Web 2.0

Select five applications that you have not heard of before from Popular URL's Web 2.0 awards or the webware awards and describe on your blog page how they could be useful to a business.

Scour.com

Scour is a search tool that blends results from Google, Yahoo, and MSN together. It also gives people the ability to edit searches, by manipulating where the searches come up. Businesses would be to use this as it enables people to find their website through 3 different search engines.

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13546_109-10237658-29.html?tag=mncol

Mint.com

Mint is an online financial management service. It can interface directly with a persons bank and credit card companies to keep accounts up to date. Businesses could use this service as it is free and would save a company money rather than employ an accountant or doing the financial stuff themselves.

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13546_109-10237665-29.html

About.com

About.com can help a business to sell their products and services. This is a great way for their work to be seen by professionals and for their company to get a great name for themselves. Having professional editors over look your work will tell other about.com users that their work is of a high standard

Kayak - http://www.kayak.com/

Kayak is a website which focuses on travel. It allows users to search for flights, hotels, cars, vacations, cruises, deals etc. It also enables the user to compare its search returns with that of four similar sites. Unfortunately, all pricing on the site is in $(USD), however Australian businesses would still be able to use it to source accommodation anywhere in the world and compare prices between airlines, motels, car hire companies and other travel related services. Australian motels, airlines, car hire companies etc could also find it useful to upload their details and photo's on to the site in an effort to increase their profile and sales to the lucrative US tourism market.

Maxthon.com

This can help business to improve their efficiency in the work place. Here they can do multiple things at once and this will save the employee time and the employer money. This is a great way of multi tasking in the work force.

Security and Privacy

Question 1)See if you can find an example of a privacy breach that was reported in the Australian or international news in the last 6 months. What were the consequences? i.e. legal, political, financial, personal etc. What action was taken in response to the privacy breach?

Recently in the news it was reported that a commonwealth bank customer in QLD received the private financial details of 19 others. Darren Starkey received more than 40 pages of financial statements that included names, addresses, bank account numbers, loan details and financial transactions. It was not until The Courier-Mail contacted the banks did they become aware of the problem. However they released a statement saying that they would retrieve that statements are inform the effected customers. The staff involved in the blunder have been talked to and reminded of the seriousness of the situation and the importance of customers confidentiality. The bank said that they would review their processes to ensure that a similar issue would not occur again. The breach was serious because the details the were those that could be manipulated for identity fraud.The bank in not legally required to inform their customers of a privacy breach however the Australian Privacy Commissioner has recommended full disclosure in situations were a reasonable possibility of harm could arise from the blunder.

Question 2)Have you been using Turnitin software this semester? If you have was it a positive or negative experience and why?

As of yet i have not used the Turnintin software. I wouldnt even have any idea how to use it!

Trust

1) What is meant by the following statements?

Trust is not associative (non-symmetric):

I think this means that you can't associate trust with a person or company without actually knowing them. You shouldn't just base it on what other have said. You need to workout yourself whether someone is trust worthy or not.

Trust is not transitive:

I think this means that you can hand your trust over to someone else which means that you might trust someone, but you can't make another person trust them until they've realised for themselves that they can trust them.

Trust is always between exactly 2 parties:

I think this means that you can't have one way trust where you trust a person but they don't trust you back. In a relationship, trust must go both ways for it to be successful.

Trust will involve either direct trust or recommender trust:

Direct trust is where you trust a person because they haven't let you down. Recommender Trust is where you trust a person because someone else has told you that they are trust worthy.

2a) Have a look at the following websites. What are some of the elements that have been incorporated to increase your trust in the sites? If there are also some aspects which decrease your level of trust describe them as

well.

http://www.eBay.com.au

You have to have a log in and an account to purchase things.

http://www.anz.com.au

You need to have an account plus a password to access things. It looks very organised which makes you think it's a trust worthy site.

http://www.ozrural.com

It seems to be up to date which shows the website it being properly looked after which gives you the impression that its trustworthy.

http://www.paypal.com.au

You need a log in which means that if you don't tell anyone else your login, then no-one else should known it unless the actual company uses your details. However this doesn't seem likely because of how popular the site is.

2b) Find a web site yourself that you think looks untrustworthy.

I think this site looks untrustworthy. http://www.kanoodle.com

Online Auctions

Q1: eBay is one of the only major Internet "pure plays" to consistently make a profit from its inception. What is eBay's business model? Why has it been so successful?

eBay's primary business model is a brokerage model. It has been so succesful because:

• eBay allows consumers to purchase things that aren't in normal stores
• consumers can buy items without leaving their house
• consumers can purchase goods that are almost new for a lower cost
• Items can be purchased easily interstate
• eBay is a very trusted site
  

Q2: Other major web sites, like Amazon.com and Yahoo!, have entered the auction marketplace with far less success than eBay. How has eBay been able to maintain its dominant position?

eBay has kept its dominant position by continuing to provide an efficient service and a trusted service. eBay provides a way of coomunicating with potential buyers and sellers throughout the world and I think this makes people think that they can trust each other.

Q3: What method does eBay use to reduce the potential for fraud among traders on its site? What kinds of fraud, if any, are eBay users most susceptible?

eBay use a range of methods to stop potential fraud among the traders on their site. These include:

• only using safe payment methods such as PayPal. With PayPal your account information is hidden from sellers.
• Never trade outside the eBay site. Items purchased outside the site may not be eligible for PayPal Buyer Protection.
• Never use Western Union, MoneyGram or other instant wire transfer services which are prohibited on eBay.
• Remember: If an offer sounds too good to be true – it probably is. Don’t believe a seller who says that eBay is holding goods at its warehouse. eBay is a marketplace that brings together sellers and buyers. They never take possession of items from sellers or hold money from buyers.
  
  
  Q4: eBay makes every effort to conceptualize its users as a community (as opposed to, say "customers" or "clients"). What is the purpose of this conceptual twist and does eBay gain something by doing it?

The purpose of this twist is so that everyone feels equal and doesn't feel they have more pressure on themselves because they're either buying or selling. By doing this eBay gains respect and trust from the people in its "community" and they will continue to utilise the services that eBay has to offer.

Q5: eBay has long been a marketplace for used goods and collectibles. Today, it is increasingly a place where major businesses come to auction their wares. Why would a brand name vendor set-up shop on eBay?

They would set up shop on eBay because so many people use and browise eBay that they would get sales from this. Where as, consumers are less likely to go to a certain companies website and specifically look for a product but if it shows up on eBay then a consumer might buy it because they can. Also it gives brand names good exposure without having to fork out a lot of money.

Digital Automata

Question 1

Write a pararaph describing the Turing test and another paragraph describing an argument against the Turing test known as the Chinese Room?

The Turing test was contrived by Alan Turing as a test of a machines capability to demonstrate intelligence. It was based on a party game known as the “Imitation Game”, where a male and female are separated from the other guests who try to tell them apart through a series of typewritten questions and answers. The male and female try to convince the guests that they are the other person. In the Turing test a human judge engages in a text-only conversation with a machine and a human each of which aims to appear human. All participants are in separate locations. If the judge is unable to tell the two participants apart the machine is considered to have passed the test and demonstrated intelligence. Since it was conceived in the 1950’s the Turing test has become a key concept in artificial intelligence philosophy.

The Chinese Room argument, proposed by John Searle in 1980, challenges the Turing test by endeavoring to demonstrate that a machine such as a computer does not think, and can therefore never be described as having a “mind” no matter how intelligent it appears. The Chinese Room thought experiment begins with the supposition that a computer that behaves as if it understands Chinese exists. Searle hypothesizes that the computer is programmed so successfully that a human Chinese speaker is convinced that the machine is another human Chinese speaker. The computer easily passes the Turing test, and advocates of artificial intelligence would surmise that the computer understands Chinese. Searle then proposes that he is in a closed room with a book that contains an English version of the computer program because he does not speak Chinese. He receives Chinese characters and processes them manually following the program instructions. He, in essence, is performing the same task as the computer, yet it is obvious that he does not understand Chinese. Searle asserts that both he and the computer are simply following a step-by-step process which only simulates artificial intelligence. There is no intentionality in the process and therefore no actual thought or understanding is involved.

Question 2
Can virtual agents succeed in delivering high-quality customer service over the Web?

I believe that as technology advances, virtual agents can succeed in delivering high-quality customer service over the Web. There are a number of advantages in having a virtual agent deliver customer service over the Web including 24/7 service, no waiting in phone queues and the satisfaction of solving a problem yourself without having to rely on another person. One major issue that would need to be overcome is the programs ability to interpret everyday language and deliver a relevant answer. Customers would become very impatient and frustrated if like the “cybertwins” the virtual agent delivers a totally irrelevant answer to a question. With technological development increasing exponentially, it is only a matter of time before businesses can deliver a high-quality, automated, customer service function over the Web.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing_test
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Room

Digital Markets

Question 1
a) What experiences have you had with shopping online?

I've had only good experiences with shopping online and havent had items i've paid for not turn up. Examples include uding E-Bay and ordering items off websites.
b) Describe a good experience.

A good one was when i purchased a limited edition football jumper off a wesbite.
c) What did you like about the online store you used?

Easier to use and browse from the comfort of your own home.
d) Describe a bad experience.

Haven't had any yet but if I purchased something and it didn't get sent to you, I'd imagine it would be hard to be re-embursed.
e) What problems did you have with the online store?

Perhaps the only problem i've had is that you don't get to actually see something before you purchase it.
f) What features make an online store more appealing?

Being able to purchase things from the comfort of your home.
g) What features make an online store less appealing?

Not being able to actually see things before buying them.
h) Should we expect to see the prices of goods and services rise or fall due to the migration of consumers online?

I'm not exactly sure because prices could fall because online shopping is becoming more popular with more salses occuring. However, online shops could increase their prices because more people are prepared to purchase an item, even if it's more expensive then what it used to be.

Question 2

a) The dispersion of prices (that is, the spread between the lowest and highest price for a particular product) will narrow.

I believe it will get lower because in the document it says that margin's should become lower.
b) The importance of brand names will decrease.

I think it may become a little less important but only fractionally because people will still buy items they believe are of the highest quality.
c) Price competition will make all products cheaper.

I believe it would because competitors will lower their prices to attract customers.
d) Digital markets will become dominated by a handful of mega-sites, like Amazon.com.

No because there are so many new websites being developed and Amazon can't buy them all out. However the new websites need to be advertised to get the consumers attention.
e) How do you think the balance of power between buyer’s and seller’s will change?

Buyer's will be able to influence prices because if more people are purchasing goods from different seller's, they may be forced to lower their prices to stay ahead of their competition.
f) Prices are clustered online.

They could be because seller's will all be trying to have the lowest price possible without losing to much money
g) Online prices are elastic. ( i.e. immune to change up and down with demand)

No because if their is a shortage of items, the price will still rise because their won't be as many to sell.
h) Online prices are generally transparent (the extent to which prices for a given product or service are known by buyers in the marketplace.).

Yes because it's still a competitive market online.

Question 3

a) What types of m-commerce services does your cell phone provider offer?
Internet Access which allows you to purchase items using your phone. Mobile bill payment, Banking and financial services, Location-based services and Games and entertainment.

b) Which of these services do you use?

I only used it to pay my Mobile Bill.

c) What types of transactions do you perform through your cell phone or other wireless device?

Only to pay my phone bill.

d) What types of transactions would you like to perform, but are currently unable to?

None really because I prefer to use my computer.

e) What is your opinion of wireless advertising/mobile marketing?

It would get more publicity but it would frustrate me to have my mobile flooded with advertising.

Business Models

Question 1

Describe the features of each of these business models giving an example of each.

Brokerage: A "brokerage" or a "brokerage firm" is a business that acts as a broker. A broker is a party that mediates between a buyer and a seller. A broker who also acts as a seller or as a buyer becomes a principal party to the deal. A brokerage firm is a business that specializes in trading stocks. Examples include Ebay and Paypal.

Advertising: Advertising is a form of communication that typically attempts to persuade potential customers to purchase or to consume more of a particular brand of product or service. Eg. Television commercials.

Infomediary: An infomediary works as a personal agent on behalf of consumers to help them take control over information gathered about them for use by marketers and advertisers. The infomediary business model recognizes that there is value in this personal data and the infomediary seeks to act as a trusted agent, providing the opportunity and means for clients to monetize and profit from their own information profiles. Eg. Amazon

Merchant: Merchants function as professionals who deal with trade, dealing in commodities that they do not produce themselves, in order to produce profit. Eg. Shop owner.

Manufacturer: Direct manufacturing is an evolving concept in manufacturing technology. The idea is to obtain the advantages of conventional mass production (such as high output volume, low unit cost, reliable interchangeability and quality control, and minimized need for person - hours of labor) while bypassing its disadvantages (mainly the capital intensity and lead time associated with toolroom work). Eg. Food processing.

Affiliate: An affiliate is a commerical entity with a relationship with a peer or a larger entity. Eg. A ‘blogger’ may be “affiliated” with an e-commerce web site.

Community: A virtual community or online community is a group of people that primarily interact via communication media such as newsletters, telephone, email, internet social network services or instant messages rather than face to face, for social, professional, educational or other purposes. Eg. Facebook.

Subscription: The subscription business model is a business model where a customer must pay a subscription price to have access to the product/service. The model was pioneered by magazines and newspapers, but is now used by many businesses and websites. Rather than selling products individually, a subscription sells periodic (monthly or yearly or seasonal) use or access to a product or service. Eg. Alpha Sports Magazine Subscription.

Utility: In economics, utility is a measure of the relative satisfaction from, or desirability of, consumption of various goods and services.Utility software is computer software designed to help manage and tune the computer hardware, operating system or application software by performing a single task or a small range of tasks. Eg. Anti-virus scans.

SOURCE:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Question 2

1) What is the Mobile phone use/100 population - compare Australia, USA, China and India.

Australia 102.49 USA 83.51 China 41.19 India 19.98

2) What is the Internet use/100 population - compare Australia, USA, China and India.

Australia 54.19 USA 71.94 China 15.81 India 6.93

3) Compare main strengths and weaknesses of Australia or your home country in the survey.

In general, Australia fares fairly well across all aspects of the technology survey, with government readiness, buyer sophistication, telephone call costs and overall usage all ranking high. The few weaknesses that Australia possesses compared to other countries include overall network readiness (went from 44 in 2006/7 to 54 in 2008/9), as well as the lowly ranked rates of Internet access in schools and individual / government Information Technology usage.

4) What does the survey suggest to you about the Information Technology readiness of Australian business compared to Australian consumers?

The Information Technology readiness of Australian businesses ranks at 22 in the world, whereas the I.T. readiness of Australian consumers ranks at 13. It could be said that both are dependant upon each other, and although the rankings may indicate Australia is lacking in this area, the schooling in relation to technology figures (ranked 11) compares well to other developed countries - which probably reflects that Australia is indeed on the road to improving further.

SOURCE:http://www.weforum.org/en/index.htm