In the example with your virtual partners- I see that you are collaborating. You have some common goal around which you are coordinating work- or another way we might say is “collaboration is cooperating with a common goal between the parties involved.”

What I think is happening, more generally though, is “cooperation”- in that e.g. I help you, you help me, but neither of us is working on the same common goal. We might have over all life goals that are complimentary- but we might not be working on the same project. Yet, through our cooperation- we are helping each other get to our own end points…. We don’t have to work on the same project to still cooperate.

Thank you for your input, and thank you for making me think this through over the last few days even deeper than before. And yes, I look forward to sharing my book with you!!!

Thanks!

I tend to think of my virtual partners as collaborating rather than cooperating. There is some special interest that binds us together, be it a project, joint venture, or just plain service.

Regardless of what we call it, here is a quote from Margaret Mead that fully supports the power of small scale activities:

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/margaretme100502.html)

As usual, you are on the bleeding edge! 100% agreed this is a huge opportunity for like-minded knowledge workers to accomplish more together than they ever dreamed possible.

Looking forward to reading your book!