Although in their full Kevin Kelly version many of these relate to bits and wires and the power of the Internet, I was struck by how they can also be reframed as operating principles for using the net work lens. I also think it is important to recognize that our engagement with social networks followed (naturally, no doubt) from the extraordinary advances in global computer networks and all that they have enabled us to do.

1. The Law of Connection. Always connect. Close triangles, bridge gaps, make it flow.
2. The Law of Plentitude. As the network grows in size, its potential value grows exponentially.
3. The Law of Exponential Value. The sum is greater than its parts; we know more collectively than any of us can ever know individually.
4. The Law of Tipping Points. Managing in complex environments means watching for patterns to emerge, and leveraging those patterns to make significant shifts.
5. The Law of Increasing Returns. The more we invest in net work, the stronger our networks become, and the more we have to invest in them.
6. The Law of Inverse Pricing. Small, inexpensive changes, purposefully applied, can have a richer impact than costly detailed “solutions.”
7. The Law of Generosity. The more we give away, the more we get.
8. The Law of the Allegiance. Shifting allegiance from hierarchical organizations to shared leadership in networks creates fluidity and commitment.
9. The Law of Devolution. Accountability shifts from the top/center to the core/periphery.
10. The Law of Displacement. Our solitary, inward focused organizations will be displaced by networks.
11. The Law of Churn. Our networks are constantly changing, and we must embrace living in complexity.
12. The Law of Inefficiencies.  In the words of Peter Drucker, “Don’t solve problems, seek opportunities.”

I was reminded of these in a conversation this morning with a local selectman (in much of New England, towns are still governed by Town Meeting and local affairs are stewarded by elected selectpersons). He is trying to shift the thinking of three towns who are driving to a “solution” to a large, complex problems by showing them how small, incremental, “safe-fail” experiments can lead to a networked resolution.

(I now return to my irregular unscheduled blogging. Thanks for your patience.)

The twelve days of Net Work:

• Twelve Network Laws
• Eleven Interventions
• Ten Social Soft[wares]
• Nine tensions tensing
• Eight Principles
• Seven Leaders Lessons
• Six myths of networks
  
• Five purposes
• Four design facets
• Three network tools
• Two network sources
• One network lens

That capability is not new … lots of mobile devices let people work with documents.  However, the iPhone’s revolutionary screen and ease-of-use have obviously been a hot, and there’s been lots of speculation over the past year or so about 1) the iPhone being the precursor of a Netbook, and 2) Apple’s growing interest in the business / workplace markets.

This app … Soonr … provides us with an early signal about capabilities that almost certainly will be widely available, if not standard and expected, within another year or so.

Via the VentureBeat blog …

.

Soonr nails the desktop to cloud to iPhone connection for documents
MG SIEGLER

In today’s world, rarely do we get the opportunity to be sequestered somewhere for a long period of time to work on a project. The rise of laptops and now mobile phones means that business can be done from various places at various times. Some may not like this reality, but it is just that: A reality.

Soonr, of Campbell, Calif., is a company that works within that reality by granting you access to your documents on the go, and today it is launching an application to extend its reach to the hot iPhone platform.

Here’s how Soonr works: You download the Soonr client to your desktop computer (PC or Mac) or laptop and choose which files you want to sync with Soonr’s servers in the cloud (networked computers that get and service your data over the Internet). After the initial sync uploads all your files, the application makes sure these files are continually updated as they are being edited, so that the latest version is ready for you to access from the cloud.

That means that by using Soonr’s free iPhone app, you can now access these files from your phone no matter where you are. And, thanks to the auto-backups, you never have to worry about or try to remember if you synced your documents before you left the office — it all happens as you’re updating them.

And while there are other applications that offer such functionality, Soonr is the fastest one I’ve seen because it doesn’t make you pull an entire file down before you can start looking at it. Instead, it requests from the cloud only the data it needs. This is useful if you have a huge PDF or PowerPoint, but don’t want or need to see the entire thing.

The application displays documents in a very nice, Apple-like way. For example, if you look at a document with multiple pages, you can hit one of the buttons on the toolbar to see a birds-eye view of all the pages and jump to just the one you want. Right now there is support for 40 different file types, but unfortunately you cannot directly edit any of them on the iPhone yet — but that’s something that Soonr isn’t ruling out in the future.

The app also allows you to easily send any of these files to another person via email or text message. And you can print a document right from your iPhone on to any printer connected to the network you are on. There is even a social aspect which allows you to comment on a document if you are working on it with multiple people.

And you can see when other documents that people have shared with you have been edited or have new notes — something which will be very useful for businesses.

And that’s one way that Soonr plans to make money. While the iPhone app may be free and users can store up to 500 megabytes of data for free, a white label version of the service provided through mobile operators and online software (SaaS) providers can bring a more powerful version of the service to business users.

And if those potential users are concerned that the service is just catering to the iPhone — which is popular with consumers, but still not as popular in business markets — rest assured that Soonr actually works with over 600 devices currently, because it works on a variety of mobile web browsers.

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Version 2.1 of cyn.in was officially released In December. The highlights include; an integrated microblogging application, the introduction of an activity stream, and a simplified user interface. cyn.in is a software tool developed by Cynapse. It helps teams to create collective knowledge by sharing workspaces, applications, documents, files and digital content within a secure, unified environment. cyn.in combines the capabilities of collaboration tools like wikis, blogs, file repositories, micrologs instant discussions and other social applications into a seamless platform. The cyn.in desktop client keeps users updated with its activity stream while enabling instant discussions within any document, file or content.

Like a number of other vendors such as Traction, the cyn.in people realized that an enterprise version of Twitter would really work only if it was contextually integrated into the tools that their teams already use for collaboration. So they tightly integrated microblogging into cyn.in. Sarah from ReadWriteWeb had this to say in the New York Times: “The cyn.in client is beautiful implementation of how microblogging could and perhaps should) work for businesses, but it’s the client’s integration with the cyn.in team collaboration suite that makes it so worthwhile.” I think this will be the trend for enterprise micro-messaging.

The cyn.in people have added some other features. The concept of “spaces” has been the central aspect of cyn.in. Spaces help a group of users to create a secure work area within their cyn.in site and allocate explicit permissions to select users within it. Spaces are useful to most large companies with diverse teams.

However, a substantial number of their customers and users felt the need for a simplified central collaboration area that is accessible to every user of the cyn.in. So they added the concept of the Main space. This is where all users of a cyn.in site can create or edit any content, without worrying about permissions or sharing rights. It is like the central town plaza. This makes the main space ta useful place for free form collaboration, and its no more necessary to create a bunch of spaces before new users start using cyn.in. New spaces are only needed when there is a requirement for security isolation.

They also added a new feature called ‘All Updates’ to all spaces. This shows all activity within a space (and from all spaces nested inside the space). This bridges content from all applications and types into a simple unified interface.

To help with compliance requirements, the new cyn.in recycle bin grabs deleted content from across the site, and allows the administrator to process the deleted content as per the compliance requirements. cyn.in rules can be applied to the recycle bin for custom automated processing of deleted content as well.

This looks like another useful option for enterprise 2.0 collaboration and content sharing that is continuing the trend of integrated suites of applications taken from Web 2.0. It is available in a hosted version and or as an enterprise application. The New York Times has published an extensive review of the cyn.in desktop client. You can check out more details about the product at the Cynapse web site. They also have a Cynapse blog. 

Okay, one only more day! Countdown:

• Ten Social Soft[wares]
• Nine tensions tensing
• Eight Principles
• Seven Leaders Lessons
• Six myths of networks
  
• Five purposes
• Four design facets
• Three network tools
• Two network sources
• One network lens

I recently read a wonderful blog post by Mark Masterson on social processes and BPM. He summarizes the questions and opportunities for embedding social networking into business processes (as he describes the failings of automating processes). He offers some clarity in the definition of “social networking software”– tools that actively support you in finding the right person, whereas tools [like mail and IM] can only assist you in collaborating with that person after the fact. I would extend this to include the tools that create awareness of the activities of both existing and potential future colleagues such that your network offers increased capability of knowing who the right person is as well as sending questions out into the universe so that the right person presents him or her self.

These are powerful tools for for extending and leveraging networks. But it is always important to remember that intentional, purposeful networks include many individuals who may not be immediately comfortable using social software and will need guidance, coaching, and leadership by example.

1. Blogs*
2. Podcasting*
3. RSS*
4. Social Bookmarking*
5. Screencasting (i.e. YouTube)
6. Social Networking*
7. Microblogging (i.e. Twitter)
8. Wikis*
9. Community software (i.e. Ning)
10. Social search

(* indicates an item from Chandni’s original list;  I retained her links to the Common Craft videos on YouTube)

The countdown (almost there):

• Nine tensions tensing
• Eight Principles
• Seven Leaders Lessons
• Six myths of networks
  
• Five purposes
• Four design facets
• Three network tools
• Two network sources
• One network lens

 What do The AppGap readers wish for new technologies and applications to simplify your daily work this year?

And will:

1) The promise of Cloud Computing, a 2008 buzz, fulfill it’s promise to reduce enterprise technology costs and make applications and individual user data ubiquitously available anywhere, anytime?

 2) Enterprise focus on GreenIt continue?

 3) Every technology platform and application continue to add functionality to justify a “social” label?

And what’s next? 

2007 was the year of Facebook and 2008 Twitter and Chrome. 

Where to from here?

 Thanks for taking a moment to share your technology reflections and “09 predictions.

~ Jenny Ambrozek

Briefly:

1. What is the balance between the value of the network to the network and the personal value that individuals receive by being part of it?
2. Has the network been structured in a top-down way, with rules of communication and decision making, or are the network’s properties (structure, governance) emergent, flexible, and responsive to environmental context?
3. Is the membership of the network closed, or is it open to anyone to participate?
4. Does the network horde and and generate knowledge internal to the network or does it actively solicit and include external views, ideas, and opinions?
5. Is the purpose of the network and the value it creates focused on outcomes and results, or do members participate for the promise of the discovery and dialogue?
6. Are the interactions among members of the network oriented toward transactions that are task-based, or do the interactions principally support exchange and creation of knowledge?
7. Is the value produced by the network primarily tangible or intangible? Is there a balance between tangible and intangible, and does there need to be balance?
8. Are the norms of the interactions, outcomes, membership rules, and governance structure codified, or have these evolved through the life of the network such that they are known and passed down as tacit knowledge?
9. Where does the network live? Does it exist only when members are together face-to-face, or only through online participation?

Managing and balancing these tensions is the work of not just the network leader, but of all members. Discomfort in a network may indicate that one of these tensions has passed the boundary set for it, and that balance needs to be restored.

Recounting:

• Eight Principles
• Seven Leaders Lessons
• Six myths of networks
  
• Five purposes
• Four design facets
• Three network tools
• Two network sources
• One network lens

While it seems absurd, a bit of reflection and extrapolation of current trends will, I think, allow most readers to nod bemusedly and say to themselves "Yes, I can see how this kind of thing is happening".

What do you think ?

.

Who’s Available Today ?

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Sonoa addresses several main SaaS issues. First, it allows for visibility to SaaS traffic and performance. This allows for monitoring of policies and compliance issues. This data can help with both governance and performance management issues. Here is a screen shot of Sonoa Analytics.

Second it enables enhanced security and access control. You can implement a flexible, access control policy model that can be applied on global operations down to individual users or clients. There is also a rich set of policies for authentication, authorization, auditing, privacy, and data protection. A user model for collaboration, user isolation, and delegated administration is provided and profile-based policies can be applied to LDAP, databases, or other existing resources.

Third, ServiceNet enables transformation of application through protocol mapping (e.g., SOAP to REST), versioning, and credential mediation. There is also an Eclipse-based development environment for custom transformations and policies. In addition, there is code-free configuration of transformations and policy application via a Web-based console. This allows for the sharing of data across applications.

Fourth, the ServiceNet appliance employs hardware acceleration to deliver networking-level throughput, providing scalability and performance to help meet SLAs with fault and traffic management and load balancing. There is network-appliance architecture for high scalability and availability. Here is a screen shot of Sonoa Control Center for operators to configure policies on services (security, audit, SLA, transformations, etc.).

One use case is a major financial service firm that wants to accelerate customer access to revenue generating web services.  At the same time they need to ensure they are staying within banking regulations. IBM ships Sonoa ServiceNet with their rmashup server product to enhance its performance and policy monitoring.  Sonoa clients include JP Morgan Chase, Pfizer, an Warner Music. Scott said that like many other enterprise 2.0 and cloud vendors, they are not being affected negatively by the recent economic downturn as they offer a way to manage and enhance cost reductions.  This is good news and I can see an increasing need for their services in today’s IT market. Here is a short video demo of the analytics product from the Sonoa website

1. If it’s a network, you can draw it. Networks have structure, nodes and ties, people or organizations and the relationships among them.
2. Every network has an underlying purpose and every network creates value. These may not be quickly discernible, but their discovery offers paths to action.
3. Once we learn to distinguish and identify the unique and individual characteristics of networks we can create, examine, and shape their properties, boundaries, and context. We cannot control what happens in networks, but there are design facets, mapping tools, and elements of style we can apply to how we work with them.
4. Because networks are systems of human relationships, we can best understand them using lessons from the study of complexity.  The third day illustrates a framework that helps make sense of networks.
5. Everyone in a network influences the relationships within it and its outcomes. It takes a shift in only one or two relationships to alter the structure of the network and from there its other properties.
   
6. A leader’s work is to create and maintain the conditions that enable productive and innovative relationships. There are specific prescriptions on the seventh day.
7. Successful networks are reflective and generative. Net work includes both diagnostic tools and intervention methods that help networks reflect and move into action.
8. (The Paradox). All networks are alike, and all networks are unique. Any network can be characterized by its distinct facets of purpose, structure, style, and value, but the human elements add nuance and life.

Recounting:

• Seven leaders lessons
• Six myths a meme-ing
• Five purposes
• Four design facets
• Three mapping tools
• Two network sources
• One network lens