I’d suggest there is value, more from the perspective of the distributor as opposed to recipient or consumer, in respect of how that may be perceived within their tribe. For example, by propagating your article as I’ve done, the value I gain (probably measured by total followers I receive relative to total followers pre-propagation, and / or a calculation of ‘value’ it presents to those in my network who’ve chosen to ‘spend’ some attention on it) is the growth of my network and / or the value I may present within it.

Additionally, the more one studies the area of decision making the more you begin to unearth the plethora of pressure’s on a mind at any given time. Take a golf shot for example. I could be exactly the same distance away from a hole, on the same course on two different days and choose two different clubs. The decision I make will depend on a whole series of criteria, some predictable and relatively stable calculations and others massively subjective. The most subjective being the mind. My minds state at the point I choose a club and my ability to therefore play the shot is something very difficult to rationalise, even by the person swinging the club!

Clay Shirky suggests that the quickest way to solidify a group is to present it with a threat. The Daily Mail getting away with that angle time after time is surely an example! The complete randomness with which decisions to propagate ‘vanilla’ type information and even make financial decisions are surely too complex to ever really predict conclusively their overall outcome.

Perhaps a test to see what level of propagation multiple ‘vanilla’ articles – those that start with zero credibility or stance within networks – need reach to be successful could try and discover what level, measurement or hierarchy it need attain to generate mass propagation. i.e. does complete randomness stop at a certain level of its propagation and more determinable measurements continue its expansion (as expected – the more people that spend attention on an article suggest more will do the same), or are there no patterns to their expansion and does it simply rely on the random factors associated with each person propagating the information.

And yes Malcolm Gladwell has some great ideas – I am yet to read his latest, but it’s on my list as I’m sure it’ll be as fascinating as the tipping point.

Loved your article BTW, I would suggest to people that read this far down the page that they stop by and check it out.

Patrick