it " ▁theory ▁of ▁alloc ating ▁goods ▁proposed ▁by ▁ 1 8 th ▁and ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁u top ian ▁social ists ▁such ▁as ▁John ▁Francis ▁B ray ▁and ▁John ▁Gray . ▁On ▁this ▁view , ▁Di eter ich ▁at ▁most ▁shows ▁that ▁the ▁allocation ▁of ▁goods ▁according ▁to ▁commercial ▁principles ▁is ▁only ▁one ▁method ▁of ▁alloc ating ▁resources ; ▁other ▁methods ▁such ▁as ▁sharing , ▁red ist ribution , ▁subs id ization , ▁bar ter , ▁gr ants ▁and ▁direct ▁allocation ▁according ▁to ▁need ▁may ▁often ▁serve ▁the ▁interest ▁of ▁fair ness , ▁efficiency ▁and ▁social ▁justice ▁better , ▁provided ▁that ▁people ▁accept ▁a ▁common ▁eth ic ▁about ▁what ▁is ▁best ▁for ▁all , ▁if ▁they ▁can ▁see ▁that ▁adopt ing ▁such ▁an ▁eth ic ▁has ▁good ▁results . ▁Thus , ▁while ▁integrated ▁labour ▁accounts ▁are ▁certainly ▁useful ▁to ▁have ▁as ▁a ▁planning ▁tool , ▁alloc ating ▁resources ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁labour - time ▁they ▁represent ▁is ▁most ▁likely ▁not ▁useful ▁as ▁a ▁general ▁economic ▁principle ▁( it ▁could ▁be ▁useful ▁in ▁specific ▁areas ▁of ▁activity ). ▁ ▁One ▁feas ible ▁alternative ▁to ▁Di eter ich ' s ▁labour - equ ival ents ▁is ▁a ▁new ▁type ▁of ▁digital ▁credit ▁system , ▁in ▁which ▁people ▁gain ▁or ▁lose ▁cred its ▁( and ▁therefore ▁gain ▁or ▁lose ▁access ▁to ▁resources ) ▁depending ▁on ▁what ▁they ▁ver ifi ably ▁do , ▁and ▁on ▁what ▁age ▁they ▁are . ▁This ▁alternative ▁has ▁not ▁yet ▁been ▁very ▁popular ▁among ▁social ist ▁the or ists