The Attention Economy

0: Preamble

Today begins a series where I clarify and explain the +Attention Economy There is much confusion and uncertainty over what an Attention Economy is, how it works, and what it means for our present and our future. I have some answers to these questions, but they are just rough stones; I hope together we might polish them into something far more valuable. I cannot do this work alone. Over the course of these posts I will try to lay out both the theoretical and scientific justifications for the view. I will also talk about issues of implementation, engineering, and design for an Attention Economy, as well as its implications for politics, governance, and the sustainability of the human population.

These are among the most important topics of our time, and I know my communities are filled with incredibly bright people tackling these issues from humblingly diverse and creative perspectives, at times with inspiring success. My ideas here are meant as contributions to this shared project; I hope the view will tie together some of the disjointed threads that might otherwise fray loose. Although I do have some academic goals for this work, I have no special interest, financial or otherwise, in writing these posts. My interest in the topics, and the urgency and earnestness with which I write these words, is entirely a product of being alive in the year 2012.

Enough preliminaries, there's work to do. If you appreciate this work, please participate.

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The updated, official draft of this document can be found at the google doc here: http://tinyurl.com/cb7cdc7 It is open for commenting. Feel free to leave comments on style, grammar, and so on in the document. It’ll help.

This and all source material is being maintained on the Attention Economy Wiki, for archiving purposes and for future collaborative projects.

http://fractionalactorssub.madeofrobots.com/blog/attn/index.php?title=Part_0