The issue of speed and scale in building communities
We need to get over the idea that large scale, fast acts build community. A community is a network of relationships built on trust. Trust cannot happen on command, doesn’t follow timelines, and is not a function of capital investments. Built environments can design out physical isolation, but cannot build trust. Conversations and small acts build trust, and communities can only grow at the speed of the millions of small conversations and acts that result in a community of trust.
October 7th, 2007 19:26
Insightful, Jack.
I’ll attempt to stimulate additional thought with some questions:
Can trust be established between two parties without their direct interaction? If so, can we create social environments that allow commutative trust? If so, can the “small acts” be leveraged via network power laws to help communities grow exponentially faster?
After reviewing your site and connection with networkweaving.com, I sense several of our interests coincide. Perhaps we could talk further soon?
Peace and Blessings,
Jamison