Generativity and the New Economic Model

In his book, The Future of the Internet, Jonathan Zittrain discusses the criteria for a device to be a generative technology.  It must:

1. have the ability to complete many different sets of tasks
2. have the capability to be altered to perform tasks other than what it was intended
3. be easily mastered by contributors
4. be accessible for individuals who want to add to it
5. be easy to use, especially to non-experts

The internet is an extremely generative technology.  What was originally designed to send simple messages from one computer to another has developed into a virtual world that connects each one of us and can be used to complete thousands of tasks.  Anyone can add to it, and all of these changes are accessible and useable by anyone who wishes to use it.  

One example of the generative ability of the internet is Wikipedia.  In the early 90s, as the phenomenon of virtual and free information was beginning to take hold, there became a need for a virtual encyclopedia.  Wanting to make a profit on this virtual information and securing the risk of having individuals copy and pasting the encyclopedia onto web pages that could be accessed for free, Windows created the Encarta Encyclopedia, sold on a CD-ROM for about $1000.  In a virtual society in which free information was floating around, a free encyclopedia was necessary.  After trials with "GNUpedia" and "GNE's Not an Encyclopedia", Wikipedia was born.  The web site was built by outside participants who wrote articles and added them to the site. These articles, once posted to Wikipedia can be edited by anyone.  Although there are some rules and policies, such as a watch on potentially incorrect material and a request that all material be neutral, it is generally open to public alteration and additions, rendering it generative.