Buttercups have lovely yellow flowers. They are beautiful. And they spread quickly. They grow tentacle like runners which grow roots at every joint or node. And they seem to have joints or nodes every 4 inches or so. So while they are beautiful, they are also a pain. When they get access to a flower bed, they quickly take over. And not the easiest to remove. Because they root at each node, you can pull out the original ‘main’ plant, but the runners will easily survive. So you have to get all of them, otherwise they continue to grow and spread. And the thing is, you never get all of them.

This is the same idea of decentralisation of data and databases. There multiple nodes spread across the globe so if one is compromised, the other will keep things going. In fact, as long as one remains all others can be compromised, but the system can still function. Similar to buttercups, you need to get all of them. And you never do.

While we can apply this decentralisation to data management, it may too have application in change. The more nodes we have engaged in change, the less likely the change will be ‘stopped’. We build movements this way too. So perhaps the new ‘big’ is actually small.

What node can you build today?

Photo by Diana Parkhouse