A distributed knowledge-based approach to flexible automation : the contract-net framework

Includes bibliographical references (p. 26-29)

Private Electronic Money, Fiat Money and the Payments System

This paper provides insight on how a modern system of private electronic money would work and how the necessary network shall function. We present a model with two types of private electronic currencies with one being local, and the other being global. Both of them display transactional advantages and dominate fiat money in rate of return. However, in spite of these different returns, the two electronic currencies and fiat money circulate in equilibrium. We further observe that the local electronic currency can be sold with a premium or with a discount, depending on several factors including the probability of relocation faced by the agents in this economy. The higher the probability of relocation, the higher is this discount, and the lower the share of the local electronic currency in the young creditors’ portfolio.Private Money, Commodity Money, Network, Payments System, Competition

Social Computing: An Overview

A collection of technologies termed social computing is driving a dramatic evolution of the Web, matching the dot-com era in growth, excitement, and investment. All of these share high degree of community formation, user level content creation, and computing, and a variety of other characteristics. We provide an overview of social computing and identify salient characteristics. We argue that social computing holds tremendous disruptive potential in the business world and can significantly impact society, and outline possible changes in organized human action that could be brought about. Social computing can also have deleterious effects associated with it, including security issues. We suggest that social computing should be a priority for researchers and business leaders and illustrate the fundamental shifts in communication, computing, collaboration, and commerce brought about by this trend