with Eli, Jason, Jon, Kristen, Jordan & Glenn

<aside> <img src="https://img.icons8.com/ios/250/000000/chat.png" alt="https://img.icons8.com/ios/250/000000/chat.png" width="40px" /> Playtest 002: Wednesday - May3, 2023

We Gatherned around a post written by Balaji Srinivasan, “The Network State in One Thousand Words”.

Here are the highlights from our conversation.

</aside>

Human Connection is Deeper in Cities than in Nation States

We dove into the complex nature of cities and their vibrant subcultures, and how cities nurture human connection. Urban environments foster a sense of belonging based on shared experiences and unique offerings. It's this sense of connection that makes cities more compelling as social hubs than nations themselves.

In fact, there’s often a more antagonistic nature of nations. In this vein, we questioned whether certain actions of the Network State can be seen as anti-pluralistic, the idea of smaller, tighter groups (the seedling of Network States) potentially fractionalizing, as opposed to unifying, society.

A Vibrant Society Affords Us the Ability to Venture Beyond our Bubbles

Exploring the vibrant, multifaceted nature of urban life, we got into the importance of venturing beyond our comfort zones. The intriguing narrative of Lady Bird and Lyndon B. Johnson's journey with their black chef, Zephyr Wright, through the Southern United States reminded us of the power of venturing beyond our bubbles, which can shape our understanding of the world and inspire transformative change. Ultimately, we realized that these connections, born from the mingling of diverse perspectives and shared experiences, are the true essence of our collective story.

An Alternate Scale to Network States: Network Neighborhoods, Villages, and Cities

We’re seeking deeper connections and shared experiences, so the the idea of creating network neighborhoods, villages, and cities feels more tenable than network states. We dream of living in close proximity with like-minded friends but find the logistics challenging, especially since we're spread out across the globe.

Still, we're inspired by innovative concepts like Cabin DAO, a digital network of nomads offering short-term housing; artist communes in repurposed spaces like in Japan with AKIYA DAO; and community-nation-corporate partnerships like Próspera based around common law governance. As we continue to explore these options, we're optimistic that fostering genuine human connections in our ever-evolving world is not only possible but also increasingly within reach.

The Super App Connection: WeChat and Network States

Technology plays a powerful communications role in network states, potentially in connecting displaced communities. We were particularly intrigued by the idea of WeChat as a style of network state technology for the Chinese diaspora, serving as an all-encompassing super app that could be controlled and used for various aspects of life.