Anthony J. Pennings, PhD

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

Will BRICS Effectively Tokenize Rare Earth Elements to Back a New Currency?

Rose Mason in Medium makes a compelling plea for the tokenization of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) currently in high demand around the world. From another angle, Cyrus Janssen presents an intriguing but ultimately flawed argument that the BRICS+ countries will use REEs to back a new currency to challenge the US dollar.[1] This post examines […]

Tokenization of Gold in Blockchained Spreadsheet Capitalism

In spreadsheet capitalism, tokenized gold becomes a substituted signifier for the financialized metal. Vaulted bullion becomes a tradable token represented in a spreadsheet cell. Gold becomes a computable variable (risk metrics, yield structures, algorithmic trading inputs) and a synchronized signal in the global financial grid. Real-time ledger entries are harmonized with financial terminals and portfolio dashboards.

The International Politics of Domain Name (DNS) Governance, Part 3: ICANN and AI

The change from IANA to ICANN resulted in the successful stewardship transition in 2016, transferring oversight of critical Internet functions from the US government to a global, decentralized, multistakeholder model. These changes reflected the Internet’s growth, the need for more inclusive governance, and ongoing efforts to address security, accessibility, and internationalization challenges.

Excel vs. Java: Two Languages, Two Worlds of Thought: Symbolic Grid vs. Algorithmic Script

Excel and Java embody two distinct computing traditions — the grid-born, spatial logic of accounting versus the engineered, algorithmic logic of software — each transformed the world in its own domain.

Connecting a Dangerous World: Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and National Concerns

BGP connects the world by enabling communication and cooperation among autonomous systems, ensuring that data packets can traverse the vast and interconnected network of networks that make up the Internet. It bridges separate, but networked ASes such as campuses, companies, and countries. BGP works to ensure that data packets originating from one location can cross over between ISPs and other WANS (Wide Area Networks) to reach their destination anywhere else on the planet.

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.

ICT4D and the Global Network Transformation

I focus on the transition in network architecture and organizational models and how that led to the global Internet we have today, and specifically why it could globalize and why it became so cheap.

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.

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  • 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

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

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