The network between Pearson and Udacity can also be described by Slide 31. If Pearson provides all of the testing, a failure in Pearson’s “network” could suspend testing and push back credentials. If Udacity is a pioneer in MOOCs, then it makes sense that their testing system should also be innovative. Thanks for sharing.

On your point in this post, I like that you highlight that network both empower and constrain. Calcified institutions might be seen as places not networked, but in fact they are highly networked — they are networked in such a tight way it becomes very difficult to make new connections.

In some way, mature institutions are like mature minds — victims of our efficiency. Jonah Leher’s book (which, yeah, it’s Leher, but) collects some interesting research on creativity in older people, and the ones that are able to maintain creativity at an older age are the ones that put themselves in unfamiliar areas — areas where they are not allowed to fall back on their old connections — mental or otherwise.

But what happens, usually, is the worth you bring to the table as a 150 year old institution or 50 year old individual is your connections. That’s your competitive advantage. Throwing connections away (or rather, deciding not to fall back on them) to keep limber is difficult, risky, and from some standpoint maybe a really bad move. On days I think we will never change the system this is my worry — we are wired too precisely for what we are doing now…