What is the economic value of online behavioral data? It is a seemingly simple question. Define the terms. Behavioral data refers to information produced as a result of actions, typically commercial behavior using a range of devices connected to the Internet, such as a PC, tablet, or smartphone. Behavioral data tracks the sites visited, the …
Does bankruptcy trump privacy?
If a firm goes bankrupt, do the creditors get to auction off their email list? How about names and addresses of those in a loyalty program? Welcome to the modern privacy economic dilemma. Creditors want as much money as they can get out of assets that will pay only a fraction on the dollar owed. …
A bit of myth-busting about the speed of diffusion.
Check out this WSJ article by Tim Aeppel, involving a few quotes from yours truly at the very end.... 50 Million Users: The Making of an "Angry Birds" Internet Meme.
Top Technology Events of the Year, 2014
It is time again for the best technology events of the year. We have quite a lineup this year, including Sony, Aereo, net neutrality, Home Depot, and a few surprise guest stars. As with prior years, the winner had to do something in the calendar year. The action had to involve information and communications technology. It had to …
HuffPo and the Loss of Trust
You may not have noticed, but recently the Huffington Post has been the poster child for lack of journalistic integrity. The actual details may appear to be small to many people, but not to me. HuffPo has made a sloppy journalistic error, publishing a historically inaccurate story, and on a claim many experts have proven …
Baking the Data Layer
The cookie turned 20 just the other day. More than a tasty morsel of technology, two decades of experimentation have created considerable value around its use. The cookie originated with the ninth employee of Netscape, Lou Montulli. Fresh out of college in June 1994, Montulli sought to embed a user’s history in a browser’s functions. …
Did the Internet Prevent all Invention from Moving to one Place?
The diffusion of the internet has had varying effects on the location of economic activity, leading to both increases and decreases in geographic concentration. In an invited column at VoxEU, Chris Forman, Avi Goldfarb and I presents evidence that the internet worked against increasing concentration in invention. This relationship is particularly strong for inventions with …
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The Fault Lines Along Fast Lanes
Until recently, a fast lane from a broadband ISP was a remote possibility in the US. ISPs had to give data equal treatment, regardless of the source, and could not offer faster delivery for a higher price while giving slower service as a default. Although fast lanes were allowed by regulators a few years ago …
USPTO public hearing on Attributable Ownership.
Attributable Ownership Public Hearing in San Francisco on March 26, 2014: Testimony and Written Comments Invited The USPTO announces a public hearing on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 at U.C. Hastings College of Law in San Francisco from 9 a.m. until noon to receive feedback about proposed rules concerning the ownership of patents and applications (aka …
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Podcast about bias and slant on Wikipedia
The web site, Surprisingly Free, organized a podcast about my recent paper, Collective Intelligence and Neutral Point of View: The Case of Wikipedia, coauthored with Harvard assistant professor Feng Zhu. Click here. The paper takes a look at whether Linus’ Law applies to Wikipedia articles. Do Wikipedia articles have a slant or bias? If so, …
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Digitopoly 