Modus Cooperandi’s 10 Principles of Social Media. The Remix.
Thursday, December 11th, 2008
Food for Thought - Social Media from An Bui
Jim Benson and I spent this morning discussing Principles of Social Media. Throughout the course of the morning, the list went from 10 to 13 before we folded various thoughts into the others to make room for the thoughts resulting from my feedback.
Moving forward, Jim will discuss each principle in turn and I’ll be offering my thoughts in response or conjunction with his.
My approach to social media considers information and relationship hiearchy and prioritization, so that you can make decisions that are optimal for you, given desired impact, value and the constraints of life/business.
Jim says:
These principles help us communicate and relate better. With these principles we can establish networks and understand our place in them. These principles give coherence to the creation and exchange of value. All of these help us build better communities and working relationships.
These principles help us communicate and relate better to each other and surface ideas, thoughts, formulations we find interesting and that we can build upon. Quick iteration of ideas plays like a high speed game of telephone. As they spread, the value proposition changes, with new (or more) information. The ability to make optimal decisions (and what those decisions are) also changes.
My interpretation of the principles follow, in a different order of importance:
1. Decentralization is freedom: Freedom enables us to pursue our thoughts and interests in a social space. Thus decentralization is of primary value.
2. Information wants to be free: The cost of obtaining information is rapidly declining, but still capable of providing and creating value. Freedom is necessary for free information.
3. Findability is power: Without findability, the information’s ability to provide and create value is greatly diminished.
4. Karma is real: The more you give, the more you get. You just don’t know what at the point at which you’re giving.
5. Rules beget rules: At some point, organization happens so that common understanding of interactions are possible.
6. Economies have currencies: Trade is possible with Karmic infrastructure and rules of engagement.
7. Communication is blood: Communication is the transport mechanism for information flow.
8. Immediacy in all things: Acting on new, validated information when appropriate moves things forward more quickly than before.
9. Context is fluid: Things change more often, as does your frame of reference. Think about the information you have at various points and look at developments along a continuum.
10. Associations are inherently good:
I’m not sure I believe that they are inherently good. I’m leaning towards associations are agnostic - it’s the value you add that make them good.
Note: I’m using principle in the philosophic sense, to guide my thinking about social media and by extension, digital culture.