The processes of operation and development of a communication network of some kind, whose structure may be largely decentralized and possibly based on informal relationships between individuals or groups, and mutual interests or goals.
Networking in its more formal (hardware-based) sense is used to describe information, telecommunication, date and library networks which are increasingly augmented by computers at various points. Considerable use of mathematical techniques is made to determine and specify the most efficient processes.
Networking in its less formal (software-based) sense is increasingly used to describe the relationships between formal and informal groups, particularly at a grass-roots level. Networking is sharing....information, ideas, resources, opportunities. Facilitation of networking is the process of augmenting the communication between such groups by information centres which facilitate the formation of new contacts between groups and individuals with common interests.
The terms networking, meaning "cultivating useful others", has been in use since the 1940s, at least. It takes many different forms. The focus many be the individual or the team. The ties may be strong or weak. The form may be described with characteristics of "knots", "coalitions", "large distributed arrays" and in other metaphoric terms. The objectives of association may be economic or not; requiring frequent interaction or not; practice-based ("networked communities of practice", or based on more general shared interests ("networked communities of interest") and so on.
So much time can be spent maintaining these relations that the individual or organization cannot act on its own goals.
