Economic mediation is a mediation of communication. If we accept that all technology exists to facilitate human communication, the same applies to the subset of communication which is value.

Technological scale fools us to believe that we eat the cake (reach everyone) and keep it whole (hold value). A reminder that value is the function plus aesthetic. And aesthetic is the differentiator of the same utility. When we scale (product, communication) with as little friction as possible, we remove aesthetics (in product and communication) in exchange for neat function (disembodied value).

A new version of local communication can exist in the digital world — independent of a cluster of inertias which is (1) the marketplace of ideas (/personal media), (2) walled gardens (network effect/scale), and towards a (3) sustainable value exchange (self-actualization in sync with performing work).

More on this in Communities to Circles, Building a Meta-community, The Plumber Scenario.