The evolution of diffusion of innovations theory and its binary logic
A closer look at the history of diffusion research reveals that the idea of adoption as a binary decision cannot be traced back to the very beginning. The French sociologist Gabriel de Tar- de, generally considered a forefather of diffusion research, had a much wider understanding of what constitutes an innovation and what users could do with an innovation. Thinking in terms of metaphors rather than hypotheses and operationalization, Tarde considers innovations as waves that spread among society. Using this metaphor, he expresses two advanced but long- forgotten ideas: