Not all networks are alike. 

The loosest networks represent communities of interest. In these networks, people are drawn together by their shared interest. They do not work together, and there is little incentive to share information. The fans of a professional sports team represent a community of interest and so do the members of a trade association. Members of a political party are another good example of a community of interest. 

As members of a network built trust and more stable relationships, they may form a learning community or, what some call a “community of practice”. In a learning community, members of the network help each other learn, but they do not work together on complex projects. Each member  pursues their own objectives and uses the network to speed their learning. Examples include special interest groups within the software community or continuing education networks within a professional association.

An innovating network or Strategy Net represents the highest form of open network. Here, members of the network leverage stable, trusting relationships to co-create shared value. They work on complex projects together with a common outcome. Open-source software projects that engage in open network represent a Strategy Net. These networks remain open, but they are carefully guided with a set of simple rules.