I just had two awesome conversations with folks who work with CiviCRM, an open-source, constituency relations management platform. Each of these young gentlemen was knowledgeable, cordial, helpful and imaginative. Of course they would be — they donate a portion of their work time and know-how to support free software used by nonprofit organizations world-wide.
The challenge of the “open” movement is how to generously participate in the “sharing economy” without starving in a world dominated by “the dismal science” (economics – meaning a money economy). The fundamental assumption of economic theory is “scarcity” — that to have economic value there must be a shortage or limited supply of something. Economic theories do not apply in a context of abundance and we modern folks have forgotten that economic value is not the only kind. We live in an abundant place and time in human history — we have mental and physical energy to spare. Most of us are so blind to this that we tend to hoard our goods and services. Even if abundance threatens we create artificial shortages. If I give away the surplus zucchini my garden produces the local grocer will complain that I’m destroying the market that creates his livelihood. He’s right. Moving away from scarcity economics will require major adjustments in the way we think about wealth and interact as a society.
Curiously, it’s the folks at the top and the bottom of the money economy spectrum who are most likely to discover the non-economic, sharing economy. Those at the bottom don’t have any money so they can’t participate fully in the market system and must find other ways of surviving. Those at the top often discover that they can’t take their accumulated wealth with them and their kids are already sated so they’d better start sharing.
Luckily there are a growing number of people in the middle who are waking up to the idea that openly giving away goods and services, sharing, bartering and exchanging freely, enriches their lives in ways that money can’t. I just met two of them. Eventually I’ll pay them for some of their services. But the bedrock of our relationships will be the knowledge that giving freely of their surplus energy is likely to generate more rewards than holding out for a higher bidder. I’ll be richer for my collaboration with them and you can bet I’ll make sure they are too.