The Nodes

In every network there are the nodes, the connection points, the static objects, and then there are the connections themselves. The quality of the network should not be measured only by the number of connections, but also the quality of the nodes.

If the nodes aren’t trustworthy the network isn’t trustworthy. If the nodes contribute to the network (content, support, provision) then the network will flourish. If the nodes take from the network (power, information, resources), then the network will slow down. The packets the connections carry will not flow freely from one area of the network to another. In this perspective, we can see that the network is simply an amplification of the character of its nodes.

As much as we find ourselves pressured to increase the number of connections in our network, if we desire a particular quality, we should always pay attention to the nodes.