Cohesion Spectrum v.2
Zones and Trajectories on the Autonomy Plane
Beyond Decentralization
Power asymmetries have consistently driven the pursuits of egalitarian ideals. Some of them had lasting consequences: Athenian democratic reforms, the Gracchi brother's land reforms in Ancient Rome, the Venetian republic, the Peasants revolt in the Middle Ages, and the French Revolution are just a few examples.[1]
Cohesion Spectrum, v.1.5 RFC
The first cohesion spectrum was simple and formed a nice acronym, CABIN. It had some zones right. It also had serious issues, but exposing them was helpful in this journey. When trying to find solutions for them, I realized two things. One is that I need to account for both the autonomy cost and autonomy gain of being within a particular coordination regime. After some iterations, it got substantially better, but I'm still not happy with it, so the second thing I realized is that I need help, hence this draft, which is an RFC, Request For Comments. Unlike IETF RFCs, the intention is not to be the de facto released version, but rather a way to get to a better one.
Autonomy and Cohesion
The viability and welfare of socio-technical systems depend on their ability to balance autonomy and cohesion.
Containers All the Way Down
Shape clay into a vessel; It is the space within that makes it useful.
Leader, Platform, Protocol
You have to choose between speed and safety. You can't get both. That's what common sense tells us, and common practice confirms.