Blog

17 Feb 2016

Laura DeNardis on Internet Governance

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Professor Laura DeNardis gave a Quello Lecture in Washington DC that updates her perspectives on the key issues facing what she refers to as the ‘destabilization’ of Internet governance. Laura is one of the world’s leading authorities on Internet policy and governance, and this video enables you to see why. Laura DeNaris – The Destabilization of Internet Governance from Quello Center on Vimeo. Laura was welcomed to the Quello Lecture by the Dean of MSU’s College of Communication Arts & Sciences, Professor Prabu David, and the College’s Director of Development, Meredith Jagutis.
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06 Feb 2016

Understanding the Economics of Net Neutrality

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Whether you are new to net neutrality and want to better understand the concept or a seasoned researcher who wants an update regarding open questions, I encourage you to read a recent working paper entitled, “Net Neutrality: A Fast Lane to Understanding the Trade-Offs,” by Shane Greenstein, Martin Peitz, and Tommaso Valletti, a group of economists with a track record researching and writing about Internet economics. Although the article is rather recent, I believe it presents a very good starting point for those interested in taking a deeper dive into both specific theoretical and general empirical issues revolving net neutrality. […]
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02 Feb 2016

Quello Talk on ‘Cybercrime Offending and Victimization’, by Tom Holt

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Identifying Risk Factors Associated with Cybercrime Offending and Victimization Tom Holt presented an informative talk on his research focused on who is most likely to be a victim of online cybercrime, and who is most likely to be an offender. Given the many scary stories in the media, you might find this to be a useful presentation to view. In general, he finds a number of common patterns that conform with key patterns in the real, offline world, such as the centrality of peer influence. He empirically examines the importance of traditional criminological theories in accounting for involvement in various […]
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01 Feb 2016

What is ‘Special Access’ and Why is It So Important? by Aleks Yankelevich

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Dr Aleks Yankelevich gave a one hour Quello Center brown-bag presentation entitled “Regulating the Intranet: What is Special Access and Why is it Important?” (yes Intranet, not Internet) on January 26th 2016. His talk clarified the concept of special access, how it is regulated by the Federal Communications Commission, and ended with some ideas on research that might focus on this relatively under-researched area. Aleksandr Yankelevich – Regulating the Internet – What is Special Access And Why Is It Important from Quello Center on Vimeo. Special access lines are dedicated high-capacity connections used by businesses and institutions to transmit their […]
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16 Jan 2016

Congratulations to MSU, WKAR, and the Future of Public Broadcasting

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The Quello Center congratulates all those involved in discussions at MSU on the university’s response to the FCC spectrum incentive auction. The university’s leadership, including the Board of Trustees, carefully considered its options, and the opportunities and prospects attached to each path forward for WKAR, MSU’s public television and radio station, and the university. Its leadership decided to bypass the incentive auction as it realized the incredible potential tied to linking visions of MSU’s outreach to the community, and its educational and related research initiatives, to the innovative use of public broadcasting facilities in Lansing and Detroit. Central to its […]
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12 Jan 2016

Price-Matching Advertisements and Consumer Search

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The only programs I watch on TV with any regularity are cooking competitions like Chopped and American Football, so I find it somewhat odd that I have seen the same Toys “R” Us commercial advertising the toy retailer’s price-matching guarantee as many times as I have.  Perhaps I have been watching too much Chopped Junior.  In the commercial, a creepy children’s toy informs Optimus Prime that if potential consumers find him for a lower price at a competing retailer, Toys “R” Us will match the lower listed price (see it here).  Optimus Prime is impressed not by the seemingly great […]
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06 Jan 2016

The FCC Spectrum Auction and the Future of Public Broadcasting: The Case at MSU and Greater Lansing

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Michigan State University (MSU) held a lively forum on 4 January 2016 to discuss the pending decision by the university on whether or not to participate in the FCC’s spectrum incentive auction. A second forum will be held on the 11th of January at 7pm in the College of Communication Arts & Sciences. What might sound like a technically and financially arcane set of issues came to life for many in the questions of the 300 some participants who packed the auditorium on the 4th of January. It appeared as if every-other person attending the forum had their hand up […]
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27 Dec 2015

The Global Agenda and the Quello Center by Evelyne Cudel

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A blog from Evelyne Cudel, suggesting a role for the Quello Center. Posted with her permission: “Place people at the heart of the global agenda” For an “integrated humanitarian action, sustainable development, and the creation of peaceful societies.” On a moral reflection: The First World Humanitarian Summit will be held on 23 and 24 May 2016 in Istanbul: a call for action by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. https://www.worldhumanitariansummit.org/ The event has been planned for years. The UN Synthetic Report (Geneva, October 6, 2015) “called for action around five key concepts: dignity, safety, resilience, partnership and finance.” The data: “our world […]
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23 Dec 2015

Featured Publication: Governance of Social Media

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Quello Professor Steve Wildman and Dr Jonathan Obar, a Quello Research Associate, organized a workshop on the governance of social media that has yielded an excellent special issue of Telecommunications Policy (Volume 39, Issue 9, October 2015). It features articles by the editors, as well as Philip Napoli, Laura DeNardis, Milton Mueller, and Katherine Montegomery, among others. It is a brilliant signpost of how the Quello Center is moving fully into the digital age of policy and regulation issues. You may find the special issue at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03085961/39/9
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08 Dec 2015

What If No Electrical Grid? by A. Michael Noll

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What If No Electrical Grid? A. Michael Noll December 8, 2015 © 2015 AMN Alternative futures are sometimes enlightening to contemplate. Thus the need to ask the question “What if?” The specific question to be asked is “What if today’s electrical grid did not exist – it was never invented or implemented?” The alternating current (AC) system (pioneered by Tesla, Westinghouse, and Edison a century ago) was based on a centralized power plant with electrical power then distributed by wires over distances to homes and businesses. Suppose this system was never invented or implemented. Suppose a button was pushed and […]
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