I threw this out there yesterday:
Think I need to define serendipity. Keep using the term but what actually makes for a serendipitous environment?
Which promoted a whole load of thoughts from others. Here’s a dump of them.
tomewing: Oddly I just turned in a column on this for Pitchfork! I wd say broadly that you can’t have serendipity without risk.
Me: I’m thinking more fundamentally it’s about increasing connections and network complexity. Which does = risk.tomewing: Yeah, agreed – in the piece I think I talked about it happening when communities (defined however you like) overlap.
MentalArtsBrum: A serendipitious environment ie: one that allows fortuitous happenings by accident, needs structure/formal processes plus an ethos that encourages new ideas, sponanteity & democracy, fosters meaningful connections and is responsive & non-judgemental.
theaardvark: A serendipitous environment needs to be chaotic. If something happens in non-chaos it’s not serendiptous but “well organised”.
ffolliet: Chance favours the prepared mind. Louis Pasteur
midge_uk: Surely a Serndip’ env’ is one with a ratio of chaos to opportunity 60/40, 70/30, 20/80, etc ??…
Me: I’m uncomfortable with chaos. Sounds too close to random which I’ve rejected. Might need better def of chaos too!
midge_uk: Then i suggest you read this or some books on Fractals http://tinyurl.com/mohtv6 (ie. Chaos needn’t be Chaotic)
Me: Indeed. But the common use of “chaos” is unstructured, unorganised, no rules, random, which is what I was rejecting as boring.
midge_uk: Lol, the pickles you get into when you try to redfine perfectly serviceable words :)
Ed_Hart: A serendipitous environment is anytime, anyplace, anywhere, as long as you are paying attention.
Me: Yeah, maybe I’m trying to hold water in a net here. Maybe it’s one of @stef’s accelerated serendipitous environments?
Jo_Ind: I don’t know what serendipity is. I get the feeling @peteashton etc are using the word differently from the way normally used.
stef: I agree Ed, but the keyword for me is _accelerated_
theaardvark: But serendipity is what arises from chance, random meetings. As soon as you restrict the random you lose the serendipitous.
MentalArtsBrum: Thinking about ’serendipitous environment’ whilst hoovering. Surely if one plans for serendipity, it is no longer serendipity?
Me: That’s exactly what I’m trying to figure out. If it’s not serendipitous then what is it? (semi rhetorical question ;)
podnosh: Unh? Serendipity requires accident and randomness. Otherwise it is contrived or managed or controlled or…
LSpurdle: Serendipitous environment? Open, unblinkered, mobile/unanchored, flexible, fluid, welcoming? or a place where you take ideas and ideas take you!
Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and input.