An interesting angle on the idea that a community approach (nicely called here a "web of inclusion") is better than a top-down leader-on-producer approach.
The web of inclusion, supported by the new science (Wheatley, 1994), demonstrates the "universe in operation: not as a precisely calibrated great machine in which each constituent part is locked into its own immutable slot, but rather as pulses of energy that continually evolve and assume shifting shapes as the various elements interact, and in which identity is inseparable from relationship" (Helgesen, 1995, p. 16).
The architect's tools are not force, not the ability to issue commands, but rather providing access and engaging in constant dialogue" (Helgesen, 1995, p. 13).
web's of inclusion are facilitated by the architecture of the Internet, in that:
- open, free, share information allows any body to participate, and hence join the web
- conception and execution aren't so distinct, so anyone can come in at any time and help out (unlike where the process may be plan-execute, in which case you're out of the loop if you come in after the planning stage)
-- these encourage full participation, upon which WsOI are based
The principles of the computer hacker ethic "echo the values and principles that define the web of inclusion, in which information flows freely across levels, teams make their own decisions, work on specific projects evolves in response to needs as they arise, and task is more important than position" (Helgesen, 1995, p. 280).
References:
http://www.kon.org/leadership/web_inclusion.html
