Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!biar.uucp!trebor
From: trebor@biar.UUCP (Robert J Woodhead)
Newsgroups: sci.nanotech
Subject: Re: the "mold" standard
Message-ID: <8906150843.AA06276@athos.rutgers.edu>
Date: 13 Jun 89 17:42:43 GMT
References: <8906130724.AA21679@athos.rutgers.edu>
Sender: nanotech@aramis.rutgers.edu
Organization: Biar Games, Inc.
Lines: 38
Approved: nanotech@aramis.rutgers.edu

In article <8906130724.AA21679@athos.rutgers.edu> "Ron_Fischer.mvenvos"@XEROX.COM writes:
>Finally, (with nano tech) this might follow for physical objects, subscribe
>to a publisher that ensures quality to an acceptable level, license the
>design for the object, then pay a local "nano machine shop" to make copies
>whenever you like.

Ah, but here is the rub - what do you use to ``pay'' for the subscription?
Raw Materials?  Energy?  Information?

I would venture to guess that these resources, with nanotechnology, become
essentially infinite and free.  Therefore, what is the currency of a nano-
society?

I think it will be _prestige_ or _craftsmanship_.  In other words, your
ability to obtain things (cars, houses, starships, etc) will depend solely
on your ability to convince the person who has designed the desired object
that you are deserving of it, by proving that you have made a contribution
to society on either a micro or macro-scale, or by convincing the creator
that you have a good use for it.  And, in turn, the creator's prestige
depends on not only what he creates, but how wisely he chooses who gets
to use it.

For example, lets say you want a Starship.  There are lots of starship
designs out there based on old (last year?) technology that do .9c, and
these designs, because they are obsolete, are essentially in the public
domain because it isn't worth the creator's time to oversee them.

On the other hand, that brand spanking .999c design is much more attractive
to you, so much so that it is worth your time to try and convince the
designer that you should have one.

Wierd?  I think in many ways it parallels the prestige-markets that appear
in many college computer labs.

-- 
Robert J Woodhead, Biar Games, Inc.  !uunet!biar!trebor | trebor@biar.UUCP
``The worst thing about being a vampire is that you can't go to matinees
  and save money anymore.''