Instructor: Clay Shirky
Course Description:   Network Effects is a class about the structure of networks, and about how that structure affects human experience. We will focus in particular on two invisible networks -- communications networks, and social networks. Communications networks are invisible in the traditional sense; their inner workings are hidden from us.

We will examine a variety of communications networks, and explore the ways different networks affect the experiences of their users. Social networks are invisible in a different way; because we are so immersed in myriad social networks -- friends, family, work school -- we don't see them. We will examine some of the structural elements of social networks, such as strong and weak ties, clustering, and small worlds networks, to understand some of the ways that the shape of social networks affects us.