Futureye Real solutions to real dilemmas

WikiCurve is based on a number of social and economic theories including network theory, crowd-sourcing and the notion of the public sphere. It's also a direct descendent of Athenian democracy - that is everyone has a say, and everyone's say counts. A WikiCurve reflects the six phases that an issue travels through before it becomes standard thinking. This is called maturation theory. Understanding what an issue means to people can help organisations avoid public reputation crisis and make sure their policies and activities align with what people are actually wanting, thinking and believing right now. WikiCurve is not a poll, a survey or a sample - it's a dynamic picture of thousands or millions of views, votes and visions. Issue maturation moves from phase one, a discussion shared by a few people, through distinct phases until the final phase where ideas have become accepted norms. The maturation phases are:

 

1. 1. Observation phase, where a pattern is first identified;
2. 2. Emergent phase, when theories about the pattern are advanced, fringe interests around the theories form and there is greater falsification and validation of the theories through organisations, further research, and enhanced observation;
3. 3. Popularisation phase signifies growing awareness, where media coverage about the issue (in part or as a whole) begin to emerge and mainstream, likewise issue-specific organisations form;
4. 4. Challenge phase is about societal engagement, where advocacy and pushback about the issue occur, there is greater politicisation and business pioneers and visionaries form (there is growing research interest in the field as well);
5. 5. Governance phase, when policy is developed and contested and government and voluntary regulation are put into place; and
6. 6. Normative phase, when socialisation and mainstreaming of the issue occur, new issue champions emerge and new values, behaviours, and practices are formalised to be accepted as new norms.

What's in the curve?

Each phase is determined through analysis of the type, intensity and number of events relating to the issue at any given time. An event is an occurrence in time that relates to the issue. The table below gives a snapshot of the phases, the indicators or which phase an issue is in and the outcomes you can expect at each phase..