How Smart Contracts can help the Third World

[Mark S. Miller]

I've just posted the first draft of the talk I'll be giving at Lex 
Cybernetoria 2 http://www.LexCybernetoria.com/May2000Conference.html .  My 
talk is 

                    Contracting-out Contract Law:
     Importing Trust Into Low Trust Societies Electronically

The talk slides are in html at 
http://www.erights.org/talks/lex-cyber-2/index.htm , or in Powerpoint at 
http://www.erights.org/lex-cyber-2/nevis.ppt .  They 
aren't self explanatory, but I imagine y'all will be able to figure out most 
of what I'm going to say.  I'd love comments.  Unfortunately it is, as 
always, the last minute.  I'll be cutting the transparencies tomorrow 
evening, so if you're going to comment, it'll help a lot more if you comment 
before then. Thanks.


Some non-obvious references:

"Trust" is a wonderful book by Francis Fukuyama, about how different 
cultures have different kinds & degrees of trust, and what kind of 
difference this makes in the economic activity that emerges from that society.

"The Other Path" is by the Peruvian economist Hernando De Soto, analyzing 
Peru's "informal" economy.  "Informal" is his brilliant relabelling of what 
would more conventionally be called a black market.

"Dyson" is Esther, not Freeman.


After this, I'll be on vacation till the end of May, and not generally 
accessible.


         Cheers,
         --MarkM