A short history of openness

Abstract

The Sharing Economy is only the latest wave of digital technology to take inspiration from ideas of openness. The facts surrounding the movement will change rapidly, even by the time between the writing and publishing of this book. But there are forces that shape the development of this movement as they have shaped previous waves of digital revolution, and we can look to these other digital movements to understand where the Sharing Economy is likely to take us. This chapter and the next take a look at the broader digital environment from which the Sharing Economy has emerged, and the