To better understand what COOPERACTIVE ASSETS, and more particularly a digital good, are, the best example to illustrate this point is to talk about the Internet. A COOPERACTIVE ASSET is something that benefits, fairly (see point 3 below), those who can access it. In the past, COMMONS, the originators of COOPERACTIVE ASSETS, were more or less limited to local areas. And mainly to the exploitation of natural resources.
Today, when a COMMONS, a COOPERACTIVE ASSET is by itself, Universal, it can, potentially, benefit everyone. This is the great strength of the Digital COOPERACTIVE ASSETS. By their nature, they can be profitable and enjoyable for the greatest number of people. And the INTERNET is a new COOPERACTIVE ASSET. We must be aware of this. We must realize and understand that by setting and sharing universally accepted Standards, we create not only a much larger one, but new Goods / Services and Enterprises (the Internet Eco-System with GAFAM and BATX). These norms (and not only standards), which have generated digital coding and vice versa, are the result of years of work and research carried out by people, mainly funded (see French Cyclades initiative), initially by the American Administration (through public funds distributed via the Army and then to universities). This Administrative entity has given time and resources to create these new COOPERACTIVE ASSETS. It required human energy, inventiveness. It was difficult. It was a pioneering process. But, in the end, she succeeded. And now, any human can enjoy the Internet. What evolution compared to previous years!
It is the strength of COOPERACTIVE ASSETS to have both the collective level of the Community in which it is used and developed. And also, directly, the level of prosperity of the individuals who are in this Community.
Then we can remember that:
COMMUNICATIONS are capable of creating and bringing an incredible source of prosperity to Humanity.
Let us become aware of “wealth” in all its forms, human, social, technological, financial, etc. brought by the Digital COMMONS that is the Internet through the gigantic Eco-System that it represents (from Developer-Local Website Designer to GAFAM and BATX).
What will be the next great Digital (or Natural) COOPERACTIVE ASSET that we will create together?
What new Eco-Systems can we create? Both gigantic in economic size and on a human scale?
COMMUNICATIONS are based on equity of access. This does not mean equality. Potentially, we can find this quite simply in the so-called developed countries, with access to the Internet. Potentially, any individual with access to the Internet can access it as much as they wish. That’s the fair game. The potential is the same for all.
However, in addition to the fact that each person can spend as much time as they want, from 0 to, in theory, 24 hours a day; and that some can therefore spend more time than others; it is especially how they will use the Internet Resource that will make the difference. Some will choose to watch Cat Videos all day long[Grumpy Cat ==> Digital Regrets], others will prefer to learn about the latest science hypotheses. But at the beginning everyone has the same potential. This is what also characterizes COMMONS, or at least the COOPERACTIVE ASSETS. It is the individual action of each Member of the Community that creates for itself its own harvest, proportional to the exploitation of the Common Resource.
The Internet COOPERACTIVE ASSET, like all Digital COOPERACTIVE ASSETS, has absolutely (or almost no) shortage problems. The “consumption” of a good from the “COMMON” Internet Resource, unlike the consumption of a fish in a Common Lake, does not lead to its disappearance. Viewing a Video on the Internet does not prevent others from seeing it either (except when it is the exception to the rule, namely the principle of the application itself is not to allow the duration in time of the resource being viewed, see Snap Chat). And even at the same time. See the article on the subject.
Be fully aware of the enormous potential of the Digital age we are living in. We can develop and share new and fabulous COOPERACTIVE ASSETS.
Article Initiated on 20 March 2019.
Updated on May the 28th of 2019 and 1 October 2019.
