(Stigmergic) Network SocietyFrom rigid hierarchies to decentralized networks

Matan Field BACKFEED

Network Society congress, October 2015

Large-scale (self) coordination

Vision

Observation

Means

Examples

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The vision:Networks without Incs

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Observation: StigmergyIndirect, spontaneous coordination

5/19/2015 Stigmergy - Wikipedia, the free encycloped

Ants paths build from pheromonetraces

StigmergyFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Stigmergy is a mechanism of indirect coordination betweenagents or actions.[1] The principle is that the trace left in theenvironment by an action stimulates the performance of a nextaction, by the same or a different agent. In that way, subsequentactions tend to reinforce and build on each other, leading to thespontaneous emergence of coherent, apparently systematicactivity.

Stigmergy is a form of self-organization. It produces complex,seemingly intelligent structures, without need for any planning,control, or even direct communication between the agents. Assuch it supports efficient collaboration between extremely simpleagents, who lack any memory, intelligence or even individual awareness of each other.[1]

Contents

1 History2 Stigmergic behavior in lower organisms3 Stigmergic behavior in social movements4 Stigmergy Society5 Applications6 See also7 References8 External links

History

The term "stigmergy" was introduced by French biologist Pierre-Paul Grassé in 1959 to refer to termitebehavior. He defined it as: "Stimulation of workers by the performance they have achieved." It isderived from the Greek words στίγμα stigma "mark, sign" and ἔργον ergon "work, action", andcaptures the notion that an agent’s actions leave signs in the environment, signs that it and other agentssense and that determine and incite their subsequent actions.[2]

Later on, a distinction was made between the stigmergic phenomenon, which is specific to the guidanceof additional work, and the more general, non-work specific incitation, for which the term sematectoniccommunication was coined[3] by E. O. Wilson, from the Greek words σῆμα sema "sign, token", andτέκτων tecton "craftsman, builder": "There is a need for a more general, somewhat less clumsyexpression to denote the evocation of any form of behavior or physiological change by the evidences ofwork performed by other animals, including the special case of the guidance of additional work."

Stigmergy is now one of the key[4] concepts in the field of swarm intelligence.

Stigmergy Indirect, spontaneous coordination

Agents emit signals

Agents decisions are biased by those signals

Bias is “designed” to induce synchronicity of actions

No agent has control of anything

Unstable to self-aware, exploiting agents (semi-resilience)

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Ants algorithmOptimal minimal-path finder

Stigmergy in Nature

• The only large-scale coordination in nature

• Fits well very simple (algorithmic) agents

• No need for incentive or trust

• Cooperation is (almost) the winning strategy

• Unstable to self-aware agents

Evolution of human large-scale coordination

Evolution

Centralized

Federated

Distributed, local

Distributed, global

Information

Value

Governance

Rigid coordination Centralized: hierarchical governance, kingdoms

Linear process of information

Rapid decisions in static conditions

Highly vulnerable to rapid changes & critical mistakes

Federated coordination Semi-distributed: democracy, the Internet

Semi-parallel

Sensitive to corruption

Still not adopting fast enough

Market (p2p) coordination Subjective distribution: pure capitalism

Local optimization (no global coordination)

Driving competition, twists and severe inequalities

Non-sustainable: rolling over the cliff

Stigmergic coordination Inter-subjective distribution: DCO

Decentralization

Scalability

Resilience

Macro-diversity

Micro-homogeneity

Incentive: Cooperation is the winning strategy

Cooperation is the winning strategy

Means

Distributed Hash Table (DHT)Distributed protocol for file (information) sharing

Distributed Hash Table (DHT)BitTorrent, IPFS, Synereo, …

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The BlockchainA distributed, consensus protocol (based only on “algorithmically verifiable input”)

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The BlockchainA distributed computer

BACKFEED protocolA distriburted, consensus protocol based on human input

BACKFEED protocol

P2P evaluation mechanics

Decentralized reputation system

Decentralized value-distribution system

Incentive model for (early) cooperation(makes collaboration the winning strategy)

BACKFEED protocolDNA for Decentralized Collaborative Organisations

BACKFEED protocolDNA for Distributed Network Society

The blockchain stack

DHT

Blockchain

Backfeed protocol

Collaborative platform

Visual Browser

BLOCKCHAIN STACKINTERNET STACK

Evaluation protocol, Reputation and Token distribution

TOKEN DISTRIBUTION

Each evaluation is made of 3 key elements:

• Evaluation (in tokens) of the contribution under evaluation

• Reputation of the evaluator that determines the weight of her vote

• Reputation at stake, as a fraction of the evaluator’s reputation

TOKEN DISTRIBUTION

REPUTATION SYSTEM

What the tokens are for?

ExamplesDecentralized Ride-Sharing

Decentralized Journalism / Media

Decentralized Insurance

Decentralized Makers / Startups

Decentralize VC

Decentralized Environmental Movement

Decentralized Social Network

BACKFEED Team

control nothing