Competition in the Digital Age
It is time for the annual review of the past year in digital economics. As in prior years, this review will resemble an awards ceremony. And there are so many events deserving of recognition -- hackers at Equifax, Russian ads at Facebook, #metoo on Twitter, an implosion at Uber, and a bubble at Bitcoin, to …
Mainstream writers do not discuss online sex and porn for fear of touching unseen landmines that offend readers. It is part of a phenomenon that I call the hush-hush norm. There are permeable boundaries between rebellious and mainstream hackers, and between porn and mainstream content providers. Yet, the mainstream press discusses all of it as …
Prairie Home Companion begins with a mischievous maxim that all children in Lake Wobegon are above average. The equivalent adage in Silicon Valley goes like this: Every insider acts like an outsider. This adage reflects mythology as well as savvy public relations. The largest technology firms possess names recognized in most households, and they perceive …
In the wake of Hurricane Irma this weekend, Tesla pushed out a software upgrade to owners of Tesla 60kWh versions to give them the range of their 75kWh. Just like when pilots say they will "make up time in the air," commentators said: "well isn't that interesting." It seems like all Tesla's have the same …
Hello good readers! It is time once again for a retrospective look at the top ten digital events of 2016. And what a year it was – elections, political intrigue, hacking, and more! Some very impressive people and action deserve their just rewards, i.e., fifteen seconds of snarky comments. The award is called a Sally. …
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 …
As regular readers know, my co-blogger Erik Brynjolfsson has been in a continuing debate with Bob Gordon about what the next few decades are likely to bring technology-wise. There is no easy resolution of that debate as it ultimately depends on your view regarding whether technological progress will continue to have an impact on productivity …
Continue reading "Can economists forecast technological progress?"
Perhaps the most common ‘doom and gloom’ cry for businesses — especially Internet businesses — is that teenagers, who were once their main customers, are ‘leaving in droves.’ The great example of this is Facebook where it is often claimed that it will be overtaken by Snapchat or the like because teenagers are leaving to other places. Thus, they will either …
Continue reading "No business built on teenager demand is sustainable"
While most of the world think that Flappy Bird is fairly useless and without redeeming value, some think there is opportunity. Folks, thanks to my son, I bring you Flappy Economist. In it you control the money supply but you have to balance between the economy going between disastrous unemployment or rampant inflation. Of course, …
The Mac is 30 years old. Apple has a great retrospective. 5 years ago, I documented all the Macs I had owned up until that point. I have added to it today for the next five years as an indulgence. Turns out there are quite a few a owned. And we won't mention the period 1999 …
Digitopoly 