Econo-wha?
I’ve been trying to wrap a clear definition around an interesting theme that seems to be emerging in the world of software and the Internet: that “stuff” is increasingly less central to economic activity than “stuff about stuff.”
For example: advertising is more economically central than the content that it supports; in the open source model, expertise and support are more economically central than the software itself; and as a user of software or the Internet, data about you is more economically central than you are yourself!
Zooming out to an even broader view, this concept could be viewed as a special case of the more general observation that “the rules are more important than the game.” Or maybe not more important, but at least as important. So, innovation is as important as efficiency, a software framework is as important as the application written on top of it, and politically, legal structures and government regulations are as important as capitalism itself.
Anyway, that’s the thinking behind the title of this blog. Meta-, although somewhat overused, often means “about itself,” so EconoMeta seemed to work. Plus it’s short, uses the obligatory two-words-smashed-together naming method, and in Spanish sounds like it might mean “put it cheaply” or “an easy goal.”
My goal here is more one of conversation and collaboration, rather than exposition. I’m hoping to spur discussion, contribute to the blogosphere, and have fun!