Glossary

• Activist – a person who works to change other peoples’ perception of a particular issue or circumstance
• Adverse selection – a transactional circumstance of one party consciously using an information asymmetry against another party
• Arbitrary tyranny – a system wherein rules against common behaviors are pervasive and enforcement of these rules is capricious and inequitable
• Asymmetrical power relationship – an ongoing association between parties wherein a power asymmetry is a major factor in the transactions between the parties
• Broadcasting – the ability to send a one-way communication with high-fidelity across a wide (large enough) geographic area
• Citizen – a person residing in a society who possesses legal rights within that society
• Critical mass – the point at which there are enough adopters or followers of an idea, innovation, or project that it becomes either self-sustaining or its size generates continued growth (resting on laurels, too big to fail)
• Dignity – the state of having self-respect and the general respect of others
• Information asymmetry – a circumstance, either transactional or systemic, wherein one party has the information necessary to make an informed and deliberated decision and the other party does not have access to the same information
• Do-ocracy – ruled by actions, characterizing activities that are controlled by those performing them and lacking specific organizational or leadership control
• Information warfare –the control and use of information by an individual or organization to establish and maintain an advantage over an adversary
• Institution – a formally recognized organization within a society that is responsible for providing some necessary function within that society
• Justice – the state wherein a society provides equitable treatment to all of its residents
• Maya – the state of not being able to clearly see reality
• Nonviolence – a principle wherein one forgoes any use of or participation in violent behavior, whether structural or physical, in the pursuit of their stated goals
• Power asymmetry – the circumstance wherein one party has the ability to affect the goals and aspirations of other parties without being subject to the other party being able to affect their own goals and aspirations
• Propaganda – a political message communicated with the intent to affect the receiver’s behavior
• Smart phone – a cellular phone with computer processing capabilities
• Social engineering – the manipulation of people to obtain a particular end
• Social media – online communication platforms used by people for collaboration, that is, the coordination of activities and the sharing of information.
• Structural violence – a systemic use of information and power asymmetries to disadvantage large populations of people
• The System – the force which acts to maintain existing power relationships; collectively, all of the rules and regulations, processes and procedures, people and programs in place which are meant to part people with their time and money, lower their expectations of what can be achieved, and otherwise keep them in their assigned place socially, politically, and economically
• Technology – the social applications of scientific knowledge
• Text messaging – electronic messaging over cellular phone networks
• Violence – the use of physical, social, political, or economic force, and the threat thereof, to achieve particular goals or aspirations