This is a very interesting paper: Structure and tie strengths in mobile communication networks. It studies the communication patterns of millions of mobile phone users by arranging them in a big weighted social network. The weight between two individuals corresponds to the aggregated duration of calls between them.
Findings:
"Weak ties appear to be crucial for maintaining the network’s structural integrity, but strong ties play an important role in maintaining local communities. Both weak and strong ties are ineffective, however, when it comes to information transfer, given that most news in the real simulations reaches an individual for the first time through ties of intermediate strength." ..."The speed of spread then depended on the strength of each link. The results suggest that information spreads most quickly via links of intermediate strength, or medium length calls. This is because information spreads slowly through weaker links, or shorter calls, and stronger links tend to bind only a limited number of people."
Consequence:
To enhance the spreading of information, one needs to intentionally force it through the intermediate- to weak-strenght ties (while avoiding hubs!)
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