Human existence changed irreversibly after the invention of indoor plumbing and the municipal supply of water and sewage. The advent of electricity also changed life as we know it, and so did automobiles, the telephone, penicillin, pasteurization, the polio vaccine, and much more. In his book, The Rise and Fall of American Growth; The US …
What does a Skunk Works do?
When an established firm aspires to experiment in a radical direction, management gurus recommend opening a skunk works—an organizational home for high-priority original thinking and projects. It is housed away from the organization’s main operations, sometimes in secret or with organizational barriers. Typically the projects involve something of value to the future but are not …
Insiders, Outsiders, and an Existentialist
Princeton University Press just published my book, with its self-explanatory title, How the Internet Became Commercial (2015). Sometimes I am asked to explain the “secret sauce” of US commercial success. I point to the treatment of outsiders. There were few barriers to putting their contributions to good use. Mainstream firms were more than willing to …
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Top dozen technology events of 2015
It is time, dear readers, for a review of the year in technology. And what a year it was. Yes, indeed, information technology in 2015 had its share of strange and notable people, events, and ideas! Who deserves awards? Below you will find a dozen winners. How are these awards chosen? On what criteria? Be …
How the Internet Became Commercial: YouTube and Podcast.
If you prefer to watch or listen to material, we have a video and podcast for you. Here is a talk at Google's facilities in Boston, shown on YouTube. Here is a podcast, hosted by Andre Fradkin, at MIT. Please enjoy!
Twenty Years of the Commercial Internet (Part 2)
How did the deployment and uptake of the Internet bring about growth in the US economy? That is a fundamental economic question that still resonates today, because many of these events yielded lessons that we can take to the present. The topic is hard to address because many participants experienced these events in different ways. …
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Who is Gordon Moore, and Why is There a law Named for him?
Gordon Moore never intended to state a law. He merely observed the deep scientific roots behind the accumulation of exponential improvements in silicon-based transistors. Asked to forecast the next decade, he ventured that the progress would continue at the same rate. This was the unlikely origin of Moore’s law. This is among the many engaging …
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Twenty years of the Commercial Internet
In August 1995, Netscape held its initial public offering and caught the attention of every participant in computing and communications. It was a catalytic event for the commercial Internet, and it started the beginning of a long boom in investment by private firms, households, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists. With the 20th anniversary approaching, it’s time …
Economic Analysis of the Digital Economy
Is digitization destroying the music industry? A recent study shows that it may improve it by enabling new acts to enter at low cost. (Ch. 14, "Digitization and the Quality of New Media Products") What aren’t you doing while you are spiraling down an Internet black hole? Mostly watching TV and offline socializing, according to …
Open Letter on the Digital Economy
We are in the early stages of an era of great technological change. Digital innovations are remaking our industries, economy, and society just as steam, electricity, and internal combustion did before them. Like their predecessors, computers and their kin are engines of great prosperity. Progress with hardware, software, and networks is improving our lives in …
Digitopoly 