An important contribution to the mentioned development comes from Yochai Benkler (2002) introducing Commons Based Peer Production as a new form of organization besides hierarchies, markets and interorganisational cooperation. Benkler focuses especially in regard to open-source software and user-generated content on the collaborative production of knowledge-based goods by virtually connected individuals. Recently, Benkler has extended this approach by a wider theory of social production transforming markets and freedom, published as “The Wealth of Networks" (2006).

The organizational form of Commons Based Peer Production he defines as “radically centralized, collaborative, and nonproprietary; based on sharing resources and outputs among widely distributed, loosely connected individuals who cooperate with each other without relying on market signals or managerial commands.” The characteristic of commons is according to Benkler based on multilateral access, use and control of resources. The motivation for contributing in peer production according to Benkler is intrinsic, similar to the lead user attributes in von Hippel’s Democratizing Innovation (2005). As the collaboration will probably embody the characteristics of the society it was created in, it is as least questionable if people would always forgo self-interest for the benefit of the community.

The question indeed arises what are the methods those collaborations in networking structures are working with. As Charles Handy puts it into the context of virtualization: “Virtuality requires trust to make it work: technology on its own is not enough.”  According to Walter Powell networks are working on the methods of conflict solution by reciprocity and reputation. Robert Axelrod has argued that the foundation of cooperation is not trust, but only the lastingness of a relationship. Therefore, especially reciprocity seems to be what commons really have in common.