And now something related about work...
Whilst on holidays, I have been trying to read up on two work-related themes (in between my Paulo Coelho, Dan Brown [not a fan], and a few other 'esoteric' readings): Network Analysis and Complexity Science.
Two learnings:
1. Network analysis/science is not easy. It requires deep thought - and very unconventional approaches and algorithms. Most of the articles I have read have emphasized that their work is only the beginning - and that there is more to learn.
... Which leads me to the current belief in advertising that "so long as you have 'word-of-mouth' in your communications campaign, you'd be fine..." and "oh by the way, let's create a page on (insert your favorite social-networking site) and an app for iPhone".
I think this is simplifying the beauty of social networks and their impact on communications, marketing and ad effectiveness, and consumer behavior and emotions significantly.
Approaching social networks as if they were another medium that can be controlled is - in my belief - simply the wrong way. Not just because we don't have control over the social medium as we do on other media - but because social media affect people differently because they work differently.
2. Complexity is the nature of things - and whilst we may want to simplify our communications through visuals and bullet points, our message will remain to be complex.
We can create PowerPoint slides filled only with pictures and single-words or lines - because it is simple - and simple is beautiful, and is effective. We can create simple ads - filled with white space or capped with a catchy tagline or a jingly.
At least that's what we are taught - cognitive science says "schemas work - so leave them with schemas that they can bring along with them and process".
But it does become really complex because of the last two words: "... and process".
No matter how complex or simple our message is, it will cross over to complexity as soon as human processing starts.
A 10slide presentation - that is simple - could have as much complexity as a 100slide presentation. And the length, or style, or manner doesn't really matter: it's how the audience processes them that matters - and that adds that significant layer of complexity.
The same is true with social media and social networks: A seemingly simple 5-friend group (5node network) is very complex - and its complexities could well be similar with a 10-friend, 20-friend, or 100-friend network.
Because?
The human element is there.
We are born social - we are innately social.
And some are more social than others with a selective group - regardless of whether they already belong within the same group or not.
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