In Praise of Dis-Obedience, Network Effects on Society

1. Gemma Frisius Lecture 2011
Leeuwarden, Friesland, Monday June 20 2011
15.30 – 16.00
In Praise of Dis-Obedience
http://www.gemmafrisius.nl/
The question is no longer ‘what PPL can do with ICT’
but ‘what frequent and intensive networking
does to (groups of) people’
Ir. Jaap van Till, prof. emeritus
Telecommunication and Networking
TU Delft, NL
HAN University of Applied Sciences, NL
University of Kaunas, LIT
University of Indonesia, Jakarta, IND
University of Kumasi, GHN
Version 5
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2. In Praise of Disobedience 2
Goei Midje !!!
• Lof der Ongehoorzaamheid : Bottom up P2P Innovations
• Summary see www.gemmafrisius.nl/
• 5 billion (smart) phones and 2 billion laptops with Internet
• 4 hours a day use, digital natives, social media: engagement
• Effects: Transparency, changing roles, footloose from anchors?
• New possibilities in Time and Place
• Social-, society effects, Awakening??
• I am not a promotor or rebel but just tell you what I see.
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3. In Praise of Disobedience 3
Napoleon’s army and bureaucracy Networked P2P Cooperation
Creative Construction
Value is in the centre/
Command node, authority Value is in the Link / Relation
&
Control Information
Coordination Hierachies and Authorities
less relevant
Contributions that WORK
Simple Cooperation
Linear
Static
Complex, non-linear, dynamic
Now with Network Technolgy We Can !
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Network Technology removes obstacles (Liebig’s Law ) Something changed !! see Shirky [8]
Synergy, Emergent Behaviour
Surprises, Value creation
Top down P2P lateral, bottom up
II Democracy and Telecommunication
I Governance
Dialogue, in panels on TV III Synthecracy
PR, Decisions
Broadcasting Media Referendum online Combination of
Newspapers, TV E-democracy Things that Work
Website input, reactions
Advertising Compl Cooperation
Propaganda Email
MSN,
Spin Doctors [20]
Media celebs Blogging
Diversity of Views Tribes
Majority Rule with respect for minority
Synthesis
Twitter
Youtube
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Why do people contribute in networks of volunteers?
• Several surveys of drivers of young people all over the world,
Their ambition is:
Individual recognition & belong inside a tribe
Self esteem Appreciation from group
Stick out as a Brand Valuable effective contributions, skill
“ Eigenwaarde “ “ Waardering “
internal: specialty external: relations connections
Selfish & general interest
Graves Value Model: staircase / upwards spiral
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Driver: changes in the leading structural principle
from functional- business process- to units/networking-organizations
Goods
Information
Network
Network of small businesses
and value chains of units
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The FORCE of COOPERATION by P2Peerialists
IVERS BEHIND the IMPACT OF INTERNET & TELECOM : Networking Effects
Broadcasting of info: Value ~ grows with number of listeners, viewers N Sarnoff’s Law
(value for the broadcaster/ advertiser/ spindoctor) 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + ……….(N)
Communication V ~ N2 Metcalfe’s Law N + N + N + N + N ……….(N)
V~ N Log N Odlyzko -Tilly’s Law
Group Membership V ~ 2N Reed’s Law 2 * 2 * 2 * 2 * 2 * 2 ……….(N)
+ Multi Tribe Membership by networking )
Connected people working together V ~ N ! Van Till’s Law of Synthecracy Networking
Upper bound of possible combinations of contributions N ! = N * N-1 * N-2 * …..* 2 * 1 (N)
Valuecreation by synthesis grows multiplicative (Delen = vermenigvuldigen)
al space of cooperation = number of configurations in time/space when each
que and diverse individual contributes and shares resources and knowledge. [14]
amples: teams, communities of practice, multiuser games, simulation Grids, virtual labs
shup Team, Flock, Herd, Evolution by flexible learning and Group Selection [9,10]
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9. In Praise of Disobedience 9
Monument for the Angels of Iran
-viewing from different angles –
Yes, we can Help Eachother !! August 2009, JvT
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The Telescope Metaphor: a better picture for ALL by Synthesis
Issues:
- Complex
- Non linear
Issues: - Dynamic
- Simple
- Linear
- Static
Different
angles!
< distance >
Max. Size N
Does not scale
Cooperative NETWORK
i.e. WAVE: can scale !
Synergy ENERGY !!
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The Telescope Metaphor: a better picture for ALL by network sharing of contributions
Different angles !
a. Sensitivity ~ teledensity N*N b. Resolution ~ < distance >
contrast
Array
Grid IT CAN SCALE UP !!
Clusters
CORRELATION N ! Combinations
FFT NETWORK “network Lenses
Technology
It can coordinate, inform, self organise
Global Brain 2012
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The Trias Internetica: clustering of roles in the NetTech Age [ van Till 1988, version March 31 2008]
(unipolar extreme: CIVIL SOCIETY empowered Civilians
selfcentered, intolerance,
isolation) volunteers Freedom of Choice, usersNorth>
microtransactions<Douglass
The power of ideas virtual communities <Maslov ++>
and know how distant friend links, P2P, complexity
horizontal value chains, share
Synthesis  Synergy, distr. models
(unipolar extreme: * open source softw. dev.
bureacratic * ISOC IETF, organic growth
controlaholicism) * mashups, self org netw’s
Reliability and
Synthecracy MKT Businesses
Equality in Enterprises
treatment by Law The power of position The power of EBITDA
executive Risk/ Reward vent.
general public Interest Partnerships
Brotherhoods
STATE Governments (unipolar extreme:
legislative judiciary
Institutions dominant monopolies)
[ Separation of State Powers
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13. In Praise of Disobedience 13
After the Arab Spring
Uprisings in Tunesia,
Egypt, Libya, Jemen,
Syria, and Iran
Protests on Squares
In Europe June 19, 2011
#globalrevolution Twitter
Protestors are fed up
with stagnant
And conservative regimes,
Politicians and bankers.
Want change and new
Bottom up Enterprises:
Phyles (see P2P Foundation)
Synthecracy shows itself !
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Diameter = 8 cm
4 day old bacteria colony of “Paenibacillus vortex” [5] consisting of 100 x 6 x 10 ^ 9 cooperating bacteria
Its members have genes associated with social functions like: communicating together, processing
environmental information and to synthesize chemicals for external use.
Evolution in nature depends not only on mutation and competition but also on COOPERATION [4]
and group selection !!
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16. In Praise of Disobedience 16
What lies ahead?
• Synthecratic bottom up P2P innovation & fast group learning
with the help of network bonds. Creating a very strong and fast responding
and cooperating fabric of small units.
Such units should consist of a strong combination of complementary skilled
• Homo Sapiens - knowledge
• Homo Faber – high skill to make things work
• Homo Ludens –Playful Imagination
• Homo Disobediens – Daring & exploring black swans
Examples:
- Friesland: Freya de Vries (13) is active online to design
banners for Japanese Manga interest group. Specialty: Kitsunes
(trans-national)
- Group of young scientists KNAW promote the importance
of fundamental research in COMBINATIONS of different
practical fields ( trans-sector, trans-discipline, trans- institute)
- Fablabs: emergent network of garage size industries with
low cost very powerful machines: TNC, 3D printers, Arduino
PLC electronics.
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Conclusion:
After more (elite democracy) or less (mkt creative destruction) successful
versions of Aristocracy, Meritocracy, Media-Consumocracy we will have
P2P Synthecracy by massive use of network technology to create value.
Bottom up and self organized across fences and boundaries using
social network and other ICT tools that bind people together.
• Authorities and hierarcies are no longer very relevant. Thing that work are.
• Use the creative construction networking force of sharing & combining
idea’s/ knowledge/ solutions that have shown to be working =
Synthecracy. What unique specialised skill can you contribute ??
Around 2012 we will enter the age of global network synergy
We wish you good connections !
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18. In Praise of Disobedience 18
References
[1] van Till, ‘Sociale media brengen nieuw systeem’,
Netkwesties 6 februari 2011,
http://www.netkwesties.nl/346/sociale-media-brengen-nieuw-systeem.htm
English language version: ’Regime Change in the ‘Arab Spring’ is a System Change’
http://bit.ly/fa4tjo
[2] Wadah Khanfar, director general of Al Jazeera, TED lecture: http://goo.gl/AR2Ty
March 2011 “giving the people there back their self confidence and dignity”.
[3] “The man who wrote the non violent revolution rulebook” Dr Gene Sharp is the man
credited with the strategy behind the toppling of governments from Serbia to Egypt.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/news/world-middle-east-12522848
[4] Martin Nowak & Roger Highfield “Super Cooperators - Evolution,
Altruism and Human Behaviour-” or ‘Why we need eachother to succeed’
Free Press, 2011. (Nowak: mathematical evolutionary biology)
[5] Anna Kuchment, “ The Smartest Bacteria on Earth” One species of soil microbe (in a
huge colony) makes unusually wise communal decisions,
Scientific American, June 2011, http://www.ScientificAmerican/jun2011/bacteria
about article of Eshel Ben-Jacob in BMC Genomics, Dec 2010.
[6] Gene Sharp, Non violent revolution Manual, FDTD www.greensharpfilm.com
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19. In Praise of Disobedience 19
Technologies of Flocking: creative construction towards the Synthecracy Society
More Sources
[1] Images from the Sea of Green http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quPXg_GoTOk
[2] Farsi PDF magazine http://bit.ly/3tEjZx
[3] van Till “Technologies of Flocking” http://www.scienceguide.nl/article.asp?articleid=107531
Science Guide July 3 2009 , including link to Stonier article.
[4] Iran’s Modern Communications http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8ROCzKzQNc&feature=related
[5] http://www.haystacknetwork.com/
[6] American journalists about Iran http://fora.tv/2009/07/01/Tweeting_The_Revolution
[7] Peter Csermely , “Weak Links" -- Stabilizers of Complex Systems from Proteins to Social Networks”; Springer 2006
[9 ] Rao, “Market Rebels – How Activists Make or Break Radical Innovations” ; 2009, Princeton University Press
[8 ] Shirky, “Here Comes Everybody – How Change Happens when People Come Together; 2009, Penguin
[10] Earls. “HERD – How to Change Mass Behaviour by Harnessing our True Nature”; revised edition 2009, Wiley
[11] Carlota Perez, 2009 Open Democracy Journal;
http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/economics/email/how-to-make-economic-crisis-creative
[12] Perez, http://www.carlotaperez.org/papers/4-technologicalrevolutionsparadigm.htm#comienzo
[13] Perez, http://www.carlotaperez.org/papers/2-technologicalrevolutionsparadigm.htm
[14] Lawrence Lessig about the re-use of intellectual property http://wiki.lessig.org/index.php?title=TheKeenReader
[15] Peizer, “ The Dynamics of Technology for Social Change – lessons learned from the field” ; 2006, iUniverse Inc
[16] Gene Sharp “ From Dictatorship to Democracy – A Conceptual Framework for Liberation, The Albert Einstein
Institution 2002, Original version by Khit Pyaing , Bangkok in 1993. PDF is online.
[17] Popovic, Milivojevic, Djinovic “Nonviolent Struggle – 50 Crucial Points” Manual ; 2006 CANVAS
Belgrade, online as 50CP_Farsi.pdf or 50CP_English.pdf
[18] Siegfried Woldhek http://www.Nabuur.com
[19] Michel Bauwens P2P Foundation http://p2pfoundation.net/The_Foundation_for_P2P_Alternatives
[20] Template Twitter Strategy for Government Departements (UK mInistries)
[21] Fleetwood Mac, “Don’t stop Thinking about Tomorrow” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8arvEzHsA8
[22] Mark Cooper ” FROM WIFI TO WIKIS AND OPEN SOURCE: THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF COLLABORATIVE PRODUCTION IN
THE DIGITAL INFORMATION AGE” Telecommunications & High Technolgy Law Vol 5, 9/7/2007 Stanford
[23] Van Till “Towards Synthecracy” , Knowledge Democracy Conference, Leiden summer 2009
[24] Project “The wisdom of crowds” Stichting Toekomstbeeld Techniek (STT), KIVI 2010
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