Network Union

ref:: https://thenetworkstate.com/network-union

Overview

Tree-like heirarchical social graph with:

  • A leader
  • A purpose
  • Crypto-based financial/messaging system
  • Daily call to action

“Blockchain” piece

Blockchains and tokens provide:

  • encryption (wallet keypair
    • messaging
  • tokens
    • crowdfunding
    • login (hodling token in timelock to demonstrate investment)
    • quantifiable social capital
  • sovereignty
    • ERC-20 contract
  • governance

“Blockchain” is in quotes in the header because a blockchain may not be the only way to provide these items. Urbit, for example, provides many of these (nevermind the fact that its identity layer is blockchain-backed)

Social piece

To achieve ambitious goals, cannot be chaotic. needs:

  • Clear CEO
  • Hierarchical leadership structure (mostly flat, though)
  • Selective admission policy
  • Definite culture
  • Internal conflict resolution mechanism

Members are free to exit and join or form other entities.

Backlinks

“Backlinks” are the leader’s support base. those supporters have supporters. Think of these expressions of support as similar to “search engine backlinks” (like how the quality - and also quantity - of a website’s backlinks affect its page rank).

Founders, competence

Founders build up backlinks one at a time. Heirs simply receive them all at once. The former path selects for competence, but both signal legitimacy in the social order.

Social Tree

All members hierarchically under the CEO have opted to be there. And that tree/backlinks signals legitimacy. So combines competency (built-up backlinks) + legitimacy (opt-in social support).

Purpose

Most large groups of people set up in this way are organized for work. What else could they organize for? Defending their interests as a sovereign collective.

How this is different than chaotic social networks:

  • Blockchain provides economic alignment.
  • Backlinks provide ideological alignment.
  • Leader provides clear direction.
  • The group has an actual purpose.

Recent social media “egregores” have done this in a disorganized, chaotic way. A network union would organize people directly (and fit them into the structures described above).

Scale and Action

Start off negotiating with entities of similar size and scale.

Prioritize daily action over intermittent political elections:

  • bargaining for high-volume discounts (defensive)
  • negotiating with platforms to reinstate member accounts (defensive)
  • field teams for e-sports (active)
  • collective projects like wikis and open source projects (active)
  • crowdfund a startup of a high-quality member (and take a cut for the rest of the network) (active)
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