Here at the Network Singularity we like landscape-style illustrations of opportunity space. They communicate higher-order, often connected concepts in an attractive and effective manner.

Here is an example.

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Today’s problems and opportunities often can’t see the forest for the trees. The system-level view is essential to grasping more effective comprehension. This achieves fuller meaning. System-wide sense making aids comprehensive solutions.

However, even greater, substantial improvements can be achieved, with only a modest effort. Recall, the map, an illustrated abstraction, is useful, but it is not the territory.     

Recall, these abstract diagrams are simply illustrations of nodes. Context is conveyed with color or groupings. There is no meaning in the links. The clustering and context is anecdotal mostly. There is no underlying theorem or geometric law.

To improve, to be more useful, these unit-of-analysis for these illustrations must become networks. What’s missing are the properties, characteristics and mathematics of the links and exchanges between the nodes. The links are critical. They convey enormous meaning.

While landscape-style illustrations greatly aid the narrative, there is no way to predict patterns or outcomes. Data-drive network analytics augments and improves illustrated abstraction with empirical observation, information and experiment.  

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