Driftes

Driftes is a term used in speculative discussions of diffusion processes in social networks. It denotes a gradual, largely uncoordinated spread of practices, technologies, or norms through a connected population, typically without central governance. The concept blends ideas from diffusion theory with notions of random drift, explaining how small, local interactions can accumulate into widespread change.

Etymology and usage: The word appears in Nordic and English-language scholarly writing as a process noun built from drift and the -es suffix. It is not tied to a single language or doctrine and is used mainly in theoretical discussions or world-building texts to describe gradual spread over time.

Mechanisms: Driftes operates through three interacting forces: diffusion along social ties, random drift influencing adoption probability, and selection pressures from local context, compatibility with existing practices, and resource availability. It is affected by network structure, such as clustering and bridge ties, and by external shocks or incentives.

Applications: In models, driftes helps simulate the gradual uptake of innovations, cultural practices, or policies. In planning and policy, it can inform strategies for phased implementation and risk assessment. In fiction and game design, it provides a plausible mechanism for how technologies or norms propagate without centralized mandates.

History and scope: The term emerged in contemporary theoretical and interdisciplinary writings and has been used across fields to describe non-directed, slow-moving diffusion in complex systems. While not universally standardized, driftes remains a useful shorthand for studying the inertia and contingency inherent in real-world diffusion processes.

See also: diffusion of innovations, cultural diffusion, network diffusion, drift (ecology), memetics.