Anthony J. Pennings, PhD

WRITINGS ON AI POLICY, DIGITAL ECONOMICS, ENERGY STRATEGIES, AND GLOBAL E-COMMERCE

Situating Gold in the Substitution-Computational-Telecom Stack of Global Finance

This post explains that in the modern financial system, gold no longer functions as a currency but as a powerful symbolic asset within the dollar-anchored framework of “spreadsheet capitalism.” Its physical form is replaced by the digital symbol XAUUSD, which represents abstract concepts like “safe-haven,” “inflation hedge,” and “geopolitical insurance.” This symbol is integrated into the global economy through a Semiotic-Computational-Telecom (SCT) stack.

Reprogramming Spreadsheet Capitalism for Climate Resilience

In the framework of spreadsheet capitalism, capital no longer exists solely as a tangible asset, productive relation, or factor of industrial production—it is reconstituted as a symbolic, programmable logic embedded in and animated by digital spreadsheets. Drawing on a semiotic-computational framework, this transformation reveals how capital is not simply represented in spreadsheets but reborn through symbolic substitution, abstract modeling, and procedural calculation.

Lotus 1-2-3, Temporal Finance, and the Rise of Spreadsheet Capitalism

One of the books I read during my PhD years was Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco (1989), about the $25 billion leveraged buyout (LBO) of the iconic conglomerate (tobacco/snacks/) by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR). An LBO is the purchase of a company using large amounts of short-term debt and […]

The Lasting Impact of ALOHAnet and Norman Abramson

The success and influence of ALOHAnet proved that multiple devices could share the same communication medium effectively, ultimately helping shape the modern landscape of wired and wireless networking.

Legal Precedents and Perturbations Shaping US Broadband Policy

One of the major lessons I learned from Ithiel de Sola Pool’s Technologies of Freedome book was the importance of legal precedent in communication policy, and particularly telecommunications policy. Pool also acknowledged that while legal precedent provides stability and continuity in policy, it also risks becoming an impediment to progress when technology changes beyond the scope of existing laws.

All Watched over by “Systems” of Loving Grace

Adam Curtis’ documentary series, All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace, delves into the relationship between technology, political ideologies, and human agency. Inspired by Richard Brautigan’s poem, Curtis explores how technology shapes our governance systems and worldview. In “The Use and Abuse of Vegetational Concepts,” Curtis critiques the adoption of natural systems thinking in political and technological contexts, tracing the origins of ecological systems thinking back to the work of figures like Jay Forrester, Norbert Wiener, Buckminster Fuller, and the Odum brothers. These ideas, initially intended to describe natural ecosystems, were later applied to human societies and governance, conflating nature with machine intelligence. Curtis raises concerns about how these systems-based frameworks reduce humans to mere nodes in networks, challenging the Enlightenment view of humanity as autonomous and separate from nature.

Curtis also explores the legacy of systems thinking through the work of the Club of Rome and its 1972 publication Limits to Growth, which used computer simulations to model the Earth as a closed system. The documentary raises questions about the consequences of seeing human and natural systems as mechanistic, potentially leading to a distorted understanding of complex, dynamic realities.

US Legislative and Regulatory Restrictions on Deficit Spending – Reflecting on Modern Monetary Theory (MMT)

I outline some of the promise of MMT analysis for increased US spending while digging into several legislative and regulatory problems associated with enacting spending long-term.

Digital Borders and Authoritarianism

The enforcement of digital borders by authoritarian regimes in the modern era represents a significant challenge to global norms of free expression, access to information, and human rights. As regimes continue to develop and refine their methods of control, the international community must navigate the delicate balance between respecting national sovereignty and advocating for digital freedoms.

keep looking »

  • Referencing this Material

    Copyrights apply to all materials on this blog but fair use conditions allow limited use of ideas and quotations. Please cite the permalinks of the articles/posts.
    Citing a post in APA style would look like:
    Pennings, A. (2015, April 17). Diffusion and the Five Characteristics of Innovation Adoption. Retrieved from https://apennings.com/characteristics-of-digital-media/diffusion-and-the-five-characteristics-of-innovation-adoption/
    MLA style citation would look like: "Diffusion and the Five Characteristics of Innovation Adoption." Anthony J. Pennings, PhD. Web. 18 June 2015. The date would be the day you accessed the information. View the Writing Criteria link at the top of this page to link to an online APA reference manual.

  • About Me

    Professor (full) at State University of New York (SUNY) Korea since 2016. Research Professor for Stony Brook University. Moved to Austin, Texas in August 2012 to join the Digital Media Management program at St. Edwards University. Spent the previous decade on the faculty at New York University teaching and researching information systems, digital economics, and global political economy

    You can reach me at:

    anthony.pennings@gmail.com
    apennings70@gmail.com
    anthony.pennings@sunykorea.ac.kr

    Follow apennings on X

  • About me

  • Writings by Category

  • Flag Counter

  • Pages

  • Calendar

    December 2025
    M T W T F S S
    1234567
    891011121314
    15161718192021
    22232425262728
    293031  

  • Disclaimer

    The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of my employers, past or present. Articles are not meant as financial advice.

    • Verified by MonsterInsights