If you have a “closed” network, where everyone pretty much knows or knows about each other. A good aspect of this connectivity is that the network can serve as a filter — multiple tweets or retweets about a topic link usually means it’s worth following — and its possible to generate a common language. However, it’s not likely that the richest source of creativity — two unlikely ideas coming together — will occur. You need (or the organization needs) to have connections outside the group. As Burt puts it (using one of my favorite phrases ever, the title of this blog), “People who live in the intersection of social worlds ‘are at higher risk of having good ideas.
via theappgap.com
Patti Anklam collects some good links (to online “paper” media) and ponders the changing nature of creativity, stimulus and innovation in social networks. Patterns and tasks aren’t new (homogenity rarely breeds new ideas, being broad loosens the focus) as are the potential structural solutions (connecting disparate networks with knowledge brokers, importing, promoting and adapting ideas, the need for boundary-spanning importing of ideas …) – but like Paula comments it’s a sort of canary to see if we’re doing our internal social networking (or our hanging out on the social media scene) right.
