Tofler’s prediction of the producing consumer, the “prosumer” certainly seems to have become reality. Look at the phenomenal proliferation of bloggers as a pertinent example.
There is an interesting angle here. Although many utilise the medium of the blog to foster business networks, largely, it seems to me, the process is one of non-monetary exchange. The blog is an act of production, and an exchange of views, of information, and of value. It is the creation of the Tofler’s prosumer.
The barter, in this case of information, is of interest in this context because of the obvious potential for innovation to occur out of the linking of concepts from previously unrelated sources. This topic comes up in Bruce Mau’s book
Henderson [p 137, 2004) alludes to such transactions [barter] as being “…the bedrock of all the world’s economies…where we have six billion people sharing the planet, there are still about 2 billion people that will never see the inside of a bank or even get a microloan from the Women’s World Banking or ACCION or the Grameen Bank or any other of these micro lenders. And so, barter is important because it allows communities that are completely sidelined from traditional banking and economic networks to match their own needs and resources, to create sustainable livelihoods outside of the money circuits…” (Massive Change, p137, 2004)
From the above text we can form a nice analogy with the blog I think, and food for thinking about the value of such forums [blogs] within our own communities, be they virtual or real…
3 comments so far
Hi Ian McArthur - alias aiffhead…;-)
Is it possible for you to change to “Ian McArthur” - it works better, I think….
Welcome on board.
All the best
Hans Henrik
“Although many utilise the medium of the blog to foster business networks, largely, it seems to me, the process is one of non-monetary exchange. The blog is an act of production, and an exchange of views, of information, and of value.”
Monetary exchange has always supplemented the fundamental human economy of experience. Money is analagous to lending someone an ear when they tell you a story.
The real nugget is the story. That’s what we trade and share, and next to sex, it’s the most primal motivating factor we have.
So true Austin, the story is central. Storytelling has undisputable value for us all. In this context [the blog] it is all.
Reflecting on this I am drawn to pondering the issue of motivation and it’s role/function in terms of innovation. What motivates innovation really? Not just in monetary terms, but more fundamentally…I’d like to read some stories about that.