Semantic Social Networks

January 27th, 2004

Josh Kirschenbaum has some interesting ideas about a different way to constructing a social network.

Instead of a LinkedIn (or any other system) style of listing everyone I know, and everyone who knows who I know- it shows a list of other nodes that I am strongly connected to. This strength is based on the quality and quantity of “connection” to that node. The node could be another person, or it could be a website/weblog/asset. This way, my “network” is a constantly evolving dynamic representation of my digital presence. Now if you expand this out- my “network” can determine other “likely” nodes to connect to based on how well connected THOSE nodes are connected to nodes I am connected to.

Click here to read more.

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  • Mike

    Thanks for the link. At first glance, this appears to be technical details supporting stigmergic networks. I have little experience with social networking sites, which I am very interested in studying, but have little interest in participating in. I don’t even have a blog :-)
    My initial thoughts suggest: social networks are for dating, stigmergic networks are for getting stuff done. Friendships form from common interests much much more than common interests form from friendships. Social networking will arise from stigmergic networking. We are seeing social networking sites since it’s perceived as a profit center while I would think globalized stigmergic networking could be well seen as a threat ( think chrono and/or spatially remixed flashmobs: with each global-music kick drum beat being an RIAA-raidable copyright violation or worse… )
    Even then, the friendship is often circumscribed by the common interests. Personality details irrelevant to the common interests become possible friction points. Relationships begin very compartamentalized; intimacy may come later, but pursued as an immediate goal devalues assertions of friendship.
    At the moment, the only thing I want to know about friends-of-friends is a) what books they’ve read, and b) what they do. Everything else: their race, sex, sexual orientation, eating habits, physical location, command of english, music they like, level of hygiene, whatever, is totally irrelevant to my desire to see whether increased contact and cooperation can result in win-win situations where we can each profit.

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