Network Laws

I most agree with Metcalfe's Law. It basically says a network is worth the communication between the network users. It explains how many people can connect to how many other people. For example, if you have 9 people on a network including yourself, you use the Metcalfe formula (network users minus one) 9 - 1, and you get 8. 8 is the amount of different connections you can make with other users on the network. Metcalfe's Law is pretty much saying the higher the number from the equation, the more valuable the network is. The law isn't fool-proof, because people may not find the communication connections as valuable as others and everyone's connection may not be equal. If your connection sucks, the network will have little value to you, even if your friend on the same network has a great connection and sees the network as important. What I don't understand is why it doesn't account for multiple connections, like if you connect to two people at the same time, wouldn't that account for another connection? Three people at a time? Four? Or have everyone connected and communicating at the same time.

I've seen these wristband projectors for cell phones, where you flick your wrist and your phone screen appears on your arm. You're able to access the internet and do everything on your own skin with your cell phone feet away. In 5 years, I see everything shifting towards this notion. Yes, you need to pay for the service, like having a cell phone and having an internet connection, but information is probably going to be even easier to access. Like with the wristbands, you may not even need to be near a computer, phone, or other electronic to access the internet. It may take more than 5 years, but the development will surely head towards a lazier future for internet consumers.

Response to "Why We Blog"

This article's purpose, obvious by title, is to see why people blog. Different people blog for different reasons. The people who may not like communication may blog to find a way to express their feelings or thoughts to someone else; people may use blogs to vent about their lives. Blogs are one-way communication. You could express anything you wanted to and not have to deal with a reaction or consequences. Blogs are a great place to express your feelings, dislikes, opinions, criticisms, and the occasional positive outlook on things, because chances are, no one is going to read them. Even if people read your blog about how a girl named Mildred made you mad this morning in class, you don’t have to deal with whatever that reader is feeling or thinking, unless they know you personally and come up to you and complain.

Blogs aren’t always used for personal posts; they can be used for community forums to keep people up-to-date on everything they need to know about what’s going on. There could be posts on the blog discussing anything from the latest town hall meeting to a fundraising event at a local elementary school. Blogs can be used for people to talk about politics and world issues as well. Pretty much all blogging is opinionated because it isn’t controlled or regulated by anyone.

Blogging may be a good way to let off steam if you are too afraid to tell someone to their face they are pissing you off or making your life hard to live, but I don’t see it being used for the right thing. If blogs could have a way to be more of a two-way communication, have more readership, and talk about things other than what you ate for breakfast, they could be used to debate with no fear and maybe solve issues.

Goldiglocks and The Bears