I'd like to share this theory that I think it's very interesting
Six degrees of separation Theory
According to wikipedia:
Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that everyone is on average approximately six steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person on Earth, so that a chain of, "a friend of a friend" statements can be made, on average, to connect any two people in six steps or fewer. It was originally set out by Frigyes Karinthy and popularized by a play written by John Guare.
Computer networks
In 2001, Duncan Watts, a professor at Columbia University, attempted to recreate Milgram's experiment on the Internet, using an e-mail message as the "package" that needed to be delivered, with 48,000 senders and 19 targets (in 157 countries). Watts found that the average (though not maximum) number of intermediaries was around six.[citation needed]
A 2007 study by Jure Leskovec and Eric Horvitz examined a data set of instant messages composed of 30 billion conversations among 240 million people. They found the average path length among Microsoft Messenger users to be 6.6 (some now call the theory, "the seven degrees of separation" because of this.).
It has been suggested by some commentators that interlocking networks of computer mediated lateral communication could diffuse single messages to all interested users worldwide as per the 6 degrees of separation principle via Information Routing Groups, which are networks specifically designed to exploit this principle and lateral diffusion.
Hi Maryel,
ReplyDeleteI've heard this too but I also heard a critique that it only applies to relatively small groups of people, i.e. those in well-connected fairly well developed countries. I guess the test would be to see if you could get a message to a cattle farmer in a remote part of sub-Saharan Africa.
I think a lot could depend on language too. English is the most widely spoken language on the planet and there's about 1.4 billion speakers (maximum estimate) as a first or second language. I wonder if a Siberian Eskimo could get a message to a villager in Extremadura, Spain.
I only want to add that maybe closeness ( see http://www.orgnet.com/sna.html ) measures different to different people degrees of separation in whole human social network.
ReplyDelete6 degrees? If you live in Winnipeg, my experience says it's more like 2-3 degrees.
ReplyDeleteLet's use my recently created LinkedIn profile as "proof".
Nearly 13,000 connections are 2 degrees away.
1.17 million are 3 degrees away.
Since 73% of my connections are from Winnipeg, it's reasonable to assume that about 850,000 (73% X 1.17 million) of my 3rd degree connections are from my Winnipeg network.
According to the most recent Canada Census Data (2011), Winnipeg's population is 663,617, much lower than the number of 3rd degree connections attributable to my Winnipeg network.
So, in Winnipeg, with less than 3 degrees of connection, I'd connect with everyone.