dumplingfeed

Thinking a great deal lately about the diffusion of information, searching for the right abstraction lately to capture the essence of what is happening to the WWW, and how to foster this subtle revolution. E.M. Rogers' model of the diffusion of information seems to do the job.

Social systems can be characterized as either heterophilous or homophilous. heterophilous social systems (niche groups) are made up of people from different backgrounds, which indicates an inclination to be exposed to new ideas. In homophilous social systems, most interaction within them is between people from similar backgrounds; people and ideas that differ from the norm are seen as strange and undesirable.

As information between these niche groups diffuses, it becomes the mechanism by which social change is effected throughout the larger population. With the proliferation of laptops, media players, and camera phones, the Surface Area to Volume ratio between these niche groups is very high; people are able to communicate and collaborate with others at unprecedented scale and granularity. The promise this path, which starts to look more like a solvent, holds is that by fostering niche online communities, allowing them to both maintain their identity and and share their knowledge, and you will create a mechanism for social change, the likes of which this country has not seen since the Civil Rights Movement.