Dan Zarrella - Latest Comments in Informational Cascades Prove Tipping Points Exist

Re: Informational Cascades Prove Tipping Points Exist

World Travel Guide — Wed, 04 May 2011 08:40:31 -0000

Rather actually! I figure that the place that doesn't have a table for me almost immediately doesn't want my business bad enough while the other place is eager to get it and will make certain that I am well cared-for. It's not bullet-proof logic, but it means that I don't spend my dinner time standing in line waiting to be given the sardine treatment.

Re: Informational Cascades Prove Tipping Points Exist

dating parents — Wed, 04 May 2011 08:22:17 -0000

What remarkable post! Group dynamics is determined by several factors, among which greed, fear, vanity all play a part. Watching how stock markets fluctuate is a good example of this. One ‘hot’ rumor and suddenly everyone wants to get in on the action. Humans are irrational.

Re: Informational Cascades Prove Tipping Points Exist

Ivan Walsh — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 05:11:46 -0000

Hi Dan,

Group dynamics is determined by several factors, among which greed, fear, vanity all play a part. Watching how stock markets fluctuate is a good example of this. One ‘hot’ rumor and suddenly everyone wants to get in on the action. Humans are irrational.

The problem for Social Media folks is that it’s very hard to predict how people will behave, i.e. and, by extension, what will trigger an information cascade.

This brings us back to the good ol Chaos theory. (Let’s not go there for now.)

Re: Informational Cascades Prove Tipping Points Exist

edward04 — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:31:35 -0000

Great post, tad academic.

Question - are there tools out there to identify "influencers" on the web?

Cheers

Edward Appleton

Re: Informational Cascades Prove Tipping Points Exist

Bill Canaday — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 23:51:09 -0000

I usually choose the restaurant that is less crowded. I figure that the place that doesn't have a table for me almost immediately doesn't want my business bad enough while the other place is eager to get it and will make certain that I am well cared-for. It's not bullet-proof logic, but it means that I don't spend my dinner time standing in line waiting to be given the sardine treatment.

Maybe that's why nobody likes me.

Re: Informational Cascades Prove Tipping Points Exist

Steve Coombes — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 14:41:56 -0000

Just ran across this post (following in from your Twitter poll). I heard an interview on WBZ newsradio with Boston Market founder George Nadaff. He was discussing how he was impressed by a line of people outside a UFood restaurant (not sure that was name at the time). Long story short, he's now involved in opening close to 40 of the restaurants out west. Courtesy of the 'tipping point' catalyst of a line of people standing outside the restaurant he was driving by.

Re: Informational Cascades Prove Tipping Points Exist

Rob O. — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 14:01:45 -0000

Truly thought-provoking stuff. I'll bet you already have, but you definitely need to read Malcolm Gladwell's "The Tipping Point" if not. It's fuel for all sorts of deep thinking and coffeehouse arguments.

Re: Informational Cascades Prove Tipping Points Exist

Joan Vinall-Cox — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 08:59:17 -0000

Fascinating! I wonder if it would have been 23% if they'd interviewed Tweeters. I know that the recommendations and links I choose to follow on Twitter are those I see as having "high precision" knowledge, (which is why I'm 'here'.)

I deliberately set out to change a small detail of behavior of others at my exercise club and it took me, acting twice a week, about a month to effect the change

Re: Informational Cascades Prove Tipping Points Exist

Mark Lancaster — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 08:17:48 -0000

Great article.

I absolutely agree that tipping points exist - it's how many popular nightclubs become popular, and how those same nightclubs can become unpopular too.

Marketing does play a major role in how people consume the things they do. I mean, look at the idea of "pet rocks" - clearly stupid, yet it was a fad.

Thanks for the article though. Enjoyed it :)

Re: Informational Cascades Prove Tipping Points Exist

Ron K Jeffries — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:49:31 -0000

Thought provoking article. Thanks for providing references.

Re: Informational Cascades Prove Tipping Points Exist

lisa C — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:13:44 -0000

This so explains the actions I see on a daily basis, thank you for a well written and easy to understand explanation. I will be doing more reading on this topic for sure.

Re: Informational Cascades Prove Tipping Points Exist

Mark Dykeman — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:55:24 -0000

Dan, I'm glad to see that the "influencer" conversation continues forward - it's been one of my favorite topics in 2008.

Marshall's article, and the Pollara study, does bring up the interesting point about the influence of bloggers, though, doesn't it?

Re: Informational Cascades Prove Tipping Points Exist

laurent — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:03:13 -0000

Dan,
Thanks for your analysis and all those great reference. Oh and the beautiful waterfall pictures! You're probably onto something. How many times have I see friends choosing a restaurant vs another because one was almost full but the other was empty. For most people, the risk of trying something new is always a big consideration in making choices. To fight such a risk, there's trust. In the restaurant case, as you said, we instinctively trust the others just by the fact that they made a choice before us one way vs the other. Your clarification helps a lot to sort out what's being said lately about the tipping points, the influencers and so on. I read another posts that said something similar to you and ended up concluding that, when it comes to choosing who to engage with, marketers need to find 'THEIR' A-list vs THE A-list. It could be a bunch of people that aren't part of the cream because they're passionate about something that doesn't make everyday's headlines.

Re: Informational Cascades Prove Tipping Points Exist

Paula — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 10:49:52 -0000

Although I only play with social networking and such for my own amusements, it's very interesting to see the social science behind how we do the things we do. Thanx for writing such an interesting piece.

Oh yes, and on the 23% of respondents taking the advice of well known bloggers, I'm guessing they didn't ask too many tech savvy people! :)