The definition of Economy as the balance between the commons, public goods and private gifts is a provocation.

Since Adam Smith and Karl Marx Economy was defined as the balance between production, labour and capital. Although production and labour became less important, today's focus is on capital. In countries as Switzerland today more than 50% of the incomes root from capital. But the more we start to define Government as a portfolio management, the more we become Hedge Fonds Sociologists (as George Soros), we discover hidden assets - and that's what the Global Commons Index explores: opportunies in the midst of a pessimistic and depressive ratrace to meet the benchmarks.

Check it and be involved!

      0. Achtung, in Deutsch der neueste Stand am 27.8.2009:

         Wie lassen sich Gemeingüter bewerten? -nachhaltiges Rating im National Commons Product

SinceI launched my Research Paper, I got some reactions which I'd like to quote here:

Here is a selection of statements on my Research Paper "Towards a Global Freeware Index"

Pro:

"I guess what you call ‘freeware’ I call ‘ the commons.’
We are kindred spirits!"
Peter Barnes, Author of Capitalism 3.O, California


"Your research approach of a Global Freeware Index seems a possibility to me, to gain new perspectives on the state of development and the potential of national economies."
Dr. Michael Holstein, Makro-Research, DZ Bank AG, Germany

Neutral:

"I can't see a paradigm change towards a new philosophy of economy! In the end Freeware stays to be nothing else but an - of course generic innovative - popular instrument of marketing and market entry within the web-based economy. The projection of Freeware analogies in addition to the well known public goods in sectors as labour market, social transfers, globalization and entrepreneurship brings up more questions than you are able to solve.
The Freeware theorem doesn't offer a solution for the problem of scarcity: As long as scarcity exists economy follows the rules of offer and demand - that's of course also the case for the sector of Shadow Economies you mentioned, which follow the market rules as well, but in the secret.
The aim of your Freeware Index is to make "priceless" goods and activities quantifiable. It stays open, how this will accomplish. Finally it should lead to such a thing as an index of the "status of public goods", which will generate more approximate values than real measurability.
Nevertheless I suggest that we could maintain an exchange which widens yours and our perspectives."
Dr. Stefan Empter, Bertelsmann Foundation

Contra:

"The idea, to ascribe defined resources to the category Freeware misleads us. That's not only a semantic problem, but it refers to a fundamental dissent in conceptual thinking."
Prof. Gebhard Flaig, Ifo Institute, Germany


"Me and our specialists discussed your initiative intensively and came to the result, that beside the Transformation Index developed by us and the OECD-Reform Index, which we develop and the other indices in use as the World Development Index there is no need for further indices."
Dr. Jürgen Turek, Centrum für angewandte Politikforschung, Germany