Information Wants to Be Shared

7

Conclusion

Digitization has changed the economics of information, most dramatically virtually removing the costs of distributing codified information, thereby removing resource costs as a reason for rationing information flows. While some have argued that information should therefore be provided free (and in fact digitization has enabled business models that do just that), in this book, I have argued that digitization has really moved us toward the costless sharing of information. It is this potential that will allow us to realize the full economic value of information as it is used widely and matched with those who value it most.

A sharing perspective emphasizes that frictionless access is only one aspect of the wide dissemination of information. ...