"critical networks" : requirements and development practices ?

18 Apr 2011

      Hi Michel, Hi p2pf'ers

did you come across materials laying out a synthesis of very specific
characteristics and requirements
around what I am tempted to call "critical networks" ?

Perhaps there is some other name for this ?

I think of "critical network" as distinctive from, yet potentially including
, the concept of "critical mass".

In the way I envision it,
"Critical Network" where the *required "critical" properties for an
operational or emergent networked system* may not merely be a mass of users,
but specific properties ( such as measurable forms of reciprocity, physical
location, resources, knowledge and skills, or other variables ) related to
the constituents and context for specific intentional "process economies" to
be enabled.

Including the mode of access to resources required for specific kinds of
emergence.

I want to *understand ( and have access to examples of ) various
characteristics required to facilitate and multiply "local process
economies" for viable and convivial living systems*

http://p2pfoundation.net/Process_Economy

*as to document step by step strategy proposals,*

not merely in a "enclosed" / monetized approach,

but rather within a larger wealth acknowledgment system
http://p2pfoundation.net/Wealth_Acknowledgment_Systems

towards communal sharing in intentional economic networks.

I put an *emphasis on understanding "starting points" for ( at first small
scale )*
*"critical networks".*

I can find inspiration in homebrew revolutions ( and examples such as e-farm
, open manufacturing, ... ),
but also recommendations related to the set up of "transition towns"
( http://www.transitionnetwork.org/resources/transition-primer )

I can also find inspiration in ( reading excerpts online )
of books such as

http://www.integralcity.com/

and the p2p urbanism and p2pf blog , wiki and lists.

/////

What I wish, is to define requirements more accurately,
*offering post-industrial alternatives* to sometimes publicly
supported "gentrification urban development models" ( which I observe here
in Brussels too ),
that seem to be aligned or inspired by Richard Florida's Creative Class
approach of development
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_class

I am also particularly interested in converging such understanding into
building up "games" ,
and use such games as a form of synthesis practice to empower "critical
networks"
for a intentional information and communication framework,
with incentives and related metrics, empowering collective intelligence and
collaborative action.

I am aware such question may open up a large conceptual map, including the
ones already layed out by you and p2pf peers.

I am interested in condensing it, into specifics, specific step by step
examples.
e-farm may offer an example.

I want to know where and how to focus/aggregate attention as first steps,
and bring it into "real social" ( http://p2pfoundation.net/Real_Social )
"real games".

For the moment, I consider "Housing Cooperatives" and "Group Purchasing
Organizations" as starting points in post-industrial frameworks, as some
first aggregator layers, on which to build other relational dynamics around
food and housing.

Food production, food logistics, but also food as aggregator, such as
http://sharewiki.org/en/Semantic_Kitchen ,
and then alternative currencies and wealth acknowledgment systems supporting
more and more complex transaction potentials.

I also like the approach of learning spaces as aggregators for bringing
together "Critical Network" requirements and development practices, such as
the "University" project promoted by Dougald :
http://dougald.posterous.com/day-27-help-me-start-a-university

Perhaps some of you read ( I did not ) the "integral city" book.

Is there a comprehensive list of requirements set out ?

Also , what are the capital requirements for such kind of "ventures",
as to converge or purchase infrastructure requirements to enable the
functioning of a critical network for a p2p resilient and convivial
civilization of collaborative individualists?

In addition to development practices,
I wish to outline all of these requirement into modules,
that help define the costs on a context based approach for
"business plans", packaged and sold as "use value insurance" ...

Dante-Gabryell Monson

Michel Bauwens

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