Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Ian
Week 7 - Digital Automa
Turing Test - "The Turing test is a proposal for a test of a machine's ability to demonstrate intelligence. It proceeds as follows: a human judge engages in a natural language conversation with one human and one machine, each of which tries to appear human. All participants are placed in isolated locations. If the judge cannot reliably tell the machine from the human, the machine is said to have passed the test. In order to test the machine's intelligence rather than its ability to render words into audio, the conversation is limited to a text-only channel such as a computer keyboard and screen." (Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing_test)
Chinese Room Argument - "John Searle's (1980a) thought experiment and associated (1984) derivation - is one of the best known and widely credited counters to claims of artificial intelligence (AI), i.e., to claims that computers do or at least can (someday might) think. According to Searle's original presentation, the argument is based on two truths: brains cause minds, and syntax doesn't suffice for semantics. Its target, Searle dubs "strong AI": "according to strong AI," according to Searle, "the computer is not merely a tool in the study of the mind, rather the appropriately programmed computer really is a mind in the sense that computers given the right programs can be literally said to understand and have other cognitive states" (1980a, p. 417). Searle contrasts "strong AI" to "weak AI". According to weak AI, according to Searle, computers just simulate thought, their seeming understanding isn't real (just as-if) understanding, their seeming calculation as-if calculation, etc.; nevertheless, computer simulation is useful for studying the mind (as for studying the weather and other things)."
(Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, http://www.iep.utm.edu/c/chineser.htm)
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Week 6 Questions - Digital Markets
a) What experiences have you had with shopping online? I have never really shopped online but when i have i have bought items on eBay. It seems to be very popular and easy to use.
b) Describe a good experience. When i bought a DVD off the internet it was cheap and the quality was perfect and the same as what you would buy in any store
c) What did you like about the online store you used? eBay is very easy to use and fun because of the amount of items and the vast range of things that you can buy and also the safety of payment
d) Describe a bad experience. Once i bought a product and the buyer never sent it to me
e) What problems did you have with the online store? Some sellers can be difficult to deal with. They dont send the product you buy, prices are to dear and also the way you pay for the item can be challenging sometimes.
f) What features make an online store more appealing? The ease of use, the functionality of the page, the range of products
g) What features make an online store less appealing? If you have a bad experience you will be less likely to use or revisit the site again
h) Should we expect to see the prices of goods and services rise or fall due to the migration of consumers online? I think the price of goods will fall due to the migration of consumers online. The will be more demand for consumers services as it will be a major market prices will fall becuase firms will want more business.
Question 2
a) The dispersion of prices (that is, the spread between the lowest and highest price fora particular product) will narrow. At the moment the research shows there is high price dispersion, i think that in time prices will narrow as firms will fight for consumers business therefore cannot have to higher prices
b) The importance of brand names will decrease. I think that the importance of brand names will remain as people need to have trust in products, and not always go for lower prices
c) Price competition will make all products cheaper. Price competition will not necessarily make all products cheaper. Firms will base prices on a consumers willingness to pay for what the product is
d) Digital markets will become dominated by a handful of mega-sites, like Amazon.com. I do believe this statement. Consumers tend to rely on trust and by being a major site they have an advantage of being well knwon and trusted and dependibility is a massive key.
e) How do you think the balance of power between buyer’s and seller’s will change? Buyer's will eventually get the edge and have more say in price determination. Basic concept of supply and demand and as we move toward a more technological world demand will increase on the internet and therefore buyers will have the edge when it comes to products and services.
Question 3
a) What types of m-commerce services does your cell phone provider offer? My mobile phone provider offers games, music, mobile bill payment, all services that the interent can provide
b) Which of these services do you use? I use the internet throughout my phone so i can use banking, games, music, bill payment and so on
c) What types of transactions do you perform through your cell phone or other wireless device? Pay bills and general internet browsing
d) What types of transactions would you like to perform, but are currently unable to? I would like to be able to video call people but cannot as i do not have the capabilities
e) What is your opinion of wireless advertising/mobile marketing? I personally find wireless advertising annoying although it could be useful to some people. I find it annoying because i dont want my inbox constantly flooded full of stuff i dont want or need.
Week 5 Questions - Business Models
Advertising - The web advertising model is an extension of the traditional media broadcast model. The broadcaster, in this case, a web site, provides content (usually, but not necessarily, for free) and services (like email, IM, blogs) mixed with advertising messages in the form of banner ads. The banner ads may be the major or sole source of revenue for the broadcaster. The broadcaster may be a content creator or a distributor of content created elsewhere. The advertising model works best when the volume of viewer traffic is large or highly specialized.
Infomediary - Data about consumers and their consumption habits are valuable, especially when that information is carefully analyzed and used to target marketing campaigns. Independently collected data about producers and their products are useful to consumers when considering a purchase. Some firms function as infomediaries (information intermediaries) assisting buyers and/or sellers understand a given market.
Merchant - Wholesalers and retailers of goods and services. Sales may be made based on list prices or through auction.
Manufacturer (Direct) - The manufacturer or "direct model", it is predicated on the power of the web to allow a manufacturer (i.e., a company that creates a product or service) to reach buyers directly and thereby compress the distribution channel. The manufacturer model can be based on efficiency, improved customer service, and a better understanding of customer preferences
Affiliate - In contrast to the generalized portal, which seeks to drive a high volume of traffic to one site, the affiliate model, provides purchase opportunities wherever people may be surfing. It does this by offering financial incentives (in the form of a percentage of revenue) to affiliated partner sites. The affiliates provide purchase-point click-through to the merchant. It is a pay-for-performance model -- if an affiliate does not generate sales, it represents no cost to the merchant. The affiliate model is inherently well-suited to the web, which explains its popularity. Variations include, banner exchange, pay-per-click, and revenue sharing programs.
Community - The viability of the community model is based on user loyalty. Users have a high investment in both time and emotion. Revenue can be based on the sale of ancillary products and services or voluntary contributions; or revenue may be tied to contextual advertising and subscriptions for premium services. The Internet is inherently suited to community business models and today this is one of the more fertile areas of development, as seen in rise of social networking.
Subscription - Users are charged a periodic -- daily, monthly or annual -- fee to subscribe to a service. It is not uncommon for sites to combine free content with "premium" (i.e., subscriber- or member-only) content. Subscription fees are incurred irrespective of actual usage rates. Subscription and advertising models are frequently combined.
Utility. - The utility or "on-demand" model is based on metering usage, or a "pay as you go" approach. Unlike subscriber services, metered services are based on actual usage rates. Traditionally, metering has been used for essential services (e.g., electricity water, long-distance telephone services).
(Answers sourced from: BUSINESS MODELS ON THE WEB, Michael Rappa)http://digitalenterprise.org/models/models.html#Brokerage
1) What is the Mobile phone use /100 population - compare Australia, USA, China, India, Your Country
Mobile phone use per 100 population describes how many mobile phone users there are for every 100 people.
Australia is 102.5, China is 41.2, USA is 83.5, India is 6.9
2) Internet use / 100 population - compare Australia, USA, China, India, Your CountryAustralia is 54.2, China is 15.8, USA is 71.9, India is 20
3) Compare main strengths and weaknesses of Australia or your home country in the survey
Australia seems to be one of the world leaders when it comes to technology and accessibility.
4) What does the survey suggest to you about the Information Technology readiness of Australian business compared to Australian consumers?
Australia seems to be lagging behind when it compares business to individual readiness. The data suggest that we are ranked further behind our counterparts when it comes to readiness for technology in the business sector.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Week 3 Questions
"Customer-centric" means creating a Web site that is centered around customer wants and needs. Savvy businesses are realizing that focusing their site on customer benefits and ensuring its visitors a unique experience are key drivers of sales, loyalty, and much-desired word-of-mouth advertising. By proactively considering the needs, wants, and beneficial preferences of your customers, you can make more effective decisions about the content, offerings, design, and processes available on your site." http://www.4hb.com/0520cpcustomercentric.html
It is very important as the preferences of the customer base can dictate what sites they visit.
The difficulty in being customer centric is that you can never truly cater to all the needs and wants of the customers, therefore it is more poractive to focus more on the market.
2. Define the term 'presence'. Write an additional paragraph that describes why firms that do business on the Web should be more concerned about presence than firms that operate in the physical world.
"Web presence refers to the appearance of a person or organization on the World Wide Web.
A company has web presence if it is available on the web. The amount of web presence can be measured in the amount of sites an organization or individual has, which can include their own website, social network profiles, and their site's search engine ranking, traffic, popularity, and backlinks." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_presence
A business that operates completely online should be more concerned about presence because they do not actullay operate and have face to face contact with its clients. By being able to communicate in person when buying goods or services, firms in the physical world can entice a customer and make them feel more confident in what they are buying.
3. Write three paragraphs to briefly describe the things that Real Estate Agents can best accomplish through (1) their web sites (2) Mass media advertising (3) Personal contact
1. By having web sites, Real Estate agents can have a large range of houses and property that can be very easily and quickly viewed and clients can find what they are and arent looking for rather than spending time driving between properties.
2. They can accomplish what mass media advertising is designed to achieve reaching a large audience and if the need for their services ever comes up they will be on the clients mind as they have seen the advertising for the Agent.
3. By having personal contact with clients, Real Estate agents can be more personable with their clients, and clients will feeel confident that they can communicate with their agent and then open up to their needs and wants and what they are looking for. By having face to face contact they are making clients feel safe and confident with their agents knowledge on market and housing issues.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Week 2 Questions
a) What are the four (4) main points Michael Rappa makes about search?
According to Michael Rappa a search engine has four major characteristics or it does four main things which are:
“It’s a database. It’s a collection mechanism for adding data into that database. It’s a search protocol that enables users to query the database. And it’s a ranking algorithm that determines how the results are presented to the user.” Michael Rappa, http://digitalenterprise.org/transcripts/navigation_tr.html
b) Watch or read the Marissa Mayer interview. Write a paragraph or two, on four points made by Marissa Mayer, that you think were the most interesting or significant for business. There are no right or wrong answers here, I just want your opinion.
I think one of the most interesting points in the interview is where Marissa talks about ideas and how everything starts with ideas. Ideas are essential to business growth and it is extremely important to keep things fresh and interesting so no matter where the ideas come from such as users or engineers, it is always good to have different opinions on things.
Product Management is another interesting concept for business. According to Marissa it’s “trying to pull together a vision of how do you fill the users’ needs and do that based on the best technology available and do that in a way that’s really scalable, sustainable and ultimately build a good business.” http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/03/06/marissa-mayer-on-charlie-rose-the-future-of-google/
Sales driven or marketing driven? That is the question. As companies grow, it is said they usually take a path into being sale or marketing driven. This is where organisations can lose focus. By staying technologically driven, firms can stay ahead of the pack and be up to speed with user and consumer wants and needs.
People are the key to great business. Having the right people with the right attitude and smarts can be a very successful component in any business is one of the more interesting thoughts of Marissa. I think that having the right people with the right vision is definitely the biggest aspect of any business and it can make a business go boom or bust.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Week 1 Questions
A transactional website is one where consumers are able to purchase goods or services online. There are many positives to such technology, the ease of use, convience but there are also many drawbacks.
- The computer or internet may crash meanin loss of data, or a cease to trading for that company
- Security is not always safe. Could result in a theft of identity or a theft of financial information
- Consumers may have difficulty in contacting people or the company for information
- Consumers aren't able to physically inspect goods before they purchase them.
2) Write down a definition for each:
a) E-commerce: Is basically a definition for purchasing goods or services over the web or electronically.
b) E-business: Is the broader term for doing business online. It is more of a umbrella term that is used when talking about the complete online presence in the form of business. E-Commerce would come under the umbrella of E-Business
3) What is the difference between buy side and sell side eCommerce?
Buy-side e-commerce refers to transactions to procure resources needed by an organization from its suppliers. Sell-side e-commerce refers to transactions involved with selling products to an organization’s customers. So e-commerce transaction between organizations can be considered from two perspectives: sell-side from the perspective of the selling organization and buy-side from the perspective of the buying organization." (http://www.davechaffey.com/E-business/C1-Introduction/E-business-E-commerce-defined)
4) Describe the different types of eBusiness
B2B (business to business): Business communications with other businesses such as the placement of purchase orders with your supplier.
B2C (business to consumer: Business communications with your consumers such as a regular newsletter or sale completed via your website (eCommerce).
B2G (business to government): Business communications with Government entities such as online taxation lodgement.
5) Which digital technology has the highest penetration rate? Explain and source your answer.
I think telecommunications and mobile phones have the highest penetration rate within todays free world. Most people in today's society have mobile phones and text messaging would have to be one of the most common ways to keep in contact with people.
"A new research report claims that 30 countries around the world now have a greater number of mobile phone subscriptions than the size of their population.
The study from Informa Telecoms and Media, a provider of business intelligence and strategic marketing solutions, says that countries including Hong Kong, Kuwait and the Czech Republic have a mobile phone penetration rate of over 100%, while in some markets such as Sweden, the United Kingdom and Italy the penetration rate is over 110%." http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ECZ/is_2006_June_9/ai_n16464839
6) List::Four drivers to adoption of sell-side e-commerce by business.
- An increase in sales or revenue for the business
- Reduction in supplier costs
- Reduction in Admin costs because it is all online
- Minimise costs of marketing and advertising through traditional avenues such as radio, tv, print media
7) Four barriers to adoption of sell-side e-commerce by business.
- Initial set-up costs can be expensive
- Lack of time and resources
- Some people might not have the knowledge to set up an online presence
- Not enough interest in the business to set up online
8) How might a restaurant in Sturt Street Ballarat benefit from an online presence?
A restaurant could benefit from and online presence by simply having a website set up with information. Many people use the internet as a to.ol to search for goods or services and with many mobile devices now set up with internet capabilities the ease of which to search can be convient for all
9) What are some examples of Digital information??
Some examples of digital information are:
- Cd's, DVD's, TV, e-Books, Internet, computer games and even radio
10) What is the semantic web? Are we there yet?
The Semantic Web is an evolving extension of the World Wide Web in which the semantics of information and services on the web is defined, making it possible for the web to understand and satisfy the requests of people and machines to use the web content.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_Web
I dont think we are at the stage of a semantic web. The internet still only has the capabilities of what we as humans can program it to do. I believe it will be a long time until the internet can understand the concept of human emotion and wants and needs.
