Platform Advantages: Not Just Network Effects A new book explores an intriguing idea: that there are core processes in some platforms that naturally tilt the table towards being implemented in a single company.
On Opting Out of Copyright The EU AI Act and emerging practice flip copyright’s default opt-in regime to an opt-out one. What effects is this likely to have on the balance of power between rights holders and reuse?
What RSS Needs Web feeds could be so much more if we put some effort into them. This post explores some ideas of how to start.
Are Internet Standards Competitive or Collaborative? It's often assumed that standards work is inherently competitive. This post examines why Internet standards are often more collaborative than competitive, and outlines some implications of this approach.
Openness in Internet Standards: Necessary, but Insufficient The phrase 'Open Standards' is widely used but not well-understood. Let's take a look at what openness in standards is, with a focus on whether and how it helps to legitimise the design and maintenance of the Internet.
Consensus in Internet Standards It’s common for voluntary technical standards developing organisations (SDOs such as the IETF and W3C) to make decisions by consensus, rather than (for example) voting. This post explores why we use consensus, what it is, how it works in Internet standards and when its use can become problematic.
Modularity: Enabling Interoperability and Competition Mandated interoperability is often highlighted as a way to improve competition on the Internet. However, most of the interoperability we see there today was established voluntarily: mandating it is relatively uncharted territory, with many potential pitfalls.
No One Should Have That Much Power It’s a common spy thriller trope. There’s a special key that can unlock something critical – business records, bank vaults, government secrets, nuclear weapons, maybe all of the above, worldwide.
