The Value of Connections

A connection is so subtle that its power and impact are often overlooked. Regardless of our focus - learning, transportation, food chain, social contacts - connections play the central role. Barabasi expressed this well in his book Linked: “Networks are present everywhere. All we need is an eye for them”. While not the source of the foundational value of connections, social software and the participative web are great mirrors of their underlying presence.

Jon Lebkowsky highlights the vital nature of nodes with which to connect: “When I first got an email account in the 1980’s, its value was practically zero because there were so few email users and nobody I knew had it. From a personal perspective, as more people used email, and especially as more people I knew got accounts, the more valuable it became.”