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Table of contents
Definition
Holopticism is a combination of Greek words holos (whole, holistic, holography...), optiké (vision) and tekhné (art, technique). It expresses the capacity for players in a given organization (or group) to perceive the emerging whole of the organization as if it were a unique entity, be it in a natural physical space or an online space.
Properties
Holoptical space
A holoptical space is a space in which each participant gets a live perception of the Whole. Each player, thanks to his/her experience and expertise, relates to this Whole in order to adjust his/her actions and coordinate them with others' moves. Therefore there is an unceasing round trip, a feedback loop that works like a mirror between the individual level and the collective one.
In the original collective intelligence context, conditions of holopticism are given by physical 3D space; human natural organic senses serve as interfaces. In sports for instance, the role of a coach consists in encouraging the conditions for holopticism. The coach is a holoptician.
Holopticism and transparency
Holopticism shouldn't be confused with transparency. Most organization advocate transparency as a necessary quality, but this is not enough. Holopticism -- the link between individuals and the whole -- provide players the capacity to operate in a sovereign independant way because they know what to do for the sake of the whole and the sake of themselves. Therefore there is not only horizontal transparency (perception of every other participants), but also a vertical communication with the emerging Whole.
Holopticism and panopticism
Holopiticism is the opposite from panopticism where the architecture offers a centralized and total vision to a power that gets its omnipotence from it (Michel Foucault – Discipline and Punish).
Pyramidal collective intelligence organizations today are mostly structured around panoptical structure. The degree of panopticism versus holopticism greatly depends on the nature or the organization. A consulting firm is more likely to have its needle closer to holopticism compared to the army for instance.
Sousveillance
With regards to the question of security, holopticism is a space that helps sousveillance (word invented by Steve Mann), whereas panopticism is related to surveillance.
Holopticism and Collective Intelligence
Holopticism is a natural quality of original collective intelligence (OCI). OCI is possible only in holoptical environments, in other words in physical spaces in which our natural senses can access the totality of what happens.
Holopticism is a critical condition for global collective intelligence (GCI) to exist. It can only be attained through artificially reconstituted reality via modeled representations of the Whole. Augmented holoticism is likely to appear, as providing informations and perceptions that our natural senses couldn't grasp whatsoever.
The invention of powerful holoptical architectures is one of the biggest and actual challenges of collective Intelligence technologies.
Some critical conditions are:
- information is accessible and available to everyone in real time
- participants must not be overwhelmed with too much information, they must be provided with 'angled' artificially synthesized information (offering an angle, a pertinent point of view that fits with the individual user's situation, and not generalist views), through customizable dashboards
- it should offer any form of materialized representation (as a perceptible object for our senses), namely the visualization and circulation of objects-link
Holopticism is also a critical condition for organizations to become aware of themselves. It allows them to become highly conscious, and operate at the same level of consciousness than the individuals that compose them. Otherwise organizations fall back in the old panoptical structure that characterizes pyramidal collective intelligence organizations with their limbic brain behavior.
Holopticism in social networks
Today popular social networks provide very partial holopticism for their participants. Participants are not aware of the community as a whole. These communities can't evolve towards GCI.
The reason why holopticism is not provided yet in social networks is because holoptical data has high market value in the conventional money model. Holoptical data should be kept scarce and secret, only available for those in charge of the social network.
Holopticism in MMOG's
MMOG's (Massively Multiplayer Online Games) are the most advanced places for holopticism and augmented holopticism to grow. Players are provided with powerful 3D interfaces and graphic maps that allow them to make individual choices in regards to the whole.
As most games are still about competing and fighting one against the others, their evolution towards collaborative building is still in early stage.
Holoptical technologies
The blossoming of open source / free software technologies for social networks, MMOG's, collaborative creative sites, is going to open the path for holoptical technologies. Holoptical communities will then be able to evolve toward self-reflexion, self-actualization, higher consciousness and a high capacity to cohere in the being and the doing. They will hold the potential to become global wisdom driven organizations.
Links and other references
- Tag page
- What links here
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