A Commons

A "commons" is a held "in common", meaning that no one can be prevented from using. Howard Reingold, quoting Mark A. Smith in his book Smart Mobs, tells us, "'The word commons originally denoted pastureland treated as a common resource, where individual herders were free to graze their sheep or cattle.' The problem arises when someone starts using threatening the viability of the resource by using more than his or her fair share. Reingold goes on: "'The land can support a limited n umber of grazing animals. The temptation to graze more than one'd fair share is a rational strategy for an individual herder. But if everyone succumbs to the same temptation, the grass eases go trow, the value of the whole pasture disappears.'" (Basic Books, 2002), p. 34.

A need entrepreneurial trick these days is to take something traditionally thought of as proprietary, like an encyclopedia, open it up for all to work together to create, then take part of it and monetize it, not by fencing part of if off and prevent others from using it, but by making an application and getting paid for making that application of the commons available in a way no one else has thought of yet.

All my activities are entrepreneurial. For my views on entrepreneurial real estate, go to www.yourstopforrealestate.com/blog. For writing and publishing, www.kearneymusicschoolmurders.blogspot.com.