Here are some notes from a business plan that a former BSG employee and I worked on in 1997.  Not many were thinking in this direction. 

Back in the early 80's at Texas Instruments, we had much of the technology - but it was limited to internal interactions.  Since then, cost factors overwhelmed barriers - and here we are - on the cusp of a new way to mass produce and distribute goods, while equitably distributing proceeds...   

Here are business planning notes that I captured in early 1997 with a former BSG'er.  Finally, 10+ years later, we're beginning to see these ideas of self-forming and self-regulating communities become reality.  I believe e.laborate could play a significant in this model if we all think this market through.

CyberGuild 

Organic ecosystem of creation.  People choose to come together to create.  They agree up front on their level of participation, their role, and their value (which becomes quantified into remuneration) .  It's like a middle age guild or cottage industry to create a violin - someone coordinates the activities, someone builds the neck and body, someone creates the strings, another assembles and tests the parts, and someone delivers the product to the market, then collects and distributes the proceeds according to each person's actual contribution. 

• Groups are self-forming around fulfilling a goal or need - working toward creation
• Groups can be any size and made up of diverse people and skills, located anywhere, reconfiguring in real-time as needed
• Participation is voluntary
• The group is self selecting and self regulating based on the unique needs of stated goal(s)
• Individual performance is a matter of open record to the Guild
• Remuneration is negotiated up front and distributed according to actual contribution against stated commitments and the overall market success of the output
• The group / mass is a different organism with properties that differ from any single individual
• The effort is enabled by process (published & understood), as well as technology
• The self regulating group leverages managed chaos (don't enforce complete control, but have management control of artifacts, resource schedules, resource status, resource skills knowledge, commitments, delivery)
• Create mechanisms to overcome natural group tendencies (entropy, destructive behavior, theft, etc.)

Rules

1. Everyone performs morally (the Golden Rule)
2. Everybody has strengths and weaknesses - promote strengths, mitigate weaknesses
3. Everyone commits to mutual goals, defines their level of participation, and everyone delivers to their commitment level
4. Every action promotes the goal
5. Rewards correspond to initiative, participation, and outcome
6. Maintain a balance of power: ideas vs. production (setting direction and delivering product vs. doing the work and supporting launch / ongoing activities)
7. Delegate enforcement of rules to the local group, with input based on long-term Trust from the stakeholders involved
8. Recognizing inalienable rights of individuals opposed to the global community - not protection from self doing unproductive behaviors - but justice from an individual or groups set against an individual (Republic - inalienable rights; versus Democratic principles - majority rules)

Why Would CyberGuild Fail?

• Lack of leadership / Cohesion / Direction
• Insufficient Communication
• Organizational Inertia / Entropy
• Technical limitations
• Insufficient interest
• Financial Problems
• Legal Limitations (global teeth)