What metaphors are used in The Diamond Age, or, Young Lady's Illustrated Primer by Neal Stephenson?

Most situations depicted in The Diamond Age are metaphorical transpositions of past or current conflicts and divisions in the world of computers and software. For instance, the rebels of CryptNet are set to implement what they call the "Seed", a free and public source of molecules, which serves as an alternative to the Feed that can be used by compilers to generate goods for everyone. The wealthier tribes, such as the Ashantis and the Victorians, are opposed to this democratization, in part because they own the private sources of molecules and profit from it. This situation, as well as the arguments behind each position, mirrors the debate between the proponents of open source software and those that profit from proprietary software.