Modeling "The World Information Economy"??

["King, Jonathan"]

I am forwarding the following request from a former student of mine. I would
appreciate being copied on any reply to him.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
I am currently enrolled at New Mexico State University, majoring in
Finance and International Business. I am currently in the initial stages of
an
independent research project for our universitys honors program. The
topic of this research project has to do with information systems as
it relates to finance. As a beginning base I would like to look into
something of the economics of information. Information does not follow the
standard economic models of say capital goods. For example, how do you
depreciate information when can be instantly out of date and useless. I
would like to apply this to how information, coupled with rapid advances in
computing and communication systems, has affected currency systems. For
example, in the past 10 years the volume of international money exchange
transactions has increased by astronomical proportions, to almost $100
trillion. What kind of impact does this have for business, government,
etc.
I would like to take a look at this whole intricate mess as a
system, an immensly complex system. My goal is simply to define parts and
aspects of the system to show just how immensely complex it is. Secondly,
I would like to identify what types of effects this system has on our
world around us. Finally, I would like to look at some projected future
paths of this system.
All of my ideas on this research project come from a single
article as well as lectures given to me be Dr. King, professor at Oregon
State University . The article is "The World Information Economy" by Stewart
Brand [1987, The Media Lab: Inventing the Future at MIT (Viking, New York)].
I would really appreciate feedback from anyone who has any
information on possible
resources, or who has themselves produced any research into this area.
Please feel free to e-mail me at the address shown below.

Sincerely,

Paul Hemann
New Mexico State University
phemann@nmsu.edu