Whitney-Smith, Elin, "The Dynamics of Information Revolutions: A Causal Loop Model", 2005 July 17-2005 July 21
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Information revolutions change the world by taping into a positive feedback loop. If we can identify the loops we can understand where they might be going and what their limits might be. We need to know the difference between a short-term trend and a long term dynamic. We need to know where this information might be pushing us so we can know if it is where we want to go.
Trying to look at a category, as broad as information revolutions, to identify patterns requires an approach that will give a broad but well specified picture a way to understand the positive feedback loops that create the growth and also to understand the countervailing loops that come into play in various ways. I believe that causal loop diagrams can give us a clearer picture of this kind of broad, messy problem