Social Network Design Questions
From Rod Beckstrom - The Starfish and The Spider
What are some of the questions to consider in developing or designing a new social network? Here is a starting list to consider. Please feel free to contribute your own thoughts and ideas.
What are the goals and objective of the network?
What do the members want?
Why do they or would they choose to be involved?
What other networks are they members of and why?
What do the founders want?
Who is the catalyst?
Who is the champion?
Is the catalyst doing the network design, or is someone else the architect?
How does the network design feel to those involved?
Is there a parent organization or is the network independent?
How do members wish to participate?
What are their time constraints and preferences?
What do you do when someone wants to contribute more time?
How and where do you steer them and why?
Will the network be one large flat network (like World Security Network or MySpace) or be organized into many local chapters (like the Chamber of Commerce)?
What core values do the members share in common?
What values are most sacred and why?
What ideology holds the network together?
Do the leaders live the values?
What hierarchy, if any, is necessary in the network?
What structure and protocols?
How can the network be designed to push power out to the edge?
How can the members be most freely and richly engaged in contributing how and why they want?
What can your network learn from MySpace, AA, YouTube, Rotary Club, craigslist and eBay?
What are the other networks you would most want to model on?
How ready are you to continue iterating the design to serve the community of members?
What must be kept rigid or firm and how much can be set free?
What titles are used and what effect does this have on culture?
Are members asked to commit to any specific values or are all values implicit?
How are conflicts handled?
Is the network designed to encourage competiton, foster collaboration or work another way?
How are members clustered around their passions?
What is valued among members - consistency or diversity?
How do the members want to engage with one another?
With the parent organization?
How are values shared and taught?
What protocols or rules must be developed?
What is the minimal set of rules and guidelines for the network to unfold and flourish?
What is the optimal set?
What is too much?
What is the minimal set for getting started?
Who organizes events?
Who pays for them?
Who speaks to the press?
Why?
What impact does this have on the culture of the network?
What different types of meetings are there?
What is the cycle of meetings?
How long do they last?
Which meetings are totally open and recorded, which private?
How is feedback surveyed, analyzed and recorded?
How are members recruited?
Are members vetted, or is anyone allowed to join?
Does the network itself define membership standards or does each chapter or subgroup?
Or do chapters choose their own members?
What other circles need to be organized in the network?
What is the ideal level of volunteer involvement?
Can the entire network be volunteer run?
Should the entire network be staff run?
What are the right kind of staff to match the culture of the network?
What are the rights and responsibilities of members?
Can membership be revoked?
If there are chapters, how are they to be formed, financed and led?
Are they geography or interest based?
If the network is flat, how can all members participate in some fashion?
What is expected of the members?
What is expected of the leaders?
How are leaders to be appointed?
How long is their tenure?
What is the tenure of members?
Are their dues? Event fees?
How long is the network supposed to last?
What if the members want to develop new goals or objectives?
How tight or loose should the network be held?
Will there be working groups?
How will working groups be formed to accomplish the tasks at hand?
What efforts are voluntary, what efforts mandatory?
Where will the power reside in the network?
At the center or at the edge?
Are those in the center really ready to let go?
What is the ideal size of the network?
Is smaller and more focused better, or larger and more broad?
If there are many chapters, will some be more elite than others?
Does it matter?
What does elite mean?
How is success of the network measured?
Can the number of chapters, circles or nodes in the network be measured?
Can membership be measured?
Is the network more valuable with 100 carefully selected members or with 100,000 self selected members?
How healthy are the chapters?
How healthy are the working groups?
Is the network managed for the benefit of the members or for the accomplishment of the external goals?
If a new member comes up with a new way to approach solving a problem, is that member free to run with it, or must they first get approval?