What's Mine is Yours: The Rise of Collaborative Consumption (Book Review)

We're approaching a point with collaboration technologies where users can opt out of traditional consumer models and use alternatives to acquire, borrow, trade, and give away just about anything. Need a car? Instead of buying or renting, you can use Zipcar or RelayRides. Want to buy or sell old possessions? Try Ebay or Craigslist. Need a loan but want an alternative to a bank? Try Zopa. Staying overnight in another city? Sure, you can rent a hotel, but now you can also use Airbnb or Couchsurfing.

What's Mine is Yours sums up the new universe of what authors Rachel Botsman and Roo Rogers term "collaborative consumption". The book, like the movement it describes, is a game changer, as the authors connect the dots and show how key systems (like redistribution markets and collaborative lifestyles), principles (like critical mass and belief in the commons), and drivers (like environmental and cost concerns) have all matured to the point where collaborative consumption is not only viable but may soon supplant traditional buy, use and discard consumption altogether.

You can read more about What's Mine is Yours and the collaborative consumption movement at http://www.collaborativeconsumption.com. I would also suggest that you go buy the book, but in the spirit of its message, I implore you to barter or swap for the book through one of the many exchange markets available today.

Comments

Zucked: Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe by Roger McNamee

Zucked is a sobering and important book for the stand it takes in calling out Facebook and major Internet platforms in how they are addictive by design, are eroding our privacy, and are susceptible to manipulation by bad actors threatening democracy. I especially appreciated the coverage of filter and preference bubbles and the explanation of how and why modern online platforms can contribute to self-perpetuating beliefs and tribalism. The author read widely about the subjects covered in the book and included a rich bibliography for further reading. Even if you don't read Zucked itself, I've included below some of the organizations, peoples, and books mentioned so you can explore. By coincidence or not, just one month after its release, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg published a lengthy blog detailing how Facebook will shift to become more of a privacy-focused communications platform . Organizations Center for Human Technology Common Sense Media - Non-profi...

When Weak Connections are Valuable at Work

I recently contributed an article to Information Outlook, the online magazine of the Special Libraries Association (SLA). The title is "When Weak Connections are Valuable at Work", and it's about how new networking tools enable us to cultivate workplace connections with people we rarely (or never) see but who can help us in important ways. Download the article as a PDF or read the web version below. When Weak Connections are Valuable at Work (PDF) When Weak Connections are Valuable at Work If you’re not sure who the weak ties are in your social network, look at the contacts on your phone. Chances are, there are some people in your contacts list you don’t call (much less see) on a regular basis, but you find it useful to keep them listed for those occasions when you do need to contact them. Perhaps your doctor, babysitter, mechanic, or accountant fits this description. If you use a social network like LinkedIn or Twitter professionally, you will have even mo...

Electric Snow Blower?

UPDATE - 12/15/2009 After some back and forth, we went with the Snow Joe Ultra 622U1 13 Amp Electric Snow Thrower. I'll be commenting about its performance as the winter progresses and we use it regularly, but we already had a chance to try it last Thursday (12/10), when the first big Lake Effect snow of the season dumped more than a foot of snow on us here just south of Buffalo. Based on the test run, the Snow Joe performed admirably, handling the one foot high snow in our driveway without issue and essentially doing everything I expected of a powerful torque but lightweight snow thrower. ORIGINAL POST - 8/17/2009 I know it's only August, but I live in Buffalo, and you always need to think ahead about snow. The last two winters, we went without any snow removal machinery, and it hasn't been fun. The first winter I just shoveled, and the second we hired a plowing service. The plow service was better than shoveling all the time, but there were still too many times ...

Ravenweb Blog

Search This Blog