Abstract
Peter B. Meyer (2003) "Episodes of Collective
Invention."
The process of developing a new technology through open discussion has been called collective invention.
This paper documents two episodes of collective invention and proposes a
general model based on search theory.
The first episode deals with the development of mass production steel in the U.S.
(1866-1885), and the second with early personal computers (1975-1985). In
both cases technical people openly discussed and sometimes shared technology
they were developing.Both technologies advanced to the point that they
supported substantial economic growth. Open source software development is
partway through a similar process now.
The episodes have common features. The process begins with an invention or a change in
legal restrictions. Hobbyists and startup firms experiment with practical
methods of production and share their results through a social network. The
members of the network form a new industry or change an existing one. The
network then disappears if the new firms keep their research and development
secret. A model of the search for innovations can describe this process if it
is expanded to include independent hobbyists and consultants as well as
profit-seeking firms.
Last Modified Date: July 19, 2008
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