Social networking sites have become increasingly popular in the past five years changing how we interact with each other online. Leaders in the tech industry are shuffling to adjust to the popularity of these sites, creating numerous spin-offs and imitators. MySpace has been leading the social networking pack for years, but a new kid on the block, Facebook, has served up fierce competition recently. Comparisons between the two sites are inevitable, but exactly how similar are they? Will one or the other eventually come out on top, or is there room in cyberspace for both?
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March 19, 2008
March 19, 2008
Heather: Online Commerce and Seller Reputation…
Posted by hapiegal under Discussion LeaderLeave a Comment
The article I found discussing online commerce is entitled Seller Reputation, Information Signals, and Prices for Heterogeneous Coins on eBay and was written by Mikhail I. Melnik and James Alm. This article is a study conducted to determine whether or not sellers’ reputations affect a buyer’s eagerness to purchase goods from them online. They looked specifically at the purchasing of coins on eBay. They also looked at other variables that might effect the purchasing of items, such as “the presence or absence of visual scans of the coin” and “certification of the coin’s quality by a credible third party” (Melnik & Alm 2005).
Melnik, M., Alm J. (2005). Seller reputation, information signals, and prices for heterogeneous coins on eBay. Southern Economic Journal, 72(2), 305. Retrieved February 23, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database.
*YouTube Video: eBay ratings: largely positive records and negative feedback
March 19, 2008
Networking for Knowledge
- One Laptop per Child (OLPC) Foundation
- Founded in 2005 by Nicholas Negroponte
- Initial goal: To provide 150 million laptops to kids in developing countries by 2008
- Laptops would only cost $100; sold directly to governments
Problems with Development
- Initially designed with hand crank to provide reliable power supply
- Difficulty in meeting $100 pricepoint ($188)
- Demand nowhere as high as expected
- Resistance from educators and administrators
Competition
- Intel Classmate PC, powered by Microsoft Windows
- Huge untapped market for PC owners in undeveloped countries
- Microsoft offering XP/Office package for $3 (OLPC=Linux)
- Countries seeming to prefer big brands
Remember the Goal…
- How does competition benefit the children?
- Why should $188 be spent on a laptop instead of books?
- How will computer training children to enter the global marketplace?
- OLPC vs. Classmate PC?
Links:
Link to Slideshare: “Networking for Knowledge”
Butler, Declan. (2007). The Race to Wire Up the Poor. Nature, Vol. 447, iss. 7140; 6-7. Retrieved Jan. 30, 2008, from Proquest database/UW Holdings.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v447/n7140/full/447006a.html
OLPC detailed photo:
http://www.37signals.com/svn/images/olpc.jpg
With hand crank:
http://www.digi-help.com/hardware/images/olpc-mit-laptop.jpg
Intel Classmate PC:
http://img.hexus.net/v2/internationalevents/ifa2007/Day2/Classmate-big.jpg
Nigerian classroom with OLPC:
http://i.n.com.com/i/ne/p/2007/olpc_05_550×413.jpg
March 17, 2008
The New York Times, the most prominent newspaper in the U.S., is responding to structural changes in the media market by emphasizing its online presence and multimedia news coverage. The New York Times, or nytimes.com, changed its motto from “All the news that’s fit to print” to “All the news that’s fit to click”. The New York Times has had to repurpose its brand through its website to become more responsive to the rapidly changing way people read/view their news.
Citations:
1) Ouellette, D. (2007, November). Web is the new gray. Mediaweek, 17(42), 10,12-13. Retrieved February 10, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 1389667121).
2) Dunlap, D. The sounds of a newsroom. The New York Times. Retrieved February 10, 2008 from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/10/weekinreview/10dunlap.html?_r=1&oref=sloginYork Times.
