Be the node you want to see in the network

I learned essential etiquette from
LimeWire.

Seeders & Leechers

When
freebooting
on the web, people participate in a sort of distributed
iterated prisoner’s dilemma.
Everybody shares bandwidth; everybody risks prosecution.

These conditions naturally create “seeders” and “leechers” — those who create
surplus, and those who exploit that surplus.

Networks are characterized by their incentives. The seeder/leecher distribution
is largely determined by risk/reward (e.g.
payoff matrices).

One investigation showed that of 123 randomly selected downloaded files, 37
contained malware – about 30%.

— via Wikipedia

Within a network, individuals exercise discretion; the sum of rational decisions
determine the fate of the network. Sometimes these equilibria tend toward
tragic commons.

Etiquette

Trust lubricates networks; nodes can skip verification to contribute more
surplus. You don’t need
proof-of-work in a
high-trust society.

One such verification shortcut is
etiquette. When individuals follow
certain norms/conventions, they’re signaling a willingness to participate a
high-trust game.

I went to see Mrs. B (Rose Blumkin), carrying a 11/4-page purchase proposal
for NFM that I had drafted…. Mrs. B accepted my offer without changing a
word, and we completed the deal without the involvement of investment bankers
or lawyers (an experience that can only be described as heavenly).

— Warren Buffet, Berkshire Hathaway 2013 Annual Report

My ideal world runs on
handshake deals, but unverified
agreements invite exploitation. When a pot grows too large, people defect.

Prior to April 2004, the free version of LimeWire was distributed with a
bundled program called LimeShop (a variant of TopMoxie), which was spyware.
Among other things, LimeShop monitored online purchases in order to redirect
sales commissions to Lime Wire LLC. Uninstallation of LimeWire would not
remove LimeShop. These objections were addressed in 2004 with the removal of
all bundled software in LimeWire 3.9.4.

— via Wikipedia

As wolves don sheep’s clothing, etiquette evolves new signals. The
meta changes. “Networking” events fill
with leechers; seeders start secret high-trust clubs.

Reputation

Reputation is the evergreen shortcut. It is hard to earn, harder to keep, and
nearly impossible to salvage.

To earn reputation, (1) act predictably and (2) maximize your seed/leech ratio.

Optimizing seed/leech ratio is a
wicked problem. Nobody can
define what seeding/leeching means for you, nor whether you’re succeeding, nor
whether it leverages your unique life experience.

When seeding your network, you learn how the system really works. By continued
good-faith effort, you discover friction and opportunity.

Like money, you can apply leverage to reputation. By staking
time/resources/connections on people, you extend your reputation like a
line-of-credit. Each time this cycle succeeds, surplus can be reinvested in your
local network.

It’s difficult to identify/articulate “core” issues, and most polite folks will
not advertise their troubles. People appreciate an opening for sincere dialogue:
“What are you looking for right now?”, “How can I help?”, “Need any money for
that?”, and so on.

Extend trust; tragic commons are not inevitable. Don’t let the leechers win.
Flood this world with abundance.