Update : November 14, 2022

Six degrees of separation

In the study, a group of people were given letters (or packages) with the destination address. They were asked to forward them to someone, who they believe might know someone, and so on.

On the average, it took six links for the letter (or package) to reach the destination.

Has the world shrunk?

A similar experiment was repeated in the Internet age with e-mails (or similar).

It took about four links.

Wisdom

There is conventional wisdom stating, “A chain is as strong as the weakest link”. Hackers and Crackers (Criminal Hackers) try to find out the weakest link.

• There is unconventional wisdom stating, “Your weak relation (e.g. those who meet in a church or temple) might often prove to be more helpful that your strongrelation (e.g. families and friends).”
• For example, a weak relation might help you get a job.
• The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Million Man March (to Washington DC) were made possible by the seemingly “weak” relations.
• Who knows if there are weak relations (lurking in the Internet), who might help me transform my posts into an e-book, a printed book or a series of lectures to help our beloved motherland and alma mater.