Assignment #8

A perfect example of text mining is Contextual advertising, better known as automated ads. Contextual advertising systems scans the text of websites for keywords and returns advertisements based on those keywords. For example if it runs a scan that comes back with multiple results about cleaning products, it will then render advertisements for those type of products or products similar to it. These ads can come in different forms. They could be integrated into the webpage such as on the side or somewhere on the the page. They could also come in the form of popups which we all know and hate. The majority of the time our popup blockers will catch these ads, therefore, most websites have started resorting to integrated advertising. If you have ever wondered why the advertisement you see on your computer are usually things that are somewhat interesting to you, text mining is how this is accomplished. By text mining it is more likely to have the person click on that advertisement because it relates to something that they are or were recently looking at.

Contextual advertising is also used by search engines to produce similar results. By using search engines such as Google, it will produce the ads in the form of a link for a related search at the top of the list. This will almost always trick the person into clicking on it if they are not aware of this. Most people do not pay attention to word "Ad" displayed right along side of the link. Google ad sense was the first major contextual advertising network. Since then many others have adopted the system due to it's efficiency. Of course this type of advertising does not come without controversy. There are many controversial issues concerning this type of advertising such as hyperlinks, when clicked on, automatically installs software on a users computer that interferes with that users browser. Due to the success of contextual advertising and the continuous large sums of money it brings in for websites, it's here to stay.

Assignment #7

YouTube is a prime example of a Web 2.0 service. YouTube contains a catalog of millions of videos. It makes videos readily accessible to anyone. Users can upload their own videos to their channel for people to watch all across the world. Views have become an important part of YouTube. YouTube has opened the door for many people throughout the world. Its a way for singers and people of all talent to publish their work on the internet for free. Not only is it a good place for recognition, it can also be profitable for the user. Advertisers offer money to users that have a certain number of subscribers and views. This can end up being a small fortune for some people. All it takes is for one video to go viral. YouTube has benefited us in a multitude of ways and now is one of the most popular websites in the world.

Social Networking sites such as Facebook are another Web 2.0 example. Social Networking has become a way of life for some people. Facebook has had an enormous impact on our society. Connecting with friends and new people across the world is as simple as pressing a button. Facebook has revolutionized the way we communicate. Users are able to upload images instantly for others to see. Status updates reveal to others about your daily life or thoughts. It provides a way to keep in touch with others without actually talking to them. You can vent to the masses by simply posting a status. Marketers have figured out that Facebook can be used as a business tool also. By creating Facebook profiles and receiving likes from supporters, companies have a way of free marketing. Facebook continues to grow and evolve and will continue to be a huge part of most of our lives.

Ebay has undoubtedly revolutionized the way we shop. Users are able to shop for just about any item they can think of. Ebay allows you to sell your unwanted items to the highest bidder. Garage sales are becoming a thing of the past. Users can instantly put their item in front of the eyes of millions of consumers by creating an Ebay listing. Some users are so successful with buying and selling merchandise on ebay, they have made a career out of it. These are considered ebay power sellers. Not everything on ebay is used. There are just as many new products as their are used. Users can purchase items from all over the world from the comfort of their own home and have it shipped right to their door. Its a great way to save time and money. Ebay has made it possible to purchase items we would normally never get the chance to. From an autographed Michael Jordan jersey to a 150 year old antique. Everything has a listing on Ebay.

Assignment #6

Outreach is an important issue noted in this article. Outreach is simply including people into a program that would normally not be included. This idea provides diversity and new area of expertise. The main idea of this to the theory of having so many people working on a projects that all the problems will be accessed. Sheer numbers are used to complete a project with the most efficiency. Collective intelligence is a concept that provides a diverse team to look under every rock to uncover any problems. The pattern is is obvious that diversity is important in a successful project. Different viewpoints provide the best insight for a project because of the different angles that it can be approached from. One issue with collective intelligence is Engagement. Engagement is simply figuring out how to get people to participate in collective intelligence. Most people will need some sort of incentive. Motivation is a key factor in transferring information properly. Sometimes material incentives are not always best. Sometimes value, and recognition play a significant role. Pages such as Wiki show that there are those who take on the role of providing information to others just for the sake of transferring knowledge. This type of motivation is what promotes learning and keeps people engaged. Intellectual property is one of the primary concerns. It is important that when a company seeks external information that it goes about the right way of assuming ownership and being positive that the intellectual property is positively known that it is that participants to give. If not done properly, lawsuits could erupt from such misconceptions. These are just a few of the many ideas in collective intelligence. This concept as been proven to be essential  for knowledge management.

Assignment #5

I believe that one of the important factors of Nucor Steel's competitive advantage is their philosophy on decentralized management. There are only five managerial levels at Nucor. This provides a more cost efficient operation. The majority of the operation decisions are made at the division level or lower which is important because the higher up management levels can worry about more important things such as ways to further increase profitability. With an estimated 75 employees in corporate offices and staff members it maintains the smallest number of corporate office employees for a corporation of that size. Once again, this making the operations of the company more cost efficient. Another factor is the technological factor. Nucor Steel was among the first companies to implement electric arc furnaces in their operations. By using this, Nucor was able to melt down countless tons of steel from all sources. This results in high profitability. Nucor also implemented a system offering incentives to their employees for working hard. If productivity is exceeding expectations, employees are paid weekly bonuses. This is a very good way to receive great results from all employees. If the company is doing well, employees are paid better at the end of the year. This system will keep employees motivated on a daily basis. The reward system not only rewards the employees who are working hard, but the company as well. The steel business is a very competitive business but with the innovation in operations and stripping away management levels along with employee incentives,Nucor has become one of the most profitable steel production companies in the world.

Assignment #4

Neural Networks are a non linear, adaptive systems that are inspired by the biological nervous system such as the brain. They can identify and learn correlating patterns between input data sets and corresponding target values. Neural networks can be trained to predict the outcome of new independent data. 

Credit card companies use neural networks to monitor card activity of the user. The network is able to develop a pattern of the users spending activity. From this it can figure out more about the person and that persons spending habits.This network develops a pattern and when that pattern seems broken from an unusual spending characteristic it is flagged. If a person normally spends between $5 and $200 on any given transaction and all of a sudden there is a $1500 charge out of state, the network will flag this as unusual activity. This benefits both the business and the consumer. The business such as Discover for example, is able to save money by preventing any further theft. The user is also benefited by saving money and possibly their credit score. This is a very important system that helps millions of users everyday. People fall victim to identity theft and credit card fraud everyday so this system has been implemented and is very precise in stopping fraud. 

Neural networks are new to weather prediction. Inputs would include weather reports from surrounding areas. Outputs would be the future weather in our area.  Even though we already have a current system of predicting the weather, the complexity of weather predictions using conventional computer analysis proves to be too demanding.  The use of a neural network, however, which learns rather than analyzing has shown to be very proficient in predicting local rainfall with upwards of 85% accuracy. This type of system can be a game changer for everyone involved.  Meteorologists are able to predict the weather with more accuracy and can be more confident in the predictions.  The weather in one area of the world can effect the weather in that of a different area. A pattern can be created from this. Weather is very unpredictable but a complex system such as neural networking can provide us with a more accurate insight on the future weather and make an impact on how to prepare for it.

http://udini.proquest.com/view/credit-card-fraud-detection-using-goid:304810406/

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2011/12/the-neural-networks-watching-your-credit-card/

http://www.calsci.com/Weather.html

Assignment #3

Partners' system is a very complex yet, rewarding system.  Its the process of embedding knowledge into everyday work activity. By linking massive amounts of clinical knowledge to an IT system, it allows doctors to make better decision by accessing a library of information and other opinions. Plus, it is constantly updated which is a very important factor. If a doctor learns something once and it changes without them being notified, it can significantly effect the outcome of the efficiency of the treatment process. Medical records are another very important factor. Medical records indicate what medication a person might be taking at the moment and what that person the person is allergic to. This can help eliminate the risk of drug interactions. It shows previous treatments, so a doctor can determine what treatment to use for the current situation. For example, If a man visited the doctors office a year ago with strep throat 3 times within a 2 month period. A doctor can look at what treatment was used during those visits and see that they were unsuccessful therefore, will know to treat it with a different medication. When advancements are made in the field, doctors can be notified in real time so they can immediately implement the new advancements into their work. Being a knowledge based worker such as a doctor or nurse requires the knowledge of more than what the human brain can comprehend. This is why this system is so important. The system is continuously growing therefore, the success rate of treatments should grow alongside it.

Blog #2

If outputs are increased more than the inputs then you have an increase in return. Simply put, if a company expands by 50 percent and the result from that expansion leads to a 75 percent in output it would be an increase in return. Companies such as Google are a good example of this. They receive an increase in return with almost every expansion. Production recognition plays a significant role in this concept. Which further explains why Google is successful. The name alone is enough to sell a product, no matter what the product is. Economic of scale is viewed as being similar but it has a different concept. Economic of scale is the concept of perceiving that expansion will mean more sales. The cost per unit is decreased as the fixed cost is increased. Companies such as Sams Club and Costco have made a complete business out of this concept. But it doesn't stop there. You can go into almost any retail store and you will find bundle deals. Whether it be saving 50 cents by buying an extra tube of toothpaste at Walmart, or signing up for the 20 gig data plan at Verizon. Economist like Economic of scale because of its predictability.