Why is Open Access Development so Successful? Stigmergic Organization and the Economics of Information
by Francis Heylighen (08. Mar 2007)
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Literatureintrag
The explosive development of "free" or "open source" information
goods contravenes the conventional wisdom that markets and commercial
organizations are necessary to efficiently supply products. This paper proposes a
theoretical explanation for this phenomenon, using concepts from economics and
theories of self-organization. Once available on the Internet, information is
intrinsically not a scarce good, as it can be replicated virtually without cost.
Moreover, freely distributing information is profitable to its creator, since it
improves the quality of the information, and enhances the creator's reputation.
This provides a sufficient incentive for people to contribute to open access
projects. Unlike traditional organizations, open access communities are open,
distributed and self-organizing. Coordination is achieved through stigmergy:
listings of "work-in-progress" direct potential contributors to the tasks where their
contribution is most likely to be fruitful. This obviates the need both for
centralized planning and for the "invisible hand" of the market.
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Software is not an island, and the social behavior of insects is not so far away form us.
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