Econ1.Net Robot Trading Laboratory
Works with Google Drive and Google Compute Engine
Requirements: Chrome browser preferred. You'll need a Gmail account or other Google account to sign in, and you'll need our micropayment EconPass to run simulations. Can run on phones, tablets, or desktops, but desktops are faster and more capable.
Located in the USA: We operate and process data from the USA, and warmly welcome potential customers -- except those unfortunately subject to the GDPR law as found in the EU nations and the UK whom we cannot currently serve. Please do not trespass if we cannot serve you.
Create a new Google Account if you need one.
Videos:
Set up a new Econ1.Net account (silent; 5 min)
Getting Started: Generating some ZI Market Data with your browser (90 sec)
Deep Dive: Charting 100 Periods of ZI Robot Trading Data(30 min)
Generating 10,000 periods of ZI market data on Econ1.Net in the cloud (3 min)
Charting 10,000 periods of ZI Market Data on Econ1.Net (15 min)
Generating 100,000 periods of ZI Market trading data in the cloud (6 min)
Charting 100,000 periods of ZI market data on Econ1.Net (11 min)
Made in the USA
from us and imported parts by
Economic and Financial Technology Consulting LLC
Important Legal and Privacy Disclosures: We provide the Econ1.Net service "as is" with no guarantee of its present or future security, continuity, or accuracy. Econ1.Net is research software organized by research economist and founder Paul Brewer, over a period of several years, and is possible only through the use of numerous free open source modules contributed by others. Almost all open source software licenses include a disclaimer: software is provided "as is", with no warranty, and may include flaws. Hundreds of automated tests are performed to test functionality and reduce software flaws, both by us and by others. This helps but cannot guarantee perfection. Regarding security, this website runs in commercial cloud facilities. Reasonable steps are taken to minimize and compartmentalize information and protect it with cryptography and other security measures. Since all computer security systems have weaknesses, you should also take reasonable steps to backup your data or protect your privacy. Regarding tracking, we do not track your Econ1.Net usage, except as necessary to (i) process your cloud simulation requests, (ii) update the points remaining on your EconPass, and (iii) to log website events or software errors or activity helpful for maintaining or improving our security or products. If you purchased an EconPass online, we may have access to standard online sales records (such as the name, email, address you provided, item(s) ordered, amount paid) from a commercial payment processor. Your simulation files are under your control on Google Drive; you may download, delete or share files from your own simulations as you like. During activation, Econ1.Net will request limited access to your Google Drive for storing market simulations and related data on your behalf without further approvals and Google will show you this request for your approval. You should approve this request for the software to function properly. It can only read the files that it has created. To revoke access to Google Drive, you can use your Google Account's security page or the Privacy tab in the Econ1.Net web app. Revoking access will also disable the simulator.
Consent to Process Data in the USA, Other Agreements, and Disputes: By using this website, you consent to the processing of data in the United States under US law and all related Privacy Policies and Terms of Use. You agree that all disputes will be decided in the United states under US laws. If you are outside the USA, you warrant that you can consent to these terms and are not a resident in a country (such as one of the EU member states) that have other or additional legal requirements.
No Trespassing Notice: Do not use this website if your country's internet or data privacy laws prevent us from serving you. This prohibits usage from most European countries. While this is a no-trespassing notice rather than a technological barrier, it still has legal effect. It is as if we are in a physical shop, and I say: "By law, I cannot sell you our services and so you may not enter. Please leave." If you sneak in when you think we are not looking -- then you are trespassing.
While we would like to remove this notice in the future, the current state of political affairs seems to be deteriorating. The EU government has decided that the rights of their data subjects are very important and insufficiently protected by modern technology and common business and privacy practices found in the USA. In contrast, the US Senate has heard testimony that EU's GDPR Privacy Law is a bad law with a number of bad effects for Europeans as well as US companies.
Crime of Computer Trespass, Penalties: Accessing a computer used in commerce or communications without permission may be prosecuted as a US Federal crime (see 18 U.S.C. 1030). Those accused have important rights, e.g. to a fair trial, counsel, the presumption of innocence. Those found guilty by a court of law can face fines, probation, or imprisonment. It is a serious matter, just like trespassing in a physical business.
We have deeply personal doubts and political opinions about prosecution. We do not want to file a complaint to the FBI or other policing authorities about a computer trespassser unless, in our judgement, it becomes absolutely necessary and appropriate. We also doubt the FBI would seek extradition of a foreign offender. Draconian laws, whether about computer trespass or privacy or something else, violate the rights of the people to be free from tyranny. Aaron Swartz, at age 26, committed suicide over a US computer crime prosecution, causing a public outrage in the tech community. We wonder how many business owners might commit suicide because enforcers of the various new privacy laws fined them into bankruptcy.
To use our research software, there are at least 3 alternatives:
A. Find a foreign research collaborator located elsewhere.
B. Download and use our free software, available at GitHub.com which you install on your own computer -- because then you are the data controller and data processor, not us.
It is not as convenient, but it is free. Data is in an open ".csv" format.
C. We don't advise using a shared or fake name or pseudonym but it is technically possible.
It is also possible to fake location -- and appear to be outside the EU -- by using a VPN service. However, Google Drive is used for storage and Google has the right to delete fake accounts.
You don't want to run a bunch of simulations, and see them deleted and your time and work wasted. More generally, a fake id is not secure because it may be possible for other companies
on the internet to merge various data sources to infer your real identity from a fake identity.
Processing of IP address data for cybersecurity. When you visit this website, even without becoming a customer, we may process your computer's IP address, which in some jurisidictions is legally considered personal information. Although, factually, an IP address is often shared and only sometimes identifies a specific computer. An IP address also does not identify who is actually using a computer. The justification for processing this minimal information is necessity, for cybersecurity, and thereby for satisyfing the company's legal obligations, for the benefit of the safety and privacy of 3rd parties visiting this website, and for the company's legitimate interests (its ability to prevent security breaches, orderly serve customers, etc.). This processing can result in a suspension of computer communications (logged, lasting less than one day and then eventually forgotten) with all computers whose requests are found to be suspicious from a cybersecurity perspective (i.e. requesting admin access, or to uninstalled admin or database software, or too many requests in a short period of time, etc.). Our right to suspend communications is a basic right, related to the right to associate or not associate, part of the Freedom of Association and Freedoms of Speech and Press found in the First Amendment to the US Constitution. Logs of IP address, browser or program type, time and date, and access attempt are kept by our web server and discarded after 30 days to 1 year. The cybersecurity processing and monitoring we do is common among website operators, and we use software that has been available for many years for this purpose. Any objections or other inquiries may be sent by email to drpaulbrewer@eaftc.com as manager of the company operating this website. Email to the company is processed by Google's GSuite email system, and we will use or retain your email or email address only as necessary for our legitimate business purposes. We provide this notice to demonstrate that we are not against privacy.
3rd Party Billing: You are responsible for any 3rd party fees and billing associated with your use of Econ1.Net. For instance, you may owe Google Drive fees for storing a large collection of files, or you may owe your cellular data provider for using your smart phone to review simulation data.