The Next Next Common Sense
awards served as the primary mechanisms for acknowledging contribu- tion. This centralized approach to recognition aligned with centralized authority structures—those with formal power determined whose con- tributions deserved acknowledgment. Networked organizations function differently. Work flows across tra- ditional boundaries, contributions come from unexpected places, and value creation often occurs at the edges rather than the center. This net- work reality requires fundamentally different approaches to recognition. Consider how Wikipedia transformed the recognition of intellectual contribution. Rather than relying on formal credentials or hierarchical position, Wikipedia’s recognition system focuses on specific contributions to knowledge creation. Editors build reputation through the quality and quantity of their edits—visible through edit histories that anyone can review. Specialized roles like administrators emerge based on demon- strated capability rather than position. And recognition comes from peers throughout the network rather than flowing exclusively from authority figures. This networked approach to recognition doesn’t eliminate hierar- chy entirely—Wikipedia still has governance structures and policies. But it fundamentally transforms how contribution is acknowledged, creat- ing recognition systems aligned with network rather than hierarchical principles. Similar transformations have emerged in organizational contexts. GitHub’s contribution graph makes software development work visible in ways traditional performance reviews never could. Technical forum reputation systems like Stack Overflow create recognition that transcends organizational boundaries. And internal collaboration platforms increas- ingly include algorithmic measures of contribution visibility, knowledge sharing, and collaboration effectiveness. These networked recognition systems offer significant advantages. They can identify valuable contributions from unexpected places—the junior team member whose insights prove crucial, the cross-functional collaborator whose perspective shifts the project direction, the external
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