Rodcorp points at a splendid piece about Ronald S. Burt and his thoughts about where ideas come from.
Two things resonated with me: "People who live in the intersection of social worlds," Mr. Burt writes, "are at higher risk of having good ideas." I like that and I think it's why I'm so fond of the way blogging lets you discover new social worlds.
And this passage : Mr. Burt's theory may offer some caution for people who have been trying to enlarge their social networks on the Web by using "social software" at sites like Friendster, Ryze and MySpace. The idea underlying these computer hookups is that the better connected you are, the more valuable social capital you will have. But Mr. Burt's work suggests the opposite: expanding your network may fill in the structural holes, eliminating their creative benefits. By linking everyone together indiscriminately, it becomes increasingly difficult to reach outside your regular contacts and surprise anyone with a new idea. : reminds me of Richard's theory that reading all the usual planning books is no use to him, offers no competitive advantage. Instead, he tries to read, 'weird shit'.
