  We explore the resiliency and robustness of systems while viewing them as
complex, multi-genre networks. The term "complex, multi-genre networks" refers
to networks that combine several distinct genres - networks of physical
resources, communication networks, information networks, and social and
cognitive networks. We show that this perspective is fruitful and adds to our
understanding of fundamental challenges and tradeoffs in robustness and
resiliency, as well as potential solutions to the challenges. Study of systems
as multi-genre networks is relatively uncommon; instead, it is customary in
research and engineering literature to focus on a view of a network comprised
of homogeneous elements, (e.g., a network of communication devices, or a
network of social beings). Yet, most if not all real-world networks are
multi-genre - it is hard to find any real system of a significant complexity
that does not include a combination of interconnected physical elements,
communication devices and channels, data collections, and human users forming
an integrated, inter-dependent whole. Most approaches to improving resiliency
and robustness involve compromises, and the key challenge is to find a
favorable compromise. Such compromises involve reducing or managing the
complexity of the network: coupling, rigidity and dependency. We discuss
several of these compromises, e.g., performance vs resiliency; resiliency to
one type of disruption vs resiliency to another disruption type; and complexity
vs resiliency.
