Is the electronic revolution making ownership a thing of the past? This is an argument of Simon Smith in his most interesting article on “transumers” .
He argues that renting, rather than owning, is a trend that is growing, made possible because of the Internet. Zip cars and Netflix are excellent examples. I’ve noticed this too. Recently, I received a notice about a beta version of a transportation sharing service in NYC called Weeels. The idea is to find others who can share a cab or livery service. There are probably many more examples.
I wonder, are people who choose to live in shared housing “transumers?” I don’t think so. But certainly there is a match between those seeking to minimize their costs of ownership and choosing to live in shared housing.
