I’ve been thinking a lot about the convergence of computing and communications — and how incredibly tied to networks we’ve become. There’s a network for almost everything you can do.
There are cell phone networks, technical social networks (SMS, for example), internal/intranet networks, broadband networks, television networks, and networks of roads for transportation. Sometimes these networks are superimposed on each other, which either simplifies things or complicates it.
Railroads, for example, have to track the cargo being shipped, to make sure it is delivered to the right place on time, and to make sure they get paid for the shipment. So they’ve imposed multiple networks on top of each other.
- There’s the track — it forms a nationwide physical network of more than 156,000 miles (and connects to Canada and Mexico as well). Cars on this network interchange freely from one railroad company to another because it doesn’t matter to shippers whose car shows up at their loading dock.
- On top of that is each railroad’s signal system, to make sure the danger of operating multiple trains in multiple directions is abated. As you travel, you see wires strung from poles at trackside. Each wire represents a section (approximately a mile) of track the network protects. When you see the signal light change to red, or yellow, or green, it’s because the train has tripped a sensor and the network is responding, based on known factors of human reaction time, mechanical limitations, and the psychology of colors.
- And finally, there is the invoicing/shipment tracking system. This connects the mainframe computer in one yard to the mainframe in another yard. Waybills (bills of lading) for each car are transmitted from yard to yard and given to the yard crews making up each day’s train so CarA from CompanyA in CityA gets into a train to CityZ instead of a train to CityW and the car (and cargo) doesn’t sit forgotten on a siding in CityK. It also makes sure the shipment is appropriately billed to CompanyA (the shipper) or CompanyW (the receiver).
Other social entities do the same thing. Trucking companies network to stay in communication with the customer — and most now link directly to each driver. Utility companies (look at the huge Tennessee Vally Power Authority and how it dispatches power throughout its grid) use networks track which local utilities get the power and which generating facility created it, to bill everyone properly, and to keep themselves optimally maintained. Whew!
Don’t forget to see my articles on other kinds of social and physical networks at http://www.communicationsintegrator.com/.
