The Observation Deck

Self-Organizing Structures of Cooperation

Technology is driving the shift from hierarchy to self-organizing structures of cooperation based on increased information flows. The actual and virtual fact of cooperation is self-evident in the enhanced flow states evolving with the Lakewood Observer.

In this context, the value of "smart mob" technologies in disaster relief and recovery, the subject of Howard Rheingoldís ìSmartmobbing Urban Catastrophe,î is worth reading.

Rheingold cites a report from NYU's Center for Catastrophe Preparedness and Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service - "Telecommunications Infrastructure in Disasters: Preparing Cities for Crisis Communications." This report documents ìthe way communications infrastructures fail in crisis, how they are used during the immediate disaster relief effort and their role in long-term urban recovery.î

Rheingold underscores the reportís conclusions about crisis infrastructure failures: "Despite pressure from state public service commissions, incumbent carriers have successfully resisted efforts at public oversight of network reliability. A Presidential Advisory Committee charged with studying the financial industry's telecommunications preparedness offered little more than an endorsement of the current meager efforts and found no role for government in developing, enforcing, or monitoring standards. Finally, recent administrative decisions on network reliability are working to undermine the public's ability to monitor the state of infrastructure operations. For example, in August 2004, citing security concerns, the FCC has stopped providing the public access to network outage data."

The organization of a military-style public safely agency alignment is called into question. Thus cited is Kobe University's Harumasa Sato's argument that "the basic lesson from Kobe is that the usual approach of disaster communications, traditionally based on military-style public safety agencies that are operating in a top-down manner and share information with 'civilians' only on a 'need-to-know' basis, should be replaced. Instead, we should set up an open-access emergency system -- open to inputs from a wide variety of public and private participants and with open to access to that information. Not only would such a system be more efficient as a tool of information and organization, but it would also be more resilient to the shocks of disaster."

What feedback role will the Lakewood Observerís ìsmart mobî play in making Lakewood ìmore resilient to the shocks of disasterî through expanded interactions of cooperation?

For more see: http://www.thefeature.com/article?articleid=101572

Kenneth Warren

Good topic. I'll have to bring refs some back from Howard's mob central @Brainstorms. (I've been working on a project with a Russian/Canadian philosopher there on cooperative instruction, this effort embedded in HR's Cooperative Studies Unit.)

Lots of good out-links pop up. I'm prevented from dragging individual's research out of Brainstorms (disclosure arrangement) but can ask permission if something demands it.

The view of social capital is a bit too reified in the quasi-positivist theory of cooperation, (itself biased toward 'programming' and thus behaviorism,) so smart mob concept strikes me as Orangish. Currently...

Whereas, as most should know who know me, I'm thinking about the next level: poesis-mobs.

!

A couple of observations and a question:

Irony. The link to the smartmobbing article referenced by Ken cites the value of “… the amateur radio network -- which long predates mobile phones and the Internet -- one of the most important first-response infrastructures world-wide.’’ The irony is that this very infrastucture is being doubly threatened by the internet. Ham radio is a dying hobby. Young people who would become hams are now surfing and hacking, but most importantly, an emerging species of wireless technologyâ€â€

Why would Floridians pay "extra" for something that the Feds provide?

Isn't it much easier to have the entire country pay than to have those who choose to live in the paths of hurricanes shoulder the burden?

Does it make more economic sense to bottle and ship water or to initiate desalination systems?

If the the Hyatt Regency, Grand Cayman Islands, relies on high-efficiency
seawater reverse osmosis systems for potable and irrigation water, why would it make sense for Floridians to insist that their state spend some of their money for real hurricane preparedness?

FEMA shows up, establishes field offices, hires people from all over the country, pays for their travel, pays their salary and Big Daddy Goverment saves the day. It's much easier than putting an effective program into place. Cheaper for Florida, too. Very costly in so many ways in the long run.