I agree with what Jeff is saying in this article, but I find the concept of "architecture" worth thinking about in this context. The idea of building blocks, modular Legos, which can be moved and shaped into variously shaped structures as a way to illustrate the new association model does work. But on the other hand, the whole idea of open networks, social media, ungovernance even, seems to me to be much more organic even than a concept of "architecture" and "design" - which anyone who has studied either will know are arguably not in the least bit "free flowing" or organic, as fields of study, but rather all about imposing structure onto our environment via a long and history of theoretical ideas. Architecture, by definition, is "the art and science of designing buildings and structures...driven by the creative manipulation of mass, space, volume, texture, light, shadow, materials, program, and pragmatic elements such as cost, construction and technology, in order to achieve an end which is aesthetic, functional and often artistic" (from wikipedia).
To take the thought one step further, you can look at the wikipedia definition for "enterprise architecture":
"Enterprise Architecture is the description of the current and/or future structure and behavior of an organization's processes, information systems, personnel and organizational sub-units, aligned with the organization's core goals and strategic direction. Although often associated strictly with information technology, it relates more broadly to the practice of business optimization in that it addresses business architecture, performance management, organizational structure and process architecture as well."
This is, obviously, a perfectly decent way to describe associations, as they stand. And I realize I am taking this all extremely literally, here, but as Jnott always says, words matter, so I'm having some fun thinking about the words.
And I wonder if there might be a different way to describe the new model of associations, which are (or strive to be) more organic, continuously evolving, with some necessary hierarchies but less rigidly structured, and in which that "organicism" is precisely the thing that allows members and volunteers and staff to power the association through innovation.
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DiaryOfAReluctantBl...