Democratising category designers

The printing press was a democratising technology. When the Roman Empire became corrupt, the Pope tried to establish order. But ruling institutions often become more interested in keeping their status and power than serving their real function and consequently started to fleece their people.

From this came three technologies:

1. The printing press allowed Martin Luther to print the Bible, and suddenly lots of people could read.
2. Double-entry accounting let merchants of Venice trade in a decentralised way without central authorities.
3. Gunpowder changed the asymmetry of power that knighthood enforced.