On The Train (Getting to understand the Dunbar's Number), April 13, 2009

I decided not to go cycling and it did not matter as it was raining when I got home. The reason I was late because I wanted to do my e-filling which I did with not too much of a problem. I was lucky that the online system helps you along the way now as I am not good with numbers. Talking about numbers today I read an article titled Primates on Facebook. Of course my initial interest was on the subject of social network and Facebook being one of the more popular platforms. After reading the first paragraph I understood that the article was talking more from the perspective of what is the right number for an effective social network. My thought went straight away to Dunbar theory about numbers. I must admit I did not understand the concept well enough but having read this article I understand a little bit better now.

Dunbar is of course Dr Robin Dunbar an anthropologist who now works at Oxford University. Dr Dunbar suggested that in any form of social networks, due to the capacity of our brains, the stable number is 148. Ok now it was reported in January 2009 that there were 124 million users of MySpace and 276 million for Facebook. The numbers keep on increasing by the day. What interesting is that out of these millions of people how many networks are there and how many of them are really effective? I for one have around 300 friends in my Facebook and as far as I am concern all of them belong to different sets of social networks attributed to certain part of my life. Depending on what hat I am wearing at given times I would be very active and participative.

To test the Dunbar numbers theory, as stated in the same Primates on Facebook article, a sociologist at Facebook studied their numbers and ‘found out that the average number of “friends” in a Facebook network is 120.’ Although ‘consistent with Dr Dunbar’s hypothesis, the range is large, and some people have networks numbering more than 500.’ His other important finding is that ‘the number of people on an individual’s friend list with whom he (or she) frequently interacts is remarkably small and stable.’

Based on my own experience this is true. Only a small portion of my friends are active participants. But then again this is not conclusive as there are many factors of why this is happening at least in this region. To my mind the contributing factors are improper understanding of the concept of the tools and access to bandwidth.

The other interesting finding of this study is that no matter how big the number of ‘friends’ that any network has the core of the network is stabilize at a small number. This is consistent with the issue of promoting and developing non virtual CoP.

Go here for another explanantion on Dunbar's Number.

How are you Bond?

Come this Sunday exactly a month since I broke my left clavicle at FRIM while going down their 'Steriod Hill'. It has been almost a month of patient for my family and I. My wife, being a good wife she is, always there for me. Of course if she could she would want to throw my bicycle away. But she knows how stubborn her husband is :)) The children well for once they have the joy of having their Abah at home for awhile. Once or twice they probably wish I was at the office as I have the full control of the TV remote :)) The last time I stayed at home for a month was when I was between jobs and that was 6 years ago.

The first two weeks were really trying for me coping with the pain and how to take care of myself single handedly literally. The pain killers helped but not much. A lot of people visited me including almost the whole of my office. Of course the well wishes I received online. I thank all of you for your concern. Apart from all these the other agony for me was being a one finger kung fu typist once again. Since the first day I picked up my first typewriter (anybody remember that great machine?) I have abandoned my on finger kung fu typing days. Well, you never knew when you need your old skill. Two days ago I rediscovered my other fingers :)). Alhamdullillah. Another was of course reading my cycling buddies having a ball riding everywhere.

I went for my check up last Tuesday. A few asked me how did that go. Well, the good news is that the broken bones really love each other and could not stand being separated too long. The good doctor said, while pointing to my x-ray, 'It is still not that obvious but definitely they are coming together and it will heal completely in another one an a half month. You can do most of the thing now but not to lift heavy stuff. I can give you another maximum of three weeks MC to rest.' Oh no thanks Doc. Not that I am trying to be a good or showing off. It just that I am getting bored already. Not that I can go cycling :)). Ok however you must take another week off so that it will improve the healing process.' So after CNY I'll be in the office and hopefully in a month time doing The Kayuh Sawah Padi at Tg Karang.

Note:

Social tools like The Facebook has been really great during my entire recuperating process. Well I knew this already but I was still amazed by it's performance as a tool for modern perlipur lara. Connection,Communication, Dissemination and Conversation.