Mend the gap

With unemployment breaking through the two million mark, discussions about the “network economy” might not seem very relevant or timely. Some wags are even suggesting we’re entering a “not-work economy” instead. Times are tough and for the thousands joining the dole queues every month, there is no doubting the social and personal cost. Organisations, too, are feeling the heat as credit remains frozen and consumer spending all but asphyxiated. In this crisis, it is not immediately obvious what contribution Facebook, the social networking website, might make – except as a place for friends to share tales of woe. But, as we argue in our report, Network citizens, networks are creating new opportunities for innovation, for business development and for maintaining relationships between the most talented people.