A new term I got introduced to over the weekend is "Swarming". I got the following from WordSpy as a definition
"The rapid gathering of friends, family, or colleagues using technologies such as cell phones, pagers, and instant messaging"
I looked up on Wiki the meaning of Swarm intelligence and got blown away by what I read -
"Swarm intelligence (SI) is artificial intelligence based on the collective behavior of decentralized, self-organized systems."
A paradigm introduced in 1989, is very relevant to the current trend of social networking. Aren't humans self-organized systems ?
It is interesting to note that technology is currently used to link together elements of a known set. Pushing the limit would require data from a larger set contributing towards decisions made in a smaller set and this decision fed back into the larger domain to help make decisions in other smaller sets.
In my opinion, people are natural discoverers and connoisseurs to varying degrees. There is a tendency to also visit and experience for themselves the benefits documented by others who have blazed a trail to a location.
Similarities can be drawn in the foraging behaviour of bees and the socializing behaviour of humans. A favored patch could be a popular watering hole (a bar).
It would be of tremendous advantage if information is provided to enable decisions to be made. To share information in a very immediate and innovative way similar to a “waggle dance” or leave dissipating pheromone trails as used in an ant colony. Instant information is very prevalent in the Web 2.0 world, but dissipating trail ? It's very relevant to humans socializing. Why have a nasty experience visiting a restaurant that is now a dried up water hole ?
Monday, March 10, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Virtual Worlds Inevitable ?
I was reading with interest this article by Gary Hayes on "Virtual Worlds, Web 3.0 and Portable Profiles".
Many have hypothesized that it is the natural trend in human computer interaction for people to adopt an avatar, build an online profile and live their life in virtual environments.
It is acceptable that real life can be simulated in virtuality, but as in any form of engineering, the simulation has to end up in reality. Though a fraction of initial users will continue to keep virtual environments fun, a majority will use it as a tool to build their real life - engaging people in reality to buildup their virtual life and overflow virtuality into reality.
Humans have socialized through physical contact over hundreds of thousands of years. The term contact could be redefined for the current age as being a simple text message, but to make it a viable social experience, a reality check is required. You could live in a Matrix, but you still need to shop for real groceries to make dinner.
Many have hypothesized that it is the natural trend in human computer interaction for people to adopt an avatar, build an online profile and live their life in virtual environments.
It is acceptable that real life can be simulated in virtuality, but as in any form of engineering, the simulation has to end up in reality. Though a fraction of initial users will continue to keep virtual environments fun, a majority will use it as a tool to build their real life - engaging people in reality to buildup their virtual life and overflow virtuality into reality.
Humans have socialized through physical contact over hundreds of thousands of years. The term contact could be redefined for the current age as being a simple text message, but to make it a viable social experience, a reality check is required. You could live in a Matrix, but you still need to shop for real groceries to make dinner.
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