Update: One of Robb’s themes is how open source groups evolve. Wired.com ran a feature today that talks about complexity, self-organization and evolution. Check out Biologists take evolution beyond Darwin — way beyond.

John Robb has begun speculating on the future of warfare from the point of what Boyd might call the “common outlook.” Robb explores whether the harmonization provided by such a common outlook might limit the “production of novelty,” either its range or its pace, in the current environment.

It’s an interesting question. Boyd’s pattern assumes a “commander’s intent,” and a common outlook permits freedom of action within that intent. As he wrote in Patterns:

A common outlook possessed by “a body of officers” represents a unifying theme that can be used to simultaneously encourage subordinate initiative yet realize superior intent. (74)

But what if there’s no commander?

Check out John Robb’s thoughts on this.

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