We have discussed the idea of the Network-State a great deal over the years. This is an idea that forecasts the eventual replacement for the Nation-State. This is due to the emergence of the network as a foundation for society.
It is an extension of the idea of the network society. This dates back, in part, to the days before the Internet. Naturally, since that medium rose up, it is something that we are seeing playing out repeatedly.
A lot of what we see happening in society can be explained through this lens. This is more than a sociological idea, although it was studied by many in that field. Instead, it goes to the core of the disruption we are seeing in many facets of society.
The Emergence of the Network Society
We are seeing a world that is going horizontal, as opposed to vertical in nature. Because of this transition, traditional gatekeepers are finding their business models upended. It is causing a great deal of uncertainty with resistance coming being fierce.
Disruption is something that comes naturally to technology. It is the epitome of creative destruction. Another way of phrasing it is "out with the old, in with the new". There is a reason why disruption rarely comes from companies within an industry. Usually, the disruptive force enters from the outside.
When it comes to the network society, we are seeing many fields affected. At the core of this is the fact that society is shaped by messages exchanges in the digital realm.
To get an overview, we look to Wikipedia:
In western societies, the individual linked by networks is becoming the basic unit of the network society. In eastern societies, this might still be the group (family, community, work team) linked by networks. In the contemporary process of individualisation, the basic unit of the network society has become the individual who is linked by networks. This is caused by simultaneous scale extension (nationalisation and internationalisation) and scale reduction (smaller living and working environments). Other kinds of communities arise. Daily living and working environments are getting smaller and more heterogenous, while the range of the division of labour, interpersonal communications and mass media extends. So, the scale of the network society is both extended and reduced as compared to the mass society. The scope of the network society is both global and local, sometimes indicated as “glocal”. The organization of its components (individuals, groups, organizations) is no longer tied to particular times and places. Aided by information and communication technology, these coordinates of existence can be transcended to create virtual times and places and to simultaneously act, perceive and think in global and local terms.
While there are difference with regards to where the impact shows up, the fact that both eastern and western society are equally affected is the crux of the matter. Electronic communications and messaging is what alters society. At a minimum, this is a supplement to in person communication. Of course, as we know, it is a total replacement in some instances.
The key is the reach. This is something that not only impacts a geographic region but all of humanity. Ultimately, much of the same information is available to everyone.
Here is where the horizontal design is seen.
Over the last few decades, we developed networks that are separate from governments or media companies. They allow for direct communication, on a mass scale. The distribution mechanism is the Internet, reaching all corners. All communication is instigated by the users, making it self-directed.
Again, this alters the traditional top-down design that we saw throughout history. It makes the idea of centralized messaging that much more difficult.
The explosion of blogs, vlogs, podding, streaming and other forms of interactive, computer to computer communication set up a new system of global, horizontal communication Networks that, for the first time in history, allow people to communicate with each other without going through the channels set up by the institutions of society for socialized communication.
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Web 3.0 and Decentralization
Web 2.0 can be considered a transition period. It was the first major thrust in the information age. The foundation was laid via traditional media which brought forth information albeit in a controlled manner.
If we time travel back to the 1970s or 1980s, we see a few sources for information:
- movies
- television
- newspapers
- magazines
- radio
For the most part, these were run by centralized entities, i.e. companies. At that time, decentralization came in the form of ham radio, newsletters, or direct mailers that people put together.
To say it was slow, expensive, and archaic is an understatement.
Web 2.0 brought us full tilt into the information age. In fact, the 1990s term was "information superhighway". The original vision was decentralization, something that we know missed the mark.
If we look at the image above, we see the idea of distributed prosperity. We know this is not the current state of the Internet, with the bulk of the wealth generated ending up in a few hands. This was a huge step forward as compared to the early days of the information age. There was a small handful of people who made significant money in that era.
The Internet created many more millionaires (and billionaires). So it was progress. Our next phase will create another order of magnitude.
It is why Web 3.0 is so important. The value generated is captured by tokens. This is something is overlooked by the majority. We know the digital realm runs on network effects. Since users generate the value, as evidenced by Web 2.0, it is easy to see how this transitions into distributed prosperity.
In fact, it is the natural outcome of the shift to network society.
This affects everything. We already see political discussion centering around crypto, AI, and networks. The ban of TikTok is just one example of how we are seeing networks starting to take over. It is entering the realm of geopolitics.
Ultimately, this will lead to the Network-State. If we think about it, that is nothing more than a governance system laid over the top of a network. Since these will be abundant throughout society, the development will be wide and varied.
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as a society we have been evolving little by little
Gret post yes networks will become the most important thing in the future economy...
I am seeing your point here friend, web2 was visioned to create a network state from inception yet it was taken over by government and centralized bodies when they spotted the abundance. So we can say, web2 was a cloned network. Let's hope the extraction (web3) resolves the earlier mistake