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| c:lets [2026/10/15 11:12] – John Waters | c:lets [2026/10/15 18:07] (current) – [The variety of definitions] John Waters |
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| **NB, this page is still under construction** | **NB, this page is still under construction** |
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| The term //LETS// is used to refer to a zero-sum, interest-free, mutual-commitment/-credit community currency system. //LETS// is often used as an acronym for //Local Exchange Trading System// or //Local Energy Transfer System//. | The term //LETS// is used to refer to a zero-sum, interest-free, mutual-commitment/-credit community currency system. |
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| | //LETS// is often used as an acronym for //Local Exchange Trading System// or //Local Energy Transfer System//. |
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| ==== The variety of definitions ==== | ==== The variety of definitions ==== |
| //(our definition, with reasons, including how the concept relates to the Commons)// | |
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| * The essential characteristics of the original //LETS// model (presented to [[TOES]] are described in the [[https://archive.lets.net/gmlets/design/home.html|LETSystem Design Manual]], and include the requirement of metrical equivalence to the fiat money in use locally. It also requires an understanding from each user that //payments// in this local currency represents both a record of an exchange agreed by two parties and an an unenforceable undertaking to contribute services or goods agreed to be of comparable value back to the network/community of users. This is the interpretation of //LETS// and //LETSystem// on which the broader concept of [[open money]] is built. Because the model was propagated widely but incompletely with unsanctioned variations, term //LETSystem// was put into the protection of [[https://letsystem.org/|The LETSystem Trust]] in 1997. | * The essential characteristics of the original //LETS// model (presented to [[wp>TOES]] are described in the [[https://archive.lets.net/gmlets/design/home.html|LETSystem Design Manual]], and include the requirement of metrical equivalence to the fiat money in use locally. It also requires an understanding from each user that a //payment// in this local currency represents both a record of an exchange agreed by two parties and an an unenforceable undertaking to contribute services or goods agreed to be of comparable value back to the network/community of users. This is the interpretation of //LETS// and //LETSystem// on which the broader concept of [[open money]] is built. Because the model was propagated widely but incompletely with unsanctioned variations, term //LETSystem// was put into the protection of [[https://letsystem.org/|The LETSystem Trust]] in 1997. |
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| * A looser interpretation of the //LETS// model propagated widely and quickly in the 1990. Many such groups experimented with variations such as demurrage, interest, credit limits, elastic "system accounts", quirky names, units not metrically-equivalent to the local fiat money, and conflation of the concept of //commitment// with debt, none of which are compatible with the original //LETS/////LETSystem// design. More often than not, the term "LETS" is used to refer to this broad collection of variants. | * A looser interpretation of the //LETS// model propagated widely and quickly in the 1990. Many such groups experimented with variations such as demurrage, interest, credit limits, elastic "system accounts", quirky names, units not metrically-equivalent to the local fiat money, and conflation of the concept of //commitment// with debt, none of which are compatible with the original //LETS/////LETSystem// design. More often than not, the term "LETS" is used to refer to this broad collection of variants. |
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| ==== Key topic pages ==== | ==== Key topic pages ==== |
| * //(if there are any particular topic pages that clarify this concept, please link to them here, otherwise delete this section)// | Topics where the LETS concept is mentioned: |
| | * [[cofi:collaborative finance]] |
| | * [[lcur:local currencies]] |
| | * [[mucr:mutual credit]] |
| ==== Related terms and definitions ==== | ==== Related terms and definitions ==== |
| * //(links to other definitions, related terms, and other sources of information about the concept)// | |
| * The [[https://archive.lets.net|LETSystem archive]] provides a wealth of useful material. | * The [[https://archive.lets.net|LETSystem archive]] provides a wealth of useful material. |
| * An early but helpful description of the //LETSystem// is provided by Bill Mollison on pp.535-536 of //The Permaculture Design Manual// (Tagari Press, 1988, 1992}. | * An early but helpful description of the //LETSystem// is provided by Bill Mollison on pp.535-536 of //The Permaculture Design Manual// (Tagari Press, 1988, 1992). |
| * The Wikipedia page on [[wp>LETS]] repeats a number of historical errors. | * The Wikipedia page on [[wp>LETS]] repeats a number of historical errors. |
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