In our Avoiding the technology trap we suggest that to use new technology with benefit in communities, organisations and groups, change will be needed on two dimensions - technical, and in the way people and groups relate and develop.

The theme common to both dimensions is networking.

Technically it means connecting computers together so that they can share information by email, the World Wide Web and other applications. The networks are physical wires, fibres, switches, hubs, routers… but it is people who are somewhere at the end of the connections, operating the computers. Loose networks have a number of advantages:

Informality:

People can join and leave a network as they wish, coming together to contribute when most appropriate. The down side is that it is difficult to organise leadership in a network.

Richness:

Networks are potentially very rich structures. The maximum number of connections in a network is

n(n-1)/2. In a network of seven people there are 21 different potential two person links. A hierarchically organised structure will always have one less number of such links than the number of elements of which it is composed. The same collection of 7 people organised as a pyramid will have only 6 links. The advantage of richness is the way that it can exploit all talents and resources. The advantages of a hierarchy are clear leadership and less potential confusion.

Communication:

As the Internet demonstrates, networks are very good at spreading and generating information. They are less good at controlling the flow of information and ensuring that it corresponds to any particular point of view.

The pitfall of all networks is that as soon as they start to take action, they revert to organisational forms based on the hierarchy rather than trying to continue to work as a network. Thus working parties or project groups divide the network and restrict its potential richness to achieve focus, control and clarity of purpose. But there may be ways of retaining the richness of the net without sacrificing these aims. These should be explored first.

Value the richness and diversity of the network. Don't break it down into sub-groups unless you must.

Give each project a "driver" - someone who will have the responsibility to take it forward

Give each driver a "teamlet" - a small group of people with skills appropriate to the project and the interest to make it happen. Teamlets size depends on which members' skills are appropriate. Teamlet members may be members or drivers of other teamlets.

Take the process that generated the projects out to the community at large - get them involved and talking the same language

Make sure agencies also go through the process - get them involved and talking the same language too!

Use the rich informality of the network to make things happen! n

Structures

The system of drivers and teamlets has been devised to take advantage of the strengths of a network. The network is potentially a very rich structure. Dividing it into subgroups (working parties, sub-committees, etc.) lessens the connectivity of the overall group.

The benefit of mapping technological networks on to these new 'people' networks is that the technology enables groups to exploit the richness of their new connections. The Internet becomes both a tool for networking and a model for thinking about how networks can work.

Pyramid: Always one less link than the number of people in the group. 7 people have only 6 links

Network: Much greater richness. 7 people have potentially 21 links.

Drew Mackie