Be open and welcoming to new participants and ideas.There are two key aspects to this principle. First, it extends the democratic notion of fundamental equality -- creating no intrinsic advantage -- from just the existing participants to include future, potential participants. It encourages thinking broadly about who those future participants might be. Second, it’s a strong counter-balance to the principle of solidarity. Yes, democratic principles allow relatively closed systems. However, growth and network effects only occur in relatively open systems. Of course, systems can be open in some ways and closed in others. It’s a matter of judgment and strategy. Many right answers… The right to create new parts should be spread widely throughout the network, especially to the most peripheral parts.In highly distributed networks, such as the Internet, it is sometimes hard to determine which parts are more peripheral and which are more central. If possible, all parts should be empowered to add new parts. InheritanceWhen a new part is created it should adopt all of the agreements that are binding on its parent. Once created, a part may switch its connection point (self-organization), but it must then adopt the agreement of the part(s) to which it re-connects. IdentityThe network version of the solidarity principle, every part and participant in the system should be able to identify all of the other participants and parts of the system. This does not preclude the possibility of anonymity. It only means that if anonymous participation is allowed, those participants must still be identifiable as a valid, and fully subject to the network’s agreements. Adaptability, Diversity and VariationThis is my shorthand for the principles of evolution within complex systems. Parts need to have the capacity to vary from given norms without compromising the overall integrity of the system. These principles do virtually guarantee that there will be disruption -- lots of little disruptions, every once in a while bigger disruptions -- but equally tend to strengthen the capacity of the system to deal with such disruptions over time. Information sharingThe generic principle for sharing information in voluntarily formed networks falls short of requiring full transparency. It only calls for information sharing on those things that relate to solidarity -- the purpose -- and those things to ensure that the other principles are being observed. It is also open to be balanced by the self-determination principle about what participants feel is personally or commercially vital, for example. An organization can choose to have a stronger principle here if it wishes, but its not require. |
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Principles
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