software for sharing

As resources become ever more precious, efficiency becomes a matter of growing importance. My bet is that much of the 'growth' in coming years will come about through gains in efficiency.

One very potent way of using a resource more efficiently is through sharing.
However, not all things share equally well:

• sharing your shoes may not make much sense, while sharing a tuxedo is common (in the form of rentals);
  
• sharing your car with one person may be quite manageable, while sharing a pool of cars involves sophisticated logistics;
  
• some things worth sharing can age quickly, adding complexity to the situation (e.g. perishable food)
  

Sharing is easier said than done, but software can be of great help

• through facillitating the establishment of trust and accountability
  
• by taking care of logistics
• by allowing sharing to be driven from the grass-roots level, communities can function more autonomously and wean themselves off overly-centralised services and infrastructure

Sharing promotes a new wealth system, based on access, rather than ownership and control.