[p2p-research] thinking about leapfrogging

[M. Fioretti]

On Thu, Oct 02, 2008 01:23:13 AM -0500, Kevin Carson wrote:
> On 10/1/08, Vinay Gupta <hexayurt at gmail.com> wrote:
> > http://www.appropedia.org/User:Vinay_Gupta#Envisioning_a_Leapfrogged_World
> 
> "Leapfrogging... is the idea that countries without basic
> infrastructure like universal telecommunications can go directly to
> the best, most fitting solutions without having labor through the
> developmental struggle of telegraph, manually-switched telephony,
> direct-dial, brick-sized cell phones, analog cell phones, 3G digital."
> 
> It also means, IMO, leapfrogging what Lewis Mumford called
> "paleotechnic" production methods (centrally located Dark Satanic
> mills producing on a large scale for large market areas) to neotechnic
> methods instead (small-scale production using free-standing
> electrically powered machinery, for local economies--including for the
> household and barter economy).
> 
> It's not just the consumer goods technology that's leapfrogged, it's
> the economic model.

leapfrogging from smoke signals to cell phones is possible exactly
because those cell phones, switches, antennas and what not are
produced and maintained in a manner as far from "household and barter
economy" as it exists today.

Leapfrogging from some centuries old social/economic organization and
culture directly to a western-mentality lifestyle is possible,
instead, and it's probably equally possible to leapfrog directly from
those obsolete social frame of minds to the next Big Good Thing, like
P2P. But that doesn't necessarily imply, I believe, that everything
around or below that level (economy, technology) should or ever could
leapfrog in the same way.

What if the only possible leapfrogging and also the most important one
is the one in social relationship?

Marco

-- 
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