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December 28, 2012

Strange But True!

Q. It's been called “Zipcar capitalism” or “collaborative consumption” and reflects a whole new way of looking at and doing things. It has even generated a whole new vocabulary. Are you in the know here?

A. In this new economic model, consumers rent, share or trade services, extending the old idea of “time-sharing” for resort properties into “communal purchases” that give people “fractional ownership” of expensive items, says Paul McFedries in IEEE Spectrum magazine. “Zipcar capitalism” comes from the car-sharing services where subscribers — “Zipsters” — rent vehicles by the hour. Since many cars just sit in a driveway or parking lot anyway, why not try “social car sharing,” or “peer-to-peer rental.” And if you're not going to be using your house or apartment for a while, why not consider renting it out. “Collaborative travel” services will help match you with prospective renters and even ensure the safety of your abode. As one New York Times writer put it, sharing is “clean, crisp, urbane, postmodern, owning is dull, selfish, timid, backward.”


 
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