People - Digital Communication

In my view there is a word, the "F word", broadly used across the social web, which has damaged how people think about networks and communication. That word is: friend.

There are three groups which person A will have need to communicate with.

Group B - Directly Known

This is the group people you call friends fall into, but not all people in this group are your friends. That is one of the things the web so often gets wrong.

You will categorise people in this group in different terms, essentially though, this is everyone you know. People in this group would know you, some to a greater, some to a lesser degree.

Group C - Indirectly Known

This group contains people you do not directly know, but who are known to people you know.

You do not directly know people in this group.

Group D - Not Known

This group is everyone who falls outside of directly known (A-B) and indirectly known (A- -C).

People's communication needs

The reason I think it's important to consider the communication needs of others is that it helps us remove bias and reach common ground.

We should all be able to agree that although users would generally have more regular communication needs with the group they know directly it is also true, that to a lesser extend, people will sometimes need to communicate with people they do not know directly; and to a lesser extent with people outside both their direct or indirect network.

If "other people" have these communication needs you also do.

As well as being "person A" above it's worth keeping in mind that you are equally well placed in group B, in group C or in group D relative to others.

Digital Communication is two way.
The starting point for a communication, which has benefits for you, does not always initiate from you.

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