Networks are made up of people and the links between them, and the way that these links are organised has a big effect on who gets what information, and the influence that they may have. The diagram shows three types of networks, which we have called “Join us”, “Join in” and “Join up” to focus on the different relationships that may underly different structures.
This stype of network is essentially top-down, and usually defined by a mailing list of contacts
This type of network has groups or clusters within the overall network. These may become communities of interest or of practice (people tacking similar tasks)
In this type of network there is no central control. It is much more fluid, and groups can form and dissolve.