Lateral diffusion
Encyclopedia
Lateral diffusion is the process whereby information can be spread from one node in a social network to another, often in a selective way, and can rapidly traverse an entire population, but preferentially to those nodes likely to be interested, or needing to know. Messages or information are also subject to query and modification en route. This is in contrast to central media
where one message or perspective is broadcast to a large number of people simultaneously. Thus lateral diffusion can be said to occur in lateral media
.
This is similar to how rumours, gossip
and joke
s rapidly spread. But note that each sender can be selective: a sender wouldn't necessarily tell a superior a joke he might not approve of. Senders also tend to pass on information to those who they know from personal experience would be interested or need to know.
In this way it has been shown that typically no more than 6 intermediaries are likely to link the most extreme chain of lateral diffusion - see six degrees of separation
even worldwide.
This notion was one of the key ideas in "Communication and Integration within the Agriculture, Water, Waste and Energy Industries", 1980 and The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
, in 1984, which advocated the usage of personal computers linked by the telephone network, to allow the lateral diffusion of messages and information in a selective way to those who would be interested - this is of course what occurs now in the Internet, by a Social network service
.
The below diagrams are taken from
Lateral diffusion is the process whereby information can be spread from one node in a social network to another, often in a selective way, and can rapidly traverse an entire population, but preferentially to those nodes likely to be interested, or needing to know. Messages or information are also subject to query and modification en route. This is in contrast to central media
where one message or perspective is broadcast to a large number of people simultaneously. Thus lateral diffusion can be said to occur in lateral media
.
This is similar to how rumours, gossip
and joke
s rapidly spread. But note that each sender can be selective: a sender wouldn't necessarily tell a superior a joke he might not approve of. Senders also tend to pass on information to those who they know from personal experience would be interested or need to know.
In this way it has been shown that typically no more than 6 intermediaries are likely to link the most extreme chain of lateral diffusion - see six degrees of separation
even worldwide.
This notion was one of the key ideas in "Communication and Integration within the Agriculture, Water, Waste and Energy Industries", 1980 and The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
, in 1984, which advocated the usage of personal computers linked by the telephone network, to allow the lateral diffusion of messages and information in a selective way to those who would be interested - this is of course what occurs now in the Internet, by a Social network service
.
The below diagrams are taken from
Lateral diffusion is the process whereby information can be spread from one node in a social network to another, often in a selective way, and can rapidly traverse an entire population, but preferentially to those nodes likely to be interested, or needing to know. Messages or information are also subject to query and modification en route. This is in contrast to central media
where one message or perspective is broadcast to a large number of people simultaneously. Thus lateral diffusion can be said to occur in lateral media
.
This is similar to how rumours, gossip
and joke
s rapidly spread. But note that each sender can be selective: a sender wouldn't necessarily tell a superior a joke he might not approve of. Senders also tend to pass on information to those who they know from personal experience would be interested or need to know.
In this way it has been shown that typically no more than 6 intermediaries are likely to link the most extreme chain of lateral diffusion - see six degrees of separation
even worldwide.
This notion was one of the key ideas in "Communication and Integration within the Agriculture, Water, Waste and Energy Industries", 1980 and The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
, in 1984, which advocated the usage of personal computers linked by the telephone network, to allow the lateral diffusion of messages and information in a selective way to those who would be interested - this is of course what occurs now in the Internet, by a Social network service
.
The below diagrams are taken from
Lateral diffusion is the process whereby information can be spread from one node in a social network to another, often in a selective way, and can rapidly traverse an entire population, but preferentially to those nodes likely to be interested, or needing to know. Messages or information are also subject to query and modification en route. This is in contrast to central media
where one message or perspective is broadcast to a large number of people simultaneously. Thus lateral diffusion can be said to occur in lateral media
.
This is similar to how rumours, gossip
and joke
s rapidly spread. But note that each sender can be selective: a sender wouldn't necessarily tell a superior a joke he might not approve of. Senders also tend to pass on information to those who they know from personal experience would be interested or need to know.
In this way it has been shown that typically no more than 6 intermediaries are likely to link the most extreme chain of lateral diffusion - see six degrees of separation
even worldwide.
This notion was one of the key ideas in "Communication and Integration within the Agriculture, Water, Waste and Energy Industries", 1980 and The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
, in 1984, which advocated the usage of personal computers linked by the telephone network, to allow the lateral diffusion of messages and information in a selective way to those who would be interested - this is of course what occurs now in the Internet, by a Social network service
.
The below diagrams are taken from
Lateral diffusion is the process whereby information can be spread from one node in a social network to another, often in a selective way, and can rapidly traverse an entire population, but preferentially to those nodes likely to be interested, or needing to know. Messages or information are also subject to query and modification en route. This is in contrast to central media
where one message or perspective is broadcast to a large number of people simultaneously. Thus lateral diffusion can be said to occur in lateral media
.
This is similar to how rumours, gossip
and joke
s rapidly spread. But note that each sender can be selective: a sender wouldn't necessarily tell a superior a joke he might not approve of. Senders also tend to pass on information to those who they know from personal experience would be interested or need to know.
In this way it has been shown that typically no more than 6 intermediaries are likely to link the most extreme chain of lateral diffusion - see six degrees of separation
even worldwide.
This notion was one of the key ideas in "Communication and Integration within the Agriculture, Water, Waste and Energy Industries", 1980 and The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
, in 1984, which advocated the usage of personal computers linked by the telephone network, to allow the lateral diffusion of messages and information in a selective way to those who would be interested - this is of course what occurs now in the Internet, by a Social network service
.
The below diagrams are taken from
Lateral diffusion is the process whereby information can be spread from one node in a social network to another, often in a selective way, and can rapidly traverse an entire population, but preferentially to those nodes likely to be interested, or needing to know. Messages or information are also subject to query and modification en route. This is in contrast to central media
where one message or perspective is broadcast to a large number of people simultaneously. Thus lateral diffusion can be said to occur in lateral media
.
This is similar to how rumours, gossip
and joke
s rapidly spread. But note that each sender can be selective: a sender wouldn't necessarily tell a superior a joke he might not approve of. Senders also tend to pass on information to those who they know from personal experience would be interested or need to know.
In this way it has been shown that typically no more than 6 intermediaries are likely to link the most extreme chain of lateral diffusion - see six degrees of separation
even worldwide.
This notion was one of the key ideas in "Communication and Integration within the Agriculture, Water, Waste and Energy Industries", 1980 and The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
, in 1984, which advocated the usage of personal computers linked by the telephone network, to allow the lateral diffusion of messages and information in a selective way to those who would be interested - this is of course what occurs now in the Internet, by a Social network service
.
The below diagrams are taken from
Lateral diffusion is the process whereby information can be spread from one node in a social network to another, often in a selective way, and can rapidly traverse an entire population, but preferentially to those nodes likely to be interested, or needing to know. Messages or information are also subject to query and modification en route. This is in contrast to central media
where one message or perspective is broadcast to a large number of people simultaneously. Thus lateral diffusion can be said to occur in lateral media
.
This is similar to how rumours, gossip
and joke
s rapidly spread. But note that each sender can be selective: a sender wouldn't necessarily tell a superior a joke he might not approve of. Senders also tend to pass on information to those who they know from personal experience would be interested or need to know.
In this way it has been shown that typically no more than 6 intermediaries are likely to link the most extreme chain of lateral diffusion - see six degrees of separation
even worldwide.
This notion was one of the key ideas in "Communication and Integration within the Agriculture, Water, Waste and Energy Industries", 1980 and The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
, in 1984, which advocated the usage of personal computers linked by the telephone network, to allow the lateral diffusion of messages and information in a selective way to those who would be interested - this is of course what occurs now in the Internet, by a Social network service
.
The below diagrams are taken from
Lateral diffusion is the process whereby information can be spread from one node in a social network to another, often in a selective way, and can rapidly traverse an entire population, but preferentially to those nodes likely to be interested, or needing to know. Messages or information are also subject to query and modification en route. This is in contrast to central media
where one message or perspective is broadcast to a large number of people simultaneously. Thus lateral diffusion can be said to occur in lateral media
.
This is similar to how rumours, gossip
and joke
s rapidly spread. But note that each sender can be selective: a sender wouldn't necessarily tell a superior a joke he might not approve of. Senders also tend to pass on information to those who they know from personal experience would be interested or need to know.
In this way it has been shown that typically no more than 6 intermediaries are likely to link the most extreme chain of lateral diffusion - see six degrees of separation
even worldwide.
This notion was one of the key ideas in "Communication and Integration within the Agriculture, Water, Waste and Energy Industries", 1980 and The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
, in 1984, which advocated the usage of personal computers linked by the telephone network, to allow the lateral diffusion of messages and information in a selective way to those who would be interested - this is of course what occurs now in the Internet, by a Social network service
.
The below diagrams are taken from
Lateral diffusion is the process whereby information can be spread from one node in a social network to another, often in a selective way, and can rapidly traverse an entire population, but preferentially to those nodes likely to be interested, or needing to know. Messages or information are also subject to query and modification en route. This is in contrast to central media
where one message or perspective is broadcast to a large number of people simultaneously. Thus lateral diffusion can be said to occur in lateral media
.
This is similar to how rumours, gossip
and joke
s rapidly spread. But note that each sender can be selective: a sender wouldn't necessarily tell a superior a joke he might not approve of. Senders also tend to pass on information to those who they know from personal experience would be interested or need to know.
In this way it has been shown that typically no more than 6 intermediaries are likely to link the most extreme chain of lateral diffusion - see six degrees of separation
even worldwide.
This notion was one of the key ideas in "Communication and Integration within the Agriculture, Water, Waste and Energy Industries", 1980 and The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
, in 1984, which advocated the usage of personal computers linked by the telephone network, to allow the lateral diffusion of messages and information in a selective way to those who would be interested - this is of course what occurs now in the Internet, by a Social network service
.
The below diagrams are taken from
Image:First stage of lateral diffusion.jpg|In "The IRG Solution" it was envisaged that each person would be at the centre of an IRG - Information Routing Group, of relatively well known and trusted persons. He might exchange information with a contact in his first group.
1. "Beyond Mass Media" Brian Martin.
Science, Technology and Society
University of Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia. General discussion of the IRG concept(http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/pubs/95metro.html).
2. The Power Of Open Participatory Media And Why Mass Media Must Be Abandoned. Brian Martin, March 20, 2006. General discussion of the IRG concept
http://www.masternewmedia.org/news/2006/03/20/the_power_of_open_participatory.htm
3. The IRG Solution - Hierarchical Incompetence and how to overcome it. David Andrews. Souvenir Press, London, 1984. Pages 200 - 220. ISBN 0-285-62662-0. Detailed description of the proposal.
4. The Hidden Manager
Communication technology and information networks in business organizations. Taylor Graham Cambridge / Los Angeles,1986. David Andrews and John Kent. Much tighter description of IRG concept and its application to business management. ISBN 0-947568-15-8, 198 6
http://www.taylorgraham.com/books/hidmancon.html
4a. Mogens Niss Professor of Mathematics and Mathematics Education IMFUFA, Roskilde University, Denmark "Om folkeskolelaereruddanelsen i det vigtige fag matematik" in Peter Bollerslev (ed.): "Den ny matematik i Danmark - en essaysamling", Copenhagen, Gyldendal, 1979, pp107–122. The relevance paradox is defined on p. 111.
5. Niss, M. (1994) Mathematics in Society. In Biehler, R., Scholz, R. W., Straesser, R., Winkelmann, B. Eds. (1994) The Didactics of Mathematics as a Scientific Discipline. Dordrecht: Kluwer, 367-378. Relevance paradox
6. Energy Research Group, Open University. Communication Within the Agriculture, Water, Waste and Energy Industries. Discussed examples of how the industries mentioned can be integrated to a greater or lesser degree, leading to lower pollution and energy use. Discussed the need for IRGs and how they might be organized. Emphasizes problem is lack of co-ordination and lateral communication between organisations. Describes interlock research in detail, the relevance paradox and the Bilharzia/schistosomiasis issue, central media, lateral diffusion, tacit knowledge, and Lateral Access Networks, later renamed Information Routing Groups, development of private languages as a barrier to inter communication, also describes how computers can be used to speed up lateral communication, and lateral referral . DC Andrews. ERG 033. Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, England 1980.
6. "The Importance of Knowing the Right People" (Article based on ERG 033 on Lateral Access Networks - the forerunner of Information Routing Groups). Printed in the Guardian Newspaper, London (The National Newspaper) March 20, 1980. Discussed Bilharzia / schistosomiasis relevance paradox.
8. Energy Research Group, Open University . Information Routing Groups. DC Andrews. ERG 037. Generalisation of ERG 033, advocated development of software and automatic phone answering modem to link up private PCs effectively creating an Internet. Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, England 1980. David Andrews
8a Library Association Record to a seminar run jointly by IEE and the LA on 'Biblionic man', held at the IEE on 26 November 1980. Covered same ground as ERG 033 and ERG 037.
8b. Andrews, D. (1986) Information routeing groups – Towards the global superbrain: or how to find out what you need to know rather than what you think you need to know, Journal of Information Technology, 1, 1, Feb, 22-35. details of lateral referral, diffusion.
9. Yewlett, J . L . Town Planning, Wales, Institute. of Science & Technology . "Networks : Developments in theory & practice" .
The paper reviews developments in the U .S .A. & U .K . in recent years, progressing beyond network analysis to explore the structure & use of networks. The paper seeks to address questions of how to construct multi-actor policy structures, & build networks for particular purposes. Contributory concepts explored included the 'Reticulist', the 'Leader/Co- ordinator', the 'Segmented Polycephalous Network' & the 'Information Routing Group'
in
CONNECTIONS
Sunbelt Social Network Conference
World Congress of Sociology
American Sociological Association
VOLUME IX
NUMBERS 2-3
Winter, 1986
http://www.insna.org/Connections-Web/Volume09/connections1986_IX-2-3.pdf
10. (see Charnock, Anne (1980) Taking Bilharziasis out of the irrigation equation. New Civil Engineer, 7 August) Bilharzia caused by poor civil engineering design.
11. Social Networks Meet News Aggregation And Filtering: Information Routing Groups
http://www.masternewmedia.org/news/2006/10/02/social_networks_meet_news_aggregation.htm
Central media
Central media were defined in the book The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it and were those media which repeatedly broadcast a single identical message to many recipients such as mass media magazines and specialist technical and scientific journals...
where one message or perspective is broadcast to a large number of people simultaneously. Thus lateral diffusion can be said to occur in lateral media
Lateral media
Lateral media can be seen as any specific technology to promote lateral communication. A grapevine is in effect lateral communication but is not necessarily a lateral media if there is no technology. We then can consider informal help networks, email circulation lists, Information Routing Groups,...
.
This is similar to how rumours, gossip
Gossip
Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others, It is one of the oldest and most common means of sharing facts and views, but also has a reputation for the introduction of errors and variations into the information transmitted...
and joke
Joke
A joke is a phrase or a paragraph with a humorous twist. It can be in many different forms, such as a question or short story. To achieve this end, jokes may employ irony, sarcasm, word play and other devices...
s rapidly spread. But note that each sender can be selective: a sender wouldn't necessarily tell a superior a joke he might not approve of. Senders also tend to pass on information to those who they know from personal experience would be interested or need to know.
In this way it has been shown that typically no more than 6 intermediaries are likely to link the most extreme chain of lateral diffusion - see six degrees of separation
Six degrees of separation
Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that everyone is on average approximately six steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person on Earth, so that a chain of, "a friend of a friend" statements can be made, on average, to connect any two people in six steps or fewer...
even worldwide.
This notion was one of the key ideas in "Communication and Integration within the Agriculture, Water, Waste and Energy Industries", 1980 and The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
The IRG Solution is a book written by David Andrews and published in 1984.-Synopsis:The book, written in 1984, developed from a number of research papers at the Open University Energy Research Group, and an article appearing in the Guardian Newspaper which attempted an information- and...
, in 1984, which advocated the usage of personal computers linked by the telephone network, to allow the lateral diffusion of messages and information in a selective way to those who would be interested - this is of course what occurs now in the Internet, by a Social network service
Social network service
A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities. A social network service consists of a representation of each user , his/her social...
.
The below diagrams are taken from
Lateral diffusion is the process whereby information can be spread from one node in a social network to another, often in a selective way, and can rapidly traverse an entire population, but preferentially to those nodes likely to be interested, or needing to know. Messages or information are also subject to query and modification en route. This is in contrast to central media
Central media
Central media were defined in the book The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it and were those media which repeatedly broadcast a single identical message to many recipients such as mass media magazines and specialist technical and scientific journals...
where one message or perspective is broadcast to a large number of people simultaneously. Thus lateral diffusion can be said to occur in lateral media
Lateral media
Lateral media can be seen as any specific technology to promote lateral communication. A grapevine is in effect lateral communication but is not necessarily a lateral media if there is no technology. We then can consider informal help networks, email circulation lists, Information Routing Groups,...
.
This is similar to how rumours, gossip
Gossip
Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others, It is one of the oldest and most common means of sharing facts and views, but also has a reputation for the introduction of errors and variations into the information transmitted...
and joke
Joke
A joke is a phrase or a paragraph with a humorous twist. It can be in many different forms, such as a question or short story. To achieve this end, jokes may employ irony, sarcasm, word play and other devices...
s rapidly spread. But note that each sender can be selective: a sender wouldn't necessarily tell a superior a joke he might not approve of. Senders also tend to pass on information to those who they know from personal experience would be interested or need to know.
In this way it has been shown that typically no more than 6 intermediaries are likely to link the most extreme chain of lateral diffusion - see six degrees of separation
Six degrees of separation
Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that everyone is on average approximately six steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person on Earth, so that a chain of, "a friend of a friend" statements can be made, on average, to connect any two people in six steps or fewer...
even worldwide.
This notion was one of the key ideas in "Communication and Integration within the Agriculture, Water, Waste and Energy Industries", 1980 and The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
The IRG Solution is a book written by David Andrews and published in 1984.-Synopsis:The book, written in 1984, developed from a number of research papers at the Open University Energy Research Group, and an article appearing in the Guardian Newspaper which attempted an information- and...
, in 1984, which advocated the usage of personal computers linked by the telephone network, to allow the lateral diffusion of messages and information in a selective way to those who would be interested - this is of course what occurs now in the Internet, by a Social network service
Social network service
A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities. A social network service consists of a representation of each user , his/her social...
.
The below diagrams are taken from
Lateral diffusion is the process whereby information can be spread from one node in a social network to another, often in a selective way, and can rapidly traverse an entire population, but preferentially to those nodes likely to be interested, or needing to know. Messages or information are also subject to query and modification en route. This is in contrast to central media
Central media
Central media were defined in the book The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it and were those media which repeatedly broadcast a single identical message to many recipients such as mass media magazines and specialist technical and scientific journals...
where one message or perspective is broadcast to a large number of people simultaneously. Thus lateral diffusion can be said to occur in lateral media
Lateral media
Lateral media can be seen as any specific technology to promote lateral communication. A grapevine is in effect lateral communication but is not necessarily a lateral media if there is no technology. We then can consider informal help networks, email circulation lists, Information Routing Groups,...
.
This is similar to how rumours, gossip
Gossip
Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others, It is one of the oldest and most common means of sharing facts and views, but also has a reputation for the introduction of errors and variations into the information transmitted...
and joke
Joke
A joke is a phrase or a paragraph with a humorous twist. It can be in many different forms, such as a question or short story. To achieve this end, jokes may employ irony, sarcasm, word play and other devices...
s rapidly spread. But note that each sender can be selective: a sender wouldn't necessarily tell a superior a joke he might not approve of. Senders also tend to pass on information to those who they know from personal experience would be interested or need to know.
In this way it has been shown that typically no more than 6 intermediaries are likely to link the most extreme chain of lateral diffusion - see six degrees of separation
Six degrees of separation
Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that everyone is on average approximately six steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person on Earth, so that a chain of, "a friend of a friend" statements can be made, on average, to connect any two people in six steps or fewer...
even worldwide.
This notion was one of the key ideas in "Communication and Integration within the Agriculture, Water, Waste and Energy Industries", 1980 and The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
The IRG Solution is a book written by David Andrews and published in 1984.-Synopsis:The book, written in 1984, developed from a number of research papers at the Open University Energy Research Group, and an article appearing in the Guardian Newspaper which attempted an information- and...
, in 1984, which advocated the usage of personal computers linked by the telephone network, to allow the lateral diffusion of messages and information in a selective way to those who would be interested - this is of course what occurs now in the Internet, by a Social network service
Social network service
A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities. A social network service consists of a representation of each user , his/her social...
.
The below diagrams are taken from
Lateral diffusion is the process whereby information can be spread from one node in a social network to another, often in a selective way, and can rapidly traverse an entire population, but preferentially to those nodes likely to be interested, or needing to know. Messages or information are also subject to query and modification en route. This is in contrast to central media
Central media
Central media were defined in the book The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it and were those media which repeatedly broadcast a single identical message to many recipients such as mass media magazines and specialist technical and scientific journals...
where one message or perspective is broadcast to a large number of people simultaneously. Thus lateral diffusion can be said to occur in lateral media
Lateral media
Lateral media can be seen as any specific technology to promote lateral communication. A grapevine is in effect lateral communication but is not necessarily a lateral media if there is no technology. We then can consider informal help networks, email circulation lists, Information Routing Groups,...
.
This is similar to how rumours, gossip
Gossip
Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others, It is one of the oldest and most common means of sharing facts and views, but also has a reputation for the introduction of errors and variations into the information transmitted...
and joke
Joke
A joke is a phrase or a paragraph with a humorous twist. It can be in many different forms, such as a question or short story. To achieve this end, jokes may employ irony, sarcasm, word play and other devices...
s rapidly spread. But note that each sender can be selective: a sender wouldn't necessarily tell a superior a joke he might not approve of. Senders also tend to pass on information to those who they know from personal experience would be interested or need to know.
In this way it has been shown that typically no more than 6 intermediaries are likely to link the most extreme chain of lateral diffusion - see six degrees of separation
Six degrees of separation
Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that everyone is on average approximately six steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person on Earth, so that a chain of, "a friend of a friend" statements can be made, on average, to connect any two people in six steps or fewer...
even worldwide.
This notion was one of the key ideas in "Communication and Integration within the Agriculture, Water, Waste and Energy Industries", 1980 and The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
The IRG Solution is a book written by David Andrews and published in 1984.-Synopsis:The book, written in 1984, developed from a number of research papers at the Open University Energy Research Group, and an article appearing in the Guardian Newspaper which attempted an information- and...
, in 1984, which advocated the usage of personal computers linked by the telephone network, to allow the lateral diffusion of messages and information in a selective way to those who would be interested - this is of course what occurs now in the Internet, by a Social network service
Social network service
A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities. A social network service consists of a representation of each user , his/her social...
.
The below diagrams are taken from
Lateral diffusion is the process whereby information can be spread from one node in a social network to another, often in a selective way, and can rapidly traverse an entire population, but preferentially to those nodes likely to be interested, or needing to know. Messages or information are also subject to query and modification en route. This is in contrast to central media
Central media
Central media were defined in the book The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it and were those media which repeatedly broadcast a single identical message to many recipients such as mass media magazines and specialist technical and scientific journals...
where one message or perspective is broadcast to a large number of people simultaneously. Thus lateral diffusion can be said to occur in lateral media
Lateral media
Lateral media can be seen as any specific technology to promote lateral communication. A grapevine is in effect lateral communication but is not necessarily a lateral media if there is no technology. We then can consider informal help networks, email circulation lists, Information Routing Groups,...
.
This is similar to how rumours, gossip
Gossip
Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others, It is one of the oldest and most common means of sharing facts and views, but also has a reputation for the introduction of errors and variations into the information transmitted...
and joke
Joke
A joke is a phrase or a paragraph with a humorous twist. It can be in many different forms, such as a question or short story. To achieve this end, jokes may employ irony, sarcasm, word play and other devices...
s rapidly spread. But note that each sender can be selective: a sender wouldn't necessarily tell a superior a joke he might not approve of. Senders also tend to pass on information to those who they know from personal experience would be interested or need to know.
In this way it has been shown that typically no more than 6 intermediaries are likely to link the most extreme chain of lateral diffusion - see six degrees of separation
Six degrees of separation
Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that everyone is on average approximately six steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person on Earth, so that a chain of, "a friend of a friend" statements can be made, on average, to connect any two people in six steps or fewer...
even worldwide.
This notion was one of the key ideas in "Communication and Integration within the Agriculture, Water, Waste and Energy Industries", 1980 and The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
The IRG Solution is a book written by David Andrews and published in 1984.-Synopsis:The book, written in 1984, developed from a number of research papers at the Open University Energy Research Group, and an article appearing in the Guardian Newspaper which attempted an information- and...
, in 1984, which advocated the usage of personal computers linked by the telephone network, to allow the lateral diffusion of messages and information in a selective way to those who would be interested - this is of course what occurs now in the Internet, by a Social network service
Social network service
A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities. A social network service consists of a representation of each user , his/her social...
.
The below diagrams are taken from
Lateral diffusion is the process whereby information can be spread from one node in a social network to another, often in a selective way, and can rapidly traverse an entire population, but preferentially to those nodes likely to be interested, or needing to know. Messages or information are also subject to query and modification en route. This is in contrast to central media
Central media
Central media were defined in the book The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it and were those media which repeatedly broadcast a single identical message to many recipients such as mass media magazines and specialist technical and scientific journals...
where one message or perspective is broadcast to a large number of people simultaneously. Thus lateral diffusion can be said to occur in lateral media
Lateral media
Lateral media can be seen as any specific technology to promote lateral communication. A grapevine is in effect lateral communication but is not necessarily a lateral media if there is no technology. We then can consider informal help networks, email circulation lists, Information Routing Groups,...
.
This is similar to how rumours, gossip
Gossip
Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others, It is one of the oldest and most common means of sharing facts and views, but also has a reputation for the introduction of errors and variations into the information transmitted...
and joke
Joke
A joke is a phrase or a paragraph with a humorous twist. It can be in many different forms, such as a question or short story. To achieve this end, jokes may employ irony, sarcasm, word play and other devices...
s rapidly spread. But note that each sender can be selective: a sender wouldn't necessarily tell a superior a joke he might not approve of. Senders also tend to pass on information to those who they know from personal experience would be interested or need to know.
In this way it has been shown that typically no more than 6 intermediaries are likely to link the most extreme chain of lateral diffusion - see six degrees of separation
Six degrees of separation
Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that everyone is on average approximately six steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person on Earth, so that a chain of, "a friend of a friend" statements can be made, on average, to connect any two people in six steps or fewer...
even worldwide.
This notion was one of the key ideas in "Communication and Integration within the Agriculture, Water, Waste and Energy Industries", 1980 and The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
The IRG Solution is a book written by David Andrews and published in 1984.-Synopsis:The book, written in 1984, developed from a number of research papers at the Open University Energy Research Group, and an article appearing in the Guardian Newspaper which attempted an information- and...
, in 1984, which advocated the usage of personal computers linked by the telephone network, to allow the lateral diffusion of messages and information in a selective way to those who would be interested - this is of course what occurs now in the Internet, by a Social network service
Social network service
A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities. A social network service consists of a representation of each user , his/her social...
.
The below diagrams are taken from
Lateral diffusion is the process whereby information can be spread from one node in a social network to another, often in a selective way, and can rapidly traverse an entire population, but preferentially to those nodes likely to be interested, or needing to know. Messages or information are also subject to query and modification en route. This is in contrast to central media
Central media
Central media were defined in the book The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it and were those media which repeatedly broadcast a single identical message to many recipients such as mass media magazines and specialist technical and scientific journals...
where one message or perspective is broadcast to a large number of people simultaneously. Thus lateral diffusion can be said to occur in lateral media
Lateral media
Lateral media can be seen as any specific technology to promote lateral communication. A grapevine is in effect lateral communication but is not necessarily a lateral media if there is no technology. We then can consider informal help networks, email circulation lists, Information Routing Groups,...
.
This is similar to how rumours, gossip
Gossip
Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others, It is one of the oldest and most common means of sharing facts and views, but also has a reputation for the introduction of errors and variations into the information transmitted...
and joke
Joke
A joke is a phrase or a paragraph with a humorous twist. It can be in many different forms, such as a question or short story. To achieve this end, jokes may employ irony, sarcasm, word play and other devices...
s rapidly spread. But note that each sender can be selective: a sender wouldn't necessarily tell a superior a joke he might not approve of. Senders also tend to pass on information to those who they know from personal experience would be interested or need to know.
In this way it has been shown that typically no more than 6 intermediaries are likely to link the most extreme chain of lateral diffusion - see six degrees of separation
Six degrees of separation
Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that everyone is on average approximately six steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person on Earth, so that a chain of, "a friend of a friend" statements can be made, on average, to connect any two people in six steps or fewer...
even worldwide.
This notion was one of the key ideas in "Communication and Integration within the Agriculture, Water, Waste and Energy Industries", 1980 and The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
The IRG Solution is a book written by David Andrews and published in 1984.-Synopsis:The book, written in 1984, developed from a number of research papers at the Open University Energy Research Group, and an article appearing in the Guardian Newspaper which attempted an information- and...
, in 1984, which advocated the usage of personal computers linked by the telephone network, to allow the lateral diffusion of messages and information in a selective way to those who would be interested - this is of course what occurs now in the Internet, by a Social network service
Social network service
A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities. A social network service consists of a representation of each user , his/her social...
.
The below diagrams are taken from
Lateral diffusion is the process whereby information can be spread from one node in a social network to another, often in a selective way, and can rapidly traverse an entire population, but preferentially to those nodes likely to be interested, or needing to know. Messages or information are also subject to query and modification en route. This is in contrast to central media
Central media
Central media were defined in the book The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it and were those media which repeatedly broadcast a single identical message to many recipients such as mass media magazines and specialist technical and scientific journals...
where one message or perspective is broadcast to a large number of people simultaneously. Thus lateral diffusion can be said to occur in lateral media
Lateral media
Lateral media can be seen as any specific technology to promote lateral communication. A grapevine is in effect lateral communication but is not necessarily a lateral media if there is no technology. We then can consider informal help networks, email circulation lists, Information Routing Groups,...
.
This is similar to how rumours, gossip
Gossip
Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others, It is one of the oldest and most common means of sharing facts and views, but also has a reputation for the introduction of errors and variations into the information transmitted...
and joke
Joke
A joke is a phrase or a paragraph with a humorous twist. It can be in many different forms, such as a question or short story. To achieve this end, jokes may employ irony, sarcasm, word play and other devices...
s rapidly spread. But note that each sender can be selective: a sender wouldn't necessarily tell a superior a joke he might not approve of. Senders also tend to pass on information to those who they know from personal experience would be interested or need to know.
In this way it has been shown that typically no more than 6 intermediaries are likely to link the most extreme chain of lateral diffusion - see six degrees of separation
Six degrees of separation
Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that everyone is on average approximately six steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person on Earth, so that a chain of, "a friend of a friend" statements can be made, on average, to connect any two people in six steps or fewer...
even worldwide.
This notion was one of the key ideas in "Communication and Integration within the Agriculture, Water, Waste and Energy Industries", 1980 and The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
The IRG Solution is a book written by David Andrews and published in 1984.-Synopsis:The book, written in 1984, developed from a number of research papers at the Open University Energy Research Group, and an article appearing in the Guardian Newspaper which attempted an information- and...
, in 1984, which advocated the usage of personal computers linked by the telephone network, to allow the lateral diffusion of messages and information in a selective way to those who would be interested - this is of course what occurs now in the Internet, by a Social network service
Social network service
A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities. A social network service consists of a representation of each user , his/her social...
.
The below diagrams are taken from
Lateral diffusion is the process whereby information can be spread from one node in a social network to another, often in a selective way, and can rapidly traverse an entire population, but preferentially to those nodes likely to be interested, or needing to know. Messages or information are also subject to query and modification en route. This is in contrast to central media
Central media
Central media were defined in the book The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it and were those media which repeatedly broadcast a single identical message to many recipients such as mass media magazines and specialist technical and scientific journals...
where one message or perspective is broadcast to a large number of people simultaneously. Thus lateral diffusion can be said to occur in lateral media
Lateral media
Lateral media can be seen as any specific technology to promote lateral communication. A grapevine is in effect lateral communication but is not necessarily a lateral media if there is no technology. We then can consider informal help networks, email circulation lists, Information Routing Groups,...
.
This is similar to how rumours, gossip
Gossip
Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others, It is one of the oldest and most common means of sharing facts and views, but also has a reputation for the introduction of errors and variations into the information transmitted...
and joke
Joke
A joke is a phrase or a paragraph with a humorous twist. It can be in many different forms, such as a question or short story. To achieve this end, jokes may employ irony, sarcasm, word play and other devices...
s rapidly spread. But note that each sender can be selective: a sender wouldn't necessarily tell a superior a joke he might not approve of. Senders also tend to pass on information to those who they know from personal experience would be interested or need to know.
In this way it has been shown that typically no more than 6 intermediaries are likely to link the most extreme chain of lateral diffusion - see six degrees of separation
Six degrees of separation
Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that everyone is on average approximately six steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person on Earth, so that a chain of, "a friend of a friend" statements can be made, on average, to connect any two people in six steps or fewer...
even worldwide.
This notion was one of the key ideas in "Communication and Integration within the Agriculture, Water, Waste and Energy Industries", 1980 and The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it
The IRG Solution is a book written by David Andrews and published in 1984.-Synopsis:The book, written in 1984, developed from a number of research papers at the Open University Energy Research Group, and an article appearing in the Guardian Newspaper which attempted an information- and...
, in 1984, which advocated the usage of personal computers linked by the telephone network, to allow the lateral diffusion of messages and information in a selective way to those who would be interested - this is of course what occurs now in the Internet, by a Social network service
Social network service
A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities. A social network service consists of a representation of each user , his/her social...
.
The below diagrams are taken from
Image:First stage of lateral diffusion.jpg|In "The IRG Solution" it was envisaged that each person would be at the centre of an IRG - Information Routing Group, of relatively well known and trusted persons. He might exchange information with a contact in his first group.
See also
- Central mediaCentral mediaCentral media were defined in the book The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome it and were those media which repeatedly broadcast a single identical message to many recipients such as mass media magazines and specialist technical and scientific journals...
- Collective intelligenceCollective intelligenceCollective intelligence is a shared or group intelligence that emerges from the collaboration and competition of many individuals and appears in consensus decision making in bacteria, animals, humans and computer networks....
- Delphi technique
- Hierarchical incompetenceHierarchical incompetenceHierarchical incompetence is the often observed inability of organisations to achieve the aims set for them. This can be due to the over-simplification of issues and the loss of tacit knowledge about issues as they ascend a hierarchical organization.There is often an inbuilt tendency for people up...
- Information Routing GroupInformation Routing GroupAn Information Routing Group is a component of social networks consisting of a semi-infinite set of similar interlocking and overlapping groups...
- Interlock diagramInterlock diagramAn interlock diagram is a real or imagined diagram that plots the actual interactions, physical, political, social, environmental between all entities within human societies. Each node is a specific activity such as a power station, or a policy such as controlled rent...
- Lateral communicationLateral communication-Organizational communication:In organizations and organisms, lateral communication works in contrast to traditional top-down, bottom-up or hierarchic communication and involves the spreading of messages from individuals across the base of a pyramid....
- lateral mediaLateral mediaLateral media can be seen as any specific technology to promote lateral communication. A grapevine is in effect lateral communication but is not necessarily a lateral media if there is no technology. We then can consider informal help networks, email circulation lists, Information Routing Groups,...
- Law of unintended consequences
- LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a business-related social networking site. Founded in December 2002 and launched in May 2003, it is mainly used for professional networking. , LinkedIn reports more than 120 million registered users in more than 200 countries and territories. The site is available in English, French,...
- Relevance paradoxRelevance ParadoxThe relevance paradox describes an attempt to gather information relevant to a decision, which fails because the elimination of information perceived as distracting or unnecessary and thus detrimental to making an optimal decision, also excludes information that is actually crucial.-Definition:In...
- Tacit knowledgeTacit knowledgeTacit knowledge is knowledge that is difficult to transfer to another person by means of writing it down or verbalising it. For example, stating to someone that London is in the United Kingdom is a piece of explicit knowledge that can be written down, transmitted, and understood by a recipient...
- The IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome itThe IRG Solution - hierarchical incompetence and how to overcome itThe IRG Solution is a book written by David Andrews and published in 1984.-Synopsis:The book, written in 1984, developed from a number of research papers at the Open University Energy Research Group, and an article appearing in the Guardian Newspaper which attempted an information- and...
- The Wisdom of CrowdsThe Wisdom of CrowdsThe Wisdom of Crowds: Why the Many Are Smarter Than the Few and How Collective Wisdom Shapes Business, Economies, Societies and Nations, published in 2004, is a book written by James Surowiecki about the aggregation of information in groups, resulting in decisions that, he argues, are often better...
Other references
1a. Many of the references listed below are on: http://lateralaccessnetworks.wikispaces.com/1. "Beyond Mass Media" Brian Martin.
Science, Technology and Society
University of Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia. General discussion of the IRG concept(http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/pubs/95metro.html).
2. The Power Of Open Participatory Media And Why Mass Media Must Be Abandoned. Brian Martin, March 20, 2006. General discussion of the IRG concept
http://www.masternewmedia.org/news/2006/03/20/the_power_of_open_participatory.htm
3. The IRG Solution - Hierarchical Incompetence and how to overcome it. David Andrews. Souvenir Press, London, 1984. Pages 200 - 220. ISBN 0-285-62662-0. Detailed description of the proposal.
4. The Hidden Manager
Communication technology and information networks in business organizations. Taylor Graham Cambridge / Los Angeles,1986. David Andrews and John Kent. Much tighter description of IRG concept and its application to business management. ISBN 0-947568-15-8, 198 6
http://www.taylorgraham.com/books/hidmancon.html
4a. Mogens Niss Professor of Mathematics and Mathematics Education IMFUFA, Roskilde University, Denmark "Om folkeskolelaereruddanelsen i det vigtige fag matematik" in Peter Bollerslev (ed.): "Den ny matematik i Danmark - en essaysamling", Copenhagen, Gyldendal, 1979, pp107–122. The relevance paradox is defined on p. 111.
5. Niss, M. (1994) Mathematics in Society. In Biehler, R., Scholz, R. W., Straesser, R., Winkelmann, B. Eds. (1994) The Didactics of Mathematics as a Scientific Discipline. Dordrecht: Kluwer, 367-378. Relevance paradox
6. Energy Research Group, Open University. Communication Within the Agriculture, Water, Waste and Energy Industries. Discussed examples of how the industries mentioned can be integrated to a greater or lesser degree, leading to lower pollution and energy use. Discussed the need for IRGs and how they might be organized. Emphasizes problem is lack of co-ordination and lateral communication between organisations. Describes interlock research in detail, the relevance paradox and the Bilharzia/schistosomiasis issue, central media, lateral diffusion, tacit knowledge, and Lateral Access Networks, later renamed Information Routing Groups, development of private languages as a barrier to inter communication, also describes how computers can be used to speed up lateral communication, and lateral referral . DC Andrews. ERG 033. Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, England 1980.
6. "The Importance of Knowing the Right People" (Article based on ERG 033 on Lateral Access Networks - the forerunner of Information Routing Groups). Printed in the Guardian Newspaper, London (The National Newspaper) March 20, 1980. Discussed Bilharzia / schistosomiasis relevance paradox.
8. Energy Research Group, Open University . Information Routing Groups. DC Andrews. ERG 037. Generalisation of ERG 033, advocated development of software and automatic phone answering modem to link up private PCs effectively creating an Internet. Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, England 1980. David Andrews
8a Library Association Record to a seminar run jointly by IEE and the LA on 'Biblionic man', held at the IEE on 26 November 1980. Covered same ground as ERG 033 and ERG 037.
8b. Andrews, D. (1986) Information routeing groups – Towards the global superbrain: or how to find out what you need to know rather than what you think you need to know, Journal of Information Technology, 1, 1, Feb, 22-35. details of lateral referral, diffusion.
9. Yewlett, J . L . Town Planning, Wales, Institute. of Science & Technology . "Networks : Developments in theory & practice" .
The paper reviews developments in the U .S .A. & U .K . in recent years, progressing beyond network analysis to explore the structure & use of networks. The paper seeks to address questions of how to construct multi-actor policy structures, & build networks for particular purposes. Contributory concepts explored included the 'Reticulist', the 'Leader/Co- ordinator', the 'Segmented Polycephalous Network' & the 'Information Routing Group'
in
CONNECTIONS
Sunbelt Social Network Conference
World Congress of Sociology
American Sociological Association
VOLUME IX
NUMBERS 2-3
Winter, 1986
http://www.insna.org/Connections-Web/Volume09/connections1986_IX-2-3.pdf
10. (see Charnock, Anne (1980) Taking Bilharziasis out of the irrigation equation. New Civil Engineer, 7 August) Bilharzia caused by poor civil engineering design.
11. Social Networks Meet News Aggregation And Filtering: Information Routing Groups
http://www.masternewmedia.org/news/2006/10/02/social_networks_meet_news_aggregation.htm