As I delve further into network effects, the long tail theory, and the power law of media distribution, it becomes clearer how people on Hive need to proceed.
We are pushing further into a networked world. This means understanding what is taking place. These mechanisms operate in a completely different manner as compared to what we are accustomed to dealing with.
The future of the Internet is defined in a few different ways. Some call it Web 3.0 while other like the phrase "spatial web". What is important is we are going to see a blending of the physical and digital world.
Here is a basic design created by Deolittle a few years back.
Without going too deep into it, this is a world arising how of a large number of sensors, massive loads of data and mixed reality devices. It is still some time off but we are heading in that direction.
Hence, the rule of networks is going to be ever more important as it will penetrate a greater portion of our lives.
Networks Are Exponential
We humans are conditioned to think in a linear manner. Here is where we get in trouble since the digital world is exponential. Grasping this basic concept opens up an entirely new vision into how we all can proceed.
There is a compounding nature to our activity. It is a concept that extends to migration. One person removing him or herself from an application has a greater than 1:1 impact. Of course, adding a new person does the same.
We also see similar results with activity. Each additional activity, whatever it might be, has a similar result. Just look at social media and see how this is the case.
Understanding this can help the individual, application (game) and ecosystem in general. Applying this concept means we can help to kick off the network effect. Over time, this can create a major push forward as these curves come into understanding.
Here is the media distribution curve also called the power law. We will notice that, regardless of the media, it looks the same. This is a crucial point to understand.
What does this tell us?
Looking at these graphs, the same question jumps out with each one -why power law? What is it about media that results in this concentration of success?
The short answer: network effects and positive feedback loops. Both concepts are described well by David Easley and Jon Kleinberg in their book “Networks, Crowds, and Markets: Reasoning about a Highly Connected World”¹⁰. In particular, they posit that popularity is a network phenomenon.
Two Choices
Looking at these curves, we have two choices.
The first is to try and get into the left side of the curve. This is highly unlikely and very difficult to do. Consider the fact we are looking at 9 different media types, with all telling the same story. While getting something to go viral might happen, it is not likely the best approach.
Another option is to focus upon the right hand side of the curve. This means taking what is there and adding to it.
What does that mean exactly?
If popularity is a network phenomenon, then it is imperative each person work on gaining that. As an ecosystem, it means two steps:
A) supporting what is already there
B) creating more of it
The key is to get as much sliding to further to the left as possible. If we take any item, what happens if we double what is there. In this instance, let talk page views. Taking an article and giving it double the page views will slide it further to the left.
Certainly this will not have a huge impact in the grand scheme of things. However, like all, it is something that can grow with time. Part of the rule of networks is the interconnect aspect to everything.
Nothing has a linear impact. It is all exponential.
That means something that appears meaningless could, indeed, have a significant outcome.
For example, sharing a simply link might get someone else to see it who has a great deal of influence. This means the article already did extra duty since more eyes see it as compared to just the followers of the author.
What happens if this person sends it to his/her followers. Perhaps that person has a much bigger crowd. Here we see how the number of "nodes" touched is growing.
Again, this might not be the instance that puts one at the left side of the chart. However, it is a step in the right direction.
Branding
We often discuss the idea of branding.
Each account can be looked at as a business. What are you doing to make yourself known? In a world of networks, there is no sitting back passively. Sure, one could write something that captures a top search engine ranking. Sadly, that is not a likely outcome for the majority of people.
This means taking active steps to implement network effects. Going back to the two choices, the easiest is more activity. if we double the efforts we put forth, that will allow for greater potentiality in the future. By adding more to the right side of the chart, our chance of sliding some pieces to the left are enhanced.
It is a shift that could have a massive impact upon our popularity.
Winner Take Most
The concepts here explain why the digital world is certain one of winner take most. Popularity, whether it is content creators or platforms, follow the same curve. This is network phenomenon that is a characteristic of the medium we are dealing with.
Ergo, we ignore this at our own risk.
What is positive about all of this is the fact we have the ability to impact things. The Internet is a giant ocean of fish. It is up to use to cast the nets.
Here is where building enters.
Within this oceans are smaller bodies of water. This is where people can stand out. Some are influencers on platforms like Tik Tok or Facebook. Others are YouTube stars.
None of these are easy to get a lot of attention.
Instead, we have to look at our brand and size up where it fits. Fortunately, some of these smaller pools are providing the opportunity for monetization. This is where Web3 is going to start to appeal to many. The next bull run will likely set off a firestorm since many will return. Unfortunately for them, they are going to be sitting at the far right side of the curve, with little attention given to them.
We are now seeing how this has a financial impact.
Building a brand is a major part of the process. To me, it starts with being everywhere within one's pool. The rules are the same whether individual or an entire ecosystem: we have the ability to create our own popularity.
The winners are going to take most. It is the nature of the beast. This means we each have to concentrate on improving the impact of everything we come across. It is something that can be from an individual level or one of a platform.
All of this adds up. This is a game of lots of minor activities repeated over and over. A doubling of the impact of a single article can help to build the popularity.
It all boils down to making the long tail even longer.