John BattelleVerified account

Here's my bleak thought for the day: what if building and maintaining communities requires the one thing tech is good at eliminating - friction? (Approaching from a whisper net angle, I think there needs to be friction at the boundaries, or it doesn't work)

I've been worrying about this too, but haven't been able to put meat on the idea yet. What kinds of friction might be key?

I'm still thinking about that. Tentatively, I believe there needs to be friction around group membership - both entering and leaving. No proof at all, but a gut feeling this matters even more than around information transmission.

Inbound probably more than outbound. I sure wish I had time to a) dig into literature and b) write a simulation or three)

I actually wonder if outbound friction is the bigger issue. Think about how easily people get into arguments and then block each other online, versus ultimately make up in person. And knowledge of outbound friction tends to create inbound friction.

I'd say outbound friction allows repair, inbound friction prevents hostile takeovers and attempts at sabotage.

Huh. This makes a lot of sense. And interestingly, the persistent mutual expectations which face-to-face relationships involve create both types of friction.

Alas, if I'm right with that assumption, it means tech is poisonous to community efforts. Oops. :) (I also assume we'll build social norms to reintroduce friction, but the interim is painful)