The Next Engine: Beyond Campaign Thinking

One of the big themes (or memes as Mr Arthur calls them) of this site is how the inherent openness of the web shifts control away from the center (corporations, governments, monopolies) towards the periphery (individuals). At the heart of that shift is information. If information is scarce, it is usually expensive and individuals are at a disadvantage. If information is plentiful, it becomes cheap and individuals benefit.

Thanks (ironically) to the Justice Department, that kind of shift may just be about to take place in the real estate industry where up to now consumers have paid highly for access to information - in this case to have their houses showcased on the all-important MLS listing service.

Now that access to MLS is being opened up, look for realty to be one of the most fertile areas of web-centric consumer service launches over the coming months. Will consumers ultimately be better off? Let us know your thoughts.