Introduction.

1. Information as a necessary element in any activity.

Information is, and will be more and more, one of the basic elements in any human activity. We might even say that it is the main one, as without the right information no activity can be developed with any sort of effectiveness.

Of late some biologists have compared the genetic code to a system which accumulates, holds and transmits information: therefore information becomes a necessary element not only for the development of activities but even of life itself.

But besides the information contained in chromosomes, all living species have their own inborn systems to obtain and develop the information from their surroundings, and therefore to be able to act.

Man is an original being: besides other things he has gradually built up new information systems, not inborn or natural, but as a social and cultural creation. These systems have become more and more sophisticated and complex, and have lead to the appearance of language, at first only spoken and later -in the last 5,000 years- also written.

Writing therefore is not a new communication and information system distinct from spoken language; it is simply a technical means to make the keeping and transmission of language easier, which improves and multiplies its range. At present, a new technology can fulfill much more quickly, exactly and powerfully this function: we are talking about telecommunications in all their different forms.

Besides, at present we dispose of informatics, which allows not only obtaining, holding and transmitting data, but also their artificial-logical treatment, according to pre-established programmes, as long as such data have been rigorously codified and submitted to logical analysis.

2. Present lack of information on the market.

Even if there has been a great progress in technology for the transmission and handling of information, at present it is very difficult to have exact information with respect to any marketing phonemenon in reply to classical questions, such as: WHO bought or sold a given merchandise? HOW, under which conditions has the sale/purchase operation been effected? WHEN was such operation brought about? WHY, for which reason has it been effected?

Under these conditions, neither the politician, nor the judge, nor the businessman, nor the person in charge of an organization, nor the economist, the sociologist or any simple citizen have enough information to prepare and bring about a rational and effective strategy of action.

Until questions like the above, and especially the one concerning «WHO», cannot be answered exactly, Justice will not be able to establish with documents personal responsibility in face of the law. The market will not reach an actually full development, as long as it does not produce freely analytic and synthetic information, detailed and complete, of all the population. It can also be stated that theoretical and practical knowledge of the market will make no progress, and will not become experimental, as long as there is no rational system for documenting all the elemental facts which take place in it.

However, also within the market man has created a very specialized information system to understand all the facts which take place. The elemental facts of the market are the goods exchange and the working information system is the money system.

The idea of «money as travelling information» and of «money system as an information system» is no piece of news, and it is currently admitted by all the branch specialists. What we can say is that it has not been studied enough and, above all, that the theoretical and practical consequences of this theory have not been dealt with fully taking advantage of all the possibilities.

The scope of this essay is the study of this matter according to the present way of thinking and technical possibilities of information.

3. Money circulation today.

Money circulation -that is, circulation of news on the goods exchanges within the market- has at present two different main aspects:

This is a much simplified look on the present monetary situation, which is much more complex. But it allows to find out that to-day there is no thorough, exact and public information on the elemental facts of the market. The visual horizon offered by the present money system is therefore rather limited and narrow, and is well below what informatics might allow, or even better «tele-informatics or distance informatics», abbreviated as telematics.

4. Scope and contents of this essay.

As we have said previously, the social effects of the lack of information on the market are greatly negative at any level: economic, political, legal, scientific... An uninformative money system not only allows all sorts of dirty games disguised under anonymity of money, it stops the market agents from taking decisions and preparing rational strategies and finally makes the actual, scientific understanding of the market working difficult.

In reply to this fact, in this essay a possible and easy technological solution is submitted: the description of a new and sole money instrument, instead of those being used at present, will be the central subject. This suggestion is included in the formal statement of a global money theory -not new, but actually updated- and is followed by a consideration of the many social consequences and possibilities which the new theories offer.

In the first place an analysis and consideration of the nature and functions of the money systems will be made, both from an historical and present day point of view. The money theory which will derive from this is the starting point to establish a new money system, more rational, more adjusted to present technological possibilities, and fully informative.

In the second place, we will describe the new money system which has been suggested, based on what we call telematic cheque invoice. This is a fully personalized money system, limited to one only elemental market operation, and fully informative of its peculiarities. Its circulation as a sole legal monetary instrument will allow to completely clear up the market, and to give the information which is so vitally needed. We will also refer to the minimal political conditions which must be granted so that this money system becomes an actual social progress, and not a regression as a monopoly of all the available trade information would be in the hands of any group.

In the third place we will study the possibilities offered by the possession of an exact and thorough information on the market. There are many advantages, in the first place concerning one only idea: the rationalization of the trade and social processes in any sort of contact with the market. Very especially we must point out that by the introduction of the cheque invoice as the sole legal money instrument, it will be possible to transform the study of the market into a matter of real scientific experimental rigour.

We will also submit a work hypothesis on the market, which -as any other hypothesis to be held on this subject- will only be experimentally tried when the telematic cheque invoice becomes a fact. This hypothesis concerns the possibility of building up a communal money hoard without any need to tax the people, and is narrowly connected to the invention of money. In the case of an experimental confirmation, politicians will have a very strong weapon to obtain a balanced market and an equitable distribution of the communal riches.

This is one of the reasons which have had more importance when writing this essay: the research for effective solutions, not only for a good knowledge and working of the market, but also for the many social problems which are present today.