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It all depends what they are using as a definition of a "tie". You
put the bar low enough and we can beat the average of 4.6 steps
easily. For instance, how is everyone tied in this group -- SOCNET?
Darrell, am I now "connected" to you, because I responded directly to
your post -- even though by most definitions we are strangers? We
can probably come up with several, contrasting, definitions of what
is a tie here, and therefore who is connected[directly and
indirectly], and what the average distance is. Oh... is that a
simple average or a weighted average?

Remember the old joke about looking for an accountant, and you ask
each candidate: "What does 1 + 1 equal?" And supposedly the "ideal"
candidate responds with: "What would you like it to be?"

Valdis


On Jan 21, 2006, at 4:50 AM, Darrell Berry wrote:

> Wondering if any of you socnetters has a view on, or references for
> the Economist's claim (January 21st 2006, A Survey of the Company,
> p.2) that 'according to more recent work along the same lines [as
> Milgram's 6-degrees study], that number has now fallen to 4.6' due
> mostly, they infer, to organisationally- and electronically-
> mediated networking?

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