We could all get by with a little help from our friends, a new study on a novel networking protocol suggests. Research in the International Journal of Social and Humanistic Computing has looked at Friend-to-Friend (F2F) systems, which are decentralized networks that allow individuals to exchange computing power and storage. F2F systems are the kissing cousins of P2P, peer-to-peer networks that allow files to be shared. They allow resources, rather than simply digital entities (images, documents, video etc) to be shared without the need for a central server or any intermediaries.
The research by Pramod C. Mane of the Indian Institute of Management Rohtak in Haryana, India, highlights the role of network effects, known as externalities, in determining the flow of resources and how the formation of new connections between peers influences resource availability across the system.
For F2F systems, the value of a network increases as more participants join or interact within the system. In other words, each new friend has the potential to enhance the availability of shared resources. The research investigates both local and global network effects and the impact of new connections not only on the peers directly involved but also on other members of the broader network.
Mane has found that a crucial effect on the network is the distance between peers when a new link is formed. If the physical or logical distance between two connected peers is greater, so the local network effect, the benefits to friends, becomes weaker. Conversely, when peers are more closely connected, the best of friends one might say, there is more chance that the new link will positively impact the broader network, increasing the availability of resources to nearby participants.
However, it is worth noting that one can have too many friends. The density of the network, the number of active connections, has a complex relationship with resource availability. While adding more connections increases value it also introduces unpredictability. In highly dense networks, the creation of new links can negatively affect resource distribution. The research thus suggests that it is worth controlling network density or prioritizing connections that reduce the distance between peers. If no one told you life was going to be this way, keep your friends close, but your enemies closer to ensure the F2F system can continue to distribute resources reliably.
Mane, P.C. (2024) ‘Network effects in friend-to-friend resource sharing network’, Int. J. Social and Humanistic Computing, Vol. 4, No. 3, pp.232–252.