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The Rule of 150 (aka Dunbar's Number)

~C4Chaos said Mar 15, 2006, 12:19 AM:

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Uploaded by coolmel on 26 Feb '05, 9.34pm PST.

Zaadz Pod: Kosmic Blogging 101 is an experiment. As Zaadz networks grow, the number of zaadz bloggers will increase exponentially. As much as we (me and future admins) would like to accomdate everyone, it's going to be unrealistic to manage a pod with hundreds or even thousands of members and still maintain a high level of quality and authenticity between the Podwans.

So I'm (as the only admin, since only one admin is allowed per pod for now) going to make a bold experimental decision that could either bite this pod in the future, or give it the legs, balls, and wings that would catapult its purpose into soaring heights.

I've decided to implement the Rule of 150 on this pod.

“The Rule of 150 is an empirical statement of group dynamics. It defines the boundary between small group dynamics and politics.

“Groups with fewer than 150 members are able to operate on the basis of mutual trust and implicit reputation management. De facto anarchy is sufficient. When a community increases significantly beyond this point, these simple mechanisms begin to fail. Factions and a leadership hierarchy emerge. Soon, politics as usual dominates, and anarchy ends.”

Rest assured that this rule will be implemented with BCB. As of this writing the number of ZPod:KB101 Podwans are less than half of 150. For now I will refrain from inviting more people and will just wait for them to request for membership. This way only the first few people who are passionate about blogging will get the chance to join the pod. Once we reach The Magic Number 150, we'll temporarily close the pod hatch. Keyword here is temporary.

This pod and its members will be constantly doing self-reflection. This means that group members will be evaluated based on their participation in the pod. Those members that remain inactive for long durations will be politely requested to give way so that we can make room for other interested Zaadzsters to join the pod.

Remember this: Podwans who have been denied entry, or those who are asked to give way, should not take it personally. We have nothing against you. We love you. We just want to adhere to the Wisdom of 150. We know that you're intelligent enough to understand. Who knows, there could be pod spin-offs with you at the helm.

For a deeper understanding of The Rule of 150 and then some, check out this book:

Malcolm Gladwell: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

now it's your turn to leave your rants and raves on this thread…

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Re: The Rule of 150 (aka Dunbar's Number)

Tru said Mar 17, 2006, 12:18 PM:

Interesting rule. I wonder how well it will be appreciated.

Personally, I believe slackers become slaves and hackers become bloggistful-braves.

Re: The Rule of 150 (aka Dunbar's Number)

~C4Chaos said Mar 17, 2006, 1:28 PM:

Tru said: “Personally, I believe slackers become slaves and hackers become bloggistful-braves.”

sometimes slackers become greats too…

oh trust me, The Rule of 150 will be appreciated, admired, copied, embraced, and extended… especially with the future admins of this pod :)

so are you a Falcon or an Eagle? a Hawk maybe?

Re: The Rule of 150 (aka Dunbar's Number)

Jodi said Mar 17, 2006, 10:46 PM:

Dear Coolmel,

I appreciate this rule and though I'd never heard of it before tonight, know there is real truth and wisdom in it.

When I was leading my writers network (on Ryze) it quickly grew to 200–250 members. I seriously considered capping it as it was plenty big enough and there was a good dynamic conversation going on consistently. Logic said I shouldn't limit it so I dismissed the idea. I usually know better than to trust logic when my intuition is leading me in another direction.

The network continued to expand until there were over 650 people when I left a couple of weeks ago. I felt it had lost the original pizazz and fell far short of it's potential. I applaud your rule and plan to implement it on my Creative Inspiration pod, too.

Thanks!

Namaste,
Jodi

Re: The Rule of 150 (aka Dunbar's Number)

~C4Chaos said Mar 18, 2006, 8:56 AM:

Jodi said: “When I was leading my writers network (on Ryze) it quickly grew to 200–250 members. I seriously considered capping it as it was plenty big enough and there was a good dynamic conversation going on consistently. Logic said I shouldn't limit it so I dismissed the idea. I usually know better than to trust logic when my intuition is leading me in another direction.”

sweet! thanks for backing up me on this Jodi. it just felt right to do this. but there you are with a first-hand experience! so there. we're going to build a Cult of 150.

the good thing about this is that this pod is not a closed network. never. you can compare it to the open source movement. everyone is invited to dip and learn. but not everyone can be a cook there. only the most passionate and technical. that's the model we'll use on this pod.

hey, i'm not an open source developer but i'm an avid user of Firefox. same thing with all the Zaadzsters, non-Zaadzsters, and not-yet Zaadzsters out there. although they're not a member of this pod, they can benefit from our collective brainstorming, meshing, and whatever stuff we can cook up.

Re: The Rule of 150 (aka Dunbar's Number)

Tru said Mar 21, 2006, 11:08 PM:

Harpia harpyja. BKA: Harpy Eagle. Its a greater falcon so to speak, being in the falconiformes order. By understanding it, you understand me (sorta). ;-)

Re: The Rule of 150 (aka Dunbar's Number)

HeyOK said May 10, 2006, 6:50 AM:

Hello all - catching up, catching up, catching up…. so much to read, see, feel, be…

take a breath! Whew.

So brand spankin new to blogging I fear to type anything. Yet so incredibly inpired and excited by the possibilities for myself and the world I have to get up and walk around the room every few minutes to even out the energy.

So on the Rule of 150… makes sense. I'm already debating what pods to join and how much real time I have to take all of this in and still eat, sleep, etc. I love coffee as elsewhere mentioned by our pod leader (expect a link there in the future when I manage this learning curve) yet blogging is the most recent addition in a long list of wonderful possible ways to spend the day.

I figured out the membership link and thats why I get to be here now (not at 150 quite yet).

Should I ever be asked to give way I foresee one of two options:
1) Do so graciously
2) Blog my butt off for however long it takes to stay

Hmmm… nuf said. Thanks and blessings to all. David

Re: The Rule of 150 (aka Dunbar's Number)

Swat said May 14, 2006, 6:24 PM:

Those numbers were applicable in one setting. A different set of variables when applied to this medium. The logic of the limit to effectiveness is solid though. Seems like a good place to start.

Swat

Re: The Rule of 150 (aka Dunbar's Number)

~C4Chaos said May 7, 2007, 8:57 AM:

Hello everyone,

It's been a while since I've started this pod. Originally, I thought that we're gonna have an action-packed pod so I decided to limit it to 150 members. However, after months of inactivity, I realized that my assumption was wrong. The interaction in this pod proved to be very minimal and way less than I had anticipated. Either there are lots of lurkers or other members are not that interested to participate :(

Starting today, I'm opening up this pod to all those who are interested to play. So come in, introduce yourself and tell us your reasons for blogging your hearts out :)

~C (for Come into the rabbit hole)

The Rule of 150 (aka Dunbar's Number)

circle of friendsUploaded by coolmel on 26 Feb '05, 9.34pm PST.

Re: The Rule of 150 (aka Dunbar's Number)

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Re: The Rule of 150 (aka Dunbar's Number)

circle of friends
Uploaded by coolmel on 26 Feb '05, 9.34pm PST.