Governmental institutions reach only so deep. With the advent of the free market, the rise of the bourgeois, and the overbearingly explosive capitalistic society brings commerce to the forefront of societal policies. Where does the Culture of Customization fit in commerce? Does SOStopia have a free market system? In the open source software community, software survives based on its adaptability and effectiveness. The operating system Linux (built under like standards) exists as a cloud of little programs unlike its proprietorially friends, OSX and Windows who exist on computers as small groups of large programs. These aspects when branched through to society create the Culture of Customization aspect in commerce.

To Reiterate the first aspect of Society Open Source: The expressed freedom and ability to customize anything and everything for better performance and better pleasing aesthetics.

SOStopian companies other than the evil S Inc, exist in a system we would see as a free market at face value. These companies would exist so far as they were able to survive through their adaptability and effectiveness within the SOStopian society. Each company sits alongside many companies like it and unlike it. Looking deeper, the system cannot possibly be free market. There are no major companies in every field trying to take out smaller competitors, there are no excessively large trusts… You could argue this exists out of my having created SOStopia in ‘a perfect world.’ But alas, SOStopia is not perfect. If the system were free market, then S Inc could seriously branch out into the whole economy sucking up every little startup on its way. What’s to stop them?

Well, in this case the mentality of the SOStopians breaches the elusive walls of this supposed free market. The demand controls the market. SOStopians are individuals in the root sense of the world. They require the ability to customize their entire world around them. As silly (or hauntingly socialistic) as this may sound, the SOStopians use any means necessary to provide this ability for customization. They don’t suffice with the ability to choose or not to choose. They require multiple choice questions, always with the ability to write-in their preference if not listed.

If we were to implement this type of behavior in the world, what would it look like?

As always I’d like to hear all of your opinions on what could be done. “But Krijali how can I do that?” Well, I’m glad you asked. You could comment to this post, discuss this essay in the wiki, or even edit it in the wiki. SOS is all about the expression of the community. So, I hand off my pen.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008 at 10:51 am and is filed under aspects, commerce.