GROUNDWORK FOR A THEORY OF VALUE IN REAL AND VIRTUAL WORLDS

摘要

The process of virtualisation, involves the substitution of a representation of a resource for the thing itself. The costs and benefits associated with access to a representation may not be the same as those of access to the real thing and, thus, virtualisation corresponds to a manipulation of value. Those responsible for the architecture of communications and information environments, particularly when these include transactions, need to reason about the acceptability and appropriateness of the virtualisations they create and offer. The aim of this paper is to provide a basis for a theory of value which is adequate for such architectural purposes.