101 Culture

Before the internet there were, I'm sure, plenty of people making stuff in garages. But not much of it was being sold. Most of the stuff we buy is still made in factories, big centralised spaces with capital, a workforce, logistics for delivery and economies of scale.

Now the internet has connected all those garage-dwelling crafts-people. And digital technology means designs for 3D objects can be sent to printers or cutters (known as CNC routers) which create them. So the economies of scale are disappearing because these tools mean making objects isn't that expensive. And the higher chance of being connected to someone locally who can make it means distribution costs will diminish. All of which paves the way for a brilliant network like www.100kgarages which connects makers and designers, ideas and production tools, altogether in a loose network.

It's great to see the themes oft-noted in this blog like distributed organisations, loose structure and connectivity between individuals seen in the area of manufacturing rather than just information swapping. Wooden networking, if you like.

And if you like picturing a future where lumbering factories are replaced by a nimble network of garages fast-producing one-offs, then check Cory Doctorow's latest novel Makers, serialized here.