The sharing economy: A black box

Why write an analysis of the sharing economy when it is already getting so much media attention? To find out what’s what, beyond the anecdotes and controversy being generated by some initiatives purported to be sharing economy initiatives, as well as to identify some landmarks and milestones for pondering it and attempting to discern its reach. The sharing economy has multiple facets: technological, legal, economic, and even ideological. It also features a plethora of examples that challenge the current ways we do things. It is hard to pin down. Between total acceptance and total rejection lie a lot of questions that must be addressed to grasp the phenomenon fully. Here are some of them.