Re: Chaos and topographic diagrams

[Bob Adsett <bob.adsett@lineone.net>]

On 17/1/01 23:23, "Roger Key" <roger.key@onet.co.uk> wrote:

> I am - foolishly - reaquainting myself with the basics of chaos.

Hi Roger,

Happy new thingy too you as well.

Just out of interest, could you help me to see the difference when looking
at a system of say a distinct geographic community, between a system that is
acting chaotically and one that is exhibiting complexity that I don't
understand?

I feel that most of the time the problem I have is that I cannot see the
woods for the trees and when I stand back all I see is more trees.
How do I tell the difference between chaos and complexity - what tests are
there that I might use with the systems I am trying to manage? and what
difference would this have on the approaches that I should use?
 
I have played over this territory in the past without coming to a successful
conclusion, but I started to explore this issue because of the frustration
of seeing millions of pounds of funds being poured into community
regeneration programmes with little sustainable benefit being delivered.
This has led me to conclude that maybe we have been attempting over the
years to do the wrong thing better, without first having a clear
understanding of the system in which we are hoping to intervene.

There is plenty more questions where this comes from, but I though I would
start with an easy one! :0)

Bob