So, a directed network is a network in which the connections aren't symmetrical. You click from one page to another and there's not immediately a route back. Like that.

In terms of social phenomena, I think it indicates that you can make relationship connections that it's hard to move back from.

Pair that with this idea: Most people are analysing these networks as if the nodes were actually people. But I think each node is actually the sum of the connections pouring into it. Yes, a person with a given set of qualities occupies it.

But remove that person and those connections are going to start looking for another node to latch onto. In a sense, then, people can move to occupy different nodes in a given relationship systems.

In a terrorist network, for instance, you might start off sympathizing, then supporting, then go operations. At each choide, you occupy nodes deeper and deeper into the network. After each choice, it's damn hard to get back where you were before.