[nicopappl]

It is true that power laws are seen everywhere, and that there are reason for those.

I like the article, because it exposes very quickly a very powerful idea, but I disagree with the conclusion.

Information networks are built by humans, they are designed, they are not necessarily bound by the rules of evolution. Which means we may yet be able to find a system that is not afflicted by the curse of perpetual destruction and reconstruction.

[munificent]

It's very easy to design a system not afflicted by the curse of perpetual destruction and reconstruction.

The key challenge is that that system, by design, will be less efficient than other competing systems. So if there is a surrounding meta-system that allows it to compete with others, the other systems that tend towards consolidation will drive out your system.

It's essentially the same problem we see in economics today with supply chains. Companies that optimized their supply chains to have more margin made more money and won... as long as the supply chains were all running perfectly. But once COVID happened, it became clear that those businesses had no resilience.

[holler]

> Companies that optimized their supply chains to have more margin made more money and won... as long as the supply chains were all running perfectly. But once COVID happened, it became clear that those businesses had no resilience.

Good analogy thank you.

[giantg2]

"Information networks are built by humans, they are designed, they are not necessarily bound by the rules of evolution. Which means we may yet be able to find a system that is not afflicted by the curse of perpetual destruction and reconstruction."

Given humanity's track record, destruction and reconstruction seem like a solid bet.

Not to mention, systems will require change anywhere nature interacts with it.