basic intro to the work as object, hypertext color-coding, what we will say herein.
This work is a primer for people interested in the social, political, and economic structure of the 21st century. In other words, it is for everyone who will be living, breathing, working, and playing in the foreseeable future.
You can think of this work as a "book" of sorts. Or a collection of articles.
Although we have arranged the text in a linear order, you can really read it over and over again in any order. In addition, we have provided ways of looking at various parts of the work grouped together in useful ways. (perhaps tags, colors, etc.)
What we will show you in this work is the root causes of the transition from a 20th-century industrial economy oriented around large-scale production in a few locations to a 21st century economy organized around a "long tail" in which we all participate as many flexible interacting parts. Along the way, we'll explain important concepts and principles, and point out how all the parts interconnect.
More direct language to hook the reader. Namely why these important concepts and principles matter to the reader and why (s)he should (and will) care about them.
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Sam Rose: copying this here for reworking from
Based on my own work, and thinking about ActionResearchWiki, IdeaCauldron, and other related approaches to action: If communications, construction of community, research, ConLang, TheoryBuilding, TestingTheoryThroughAction, etc are tied to, and directly driven by '''ongoing human activity''', then action will tend to precede communication. Communication will work to service and enhance action.
The problem that we currently face is that most people who are actively pursuing the means of basic survival are investing most of their active time into large institutions that encircle and enclose their communications. Those activities that are centered around:
* Food
* Energy
* "Things" (shelter, clothing, technology, books, etc: PsychologicalSurvival)
* Access (to information, technology, infrastructure, etc etc)
...tend to drive activity in our world currently. What if we can plausibly, realistically, start to solve the above problems in ways that do not encircle and enclose?
We stand to gain real benefits in the form of "Commons" that are based around the above activities.
Here in the midwest United States, now that most traditional institutions are collapsing, we have a real chance to try this out. There is momentum around each of the areas (Food, Energy, Things, Acccess) listed above. Access is probably the least served or acknowledged, but as mentioned https://lists.thing.net/pipermail/idc/2009-June/003663.html <- here it is vital to consider who moves the communication that is tied to your basic survival action.
Sam will rework this into an introduction
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This is the future. Welcome to it.
