R^o^ S E

วันจันทร์ที่ 13 กุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2555

Chapter 13 The copyright

"Copyright piracy," meaning the digital copying of music and movies and, sooner or later, books, is a legal problem that hasn't gone away. The implications are huge. The music industry loses large amounts of money on music shared across the internet. It consequently pushes the adoption of totalitarian controls, which are the only kind that could work. In fact companies that lose money on digitized copying are proposing remote controls over everyone's computer that the FBI would not dare suggest.Much more is involved that teenagers stealing ghastly noise.
Regarding all of which, a few thoughts.
People argue that piracy deprives authors of their legitimate royalties. Maybe. A case can be made that copyright hurts writers by reducing sales of books. Consider:
Books cost too much. A hardback today costs twenty or twenty-five dollars. I will not pay twenty-five bucks for a book I will read once and put on a shelf. If books cost a dollar per each, I would buy without thought any that appeared interesting. If it disappointed me, I wouldn't care.
Now, about current prices of books: It is important to distinguish between money that goes to the author, and money that goes to the publishing industry. Authors typically get royalties of roughly five percent-that is, a dollar on a twenty-dollar book. (This may be slightly off. I haven't fought with New York for a while.) The rest goes to the industry. Some of it covers costs of production and distribution, yes, but it doesn't go to the author.
Certainly we ought to pay authors. They create something of value. Writing a book can easily take a year of full-time work. The publishing industry serves only as a middle man. It is no more necessary, nor deserving of protection, than a slide-rule factory. At best it serves as an inefficient means of distributing books. At worst, it abuses writers. For example, a beginning writer has no choice but to agree to restrictive contracts that make him a virtual slave to the publisher. Either he signs, or he doesn't get published.
So the question becomes how to get the author his dollar without paying an additional nineteen to hucksters in New York.
Suppose that, instead of paying twenty dollars for a hardback, I could download the same book from a website, pay a dollar by credit card, and know that the author would receive it. I would buy a lot more books. The author of each would earn as much as if I had bought his hardback. I would be happier with more books, the authors would be happy with more sales-and New York would be out of the loop.
For example, I like P.J. O'Rourke. Yet I have read only two of his books. Why? Well, I don't much like libraries because going to them is a nuisance and I always forget to return books on time. When I'm in a library, P.J. slips my mind. I won't pay New York sixty bucks to read three books. Now I'm in Mexico. English libraries are scarce.
But I'd download all of P.J. right now if I could pay a buck or two each, and burn them onto a CD for later rereading.
For this to work, we would have to have electronic book-readers that were pleasant to use and didn't cost too much. They exist, but do cost too much. They aren't much good because copyright keeps most books from being available for download. When a new book is downloadable the distributors sometimes try to charge the same twenty bucks you would pay for a hardback. It's nuts.
The technical challenge of making a reader with a clear screen and the size and feel of a book is not great.
But there is a problem with digital downloads: Once a book were loose on the web in digital form, people could get it without paying. A friend could simply email it to you, for example. The question arises: Would people pay a dollar for a book they could get free?
I think they might.
Suppose I wanted a particular book and could find it easily on a central download site. Suppose further that the page describing the book had a button that said, "Contribute to the author," which would let me simply and easily pay to the authoran amount which would be charged to my credit card. I would pop for a dollar without hesitation. If I liked the book, I might well come back and tag on another few bucks. A dollar isn't worth stealing.
Now, some people would not pay. However, many people, who would not have paid $20, would buy it for a dollar.
And of course distribution on the web makes a book globally available to the entire earth. I suspect that the inconvenience of buying books, of having to go to a bookstore, substantially lowers sales. If books were available for a buck, from home, I for one would do more impulse buying.
Some arithmetic: If ten times as many downloaded the book as would have bought a hardcopy, and only twenty percent of them paid the dollar, the author would make twice as much as he would have made by selling in hardback.
The advantages of allowing unrestricted copying would be large. The intellectual heritage of mankind would be at the disposal of anyone with a computer. The internet would become a vast public library. Any book, any music, or any movie would be instantly available to anyone anywhere. The world's cultural wealth would become a public utility, like tap water.
And it is technically within grasp. All the pieces are there. We just need to assemble them, and find some way of remunerating artists without letting publishers and record companies milk us.
The alternative may be, and looks very much as if it is going to be, an elaborate system of chips and software built into all computers to allow remote authorities to monitor your files, and erase automatically ones they don't think you should have. Sounds like paranoid delusions? Read this. (Slightly techy.)
The crucial fact is the interests of government, which always wants more surveillance of citizens, and of the entertainment industry, which wants to stop piracy at any cost, are converging. Finding a way around the copyright question would eliminate the support of business for spying.
A lot more is involved than the theft of Santayana.

Chapter 12 Knowledge Management

 

Knowledge management



eGain KnowledgeAgent™ guarantees high-quality customer service by infusing your customer service agents with knowledge, making them as productive and educated as your best agents. It ensures fast, consistent and accurate answers to increase customer satisfaction by providing agents and other users a range of ways to get to information in the common knowledge base.

Use a proven contact center solution, implemented by 300 leading enterprises
In an environment where customer retention is a key business imperative, companies should look for proven solutions when it comes to implementing knowledge management in their contact centers. eGain has delivered innovative knowledge-powered customer service solutions to enterprises for well over a decade. eGain was the first company to provide a guided knowledge solution. eGain KnowledgeAgent benefits from all the best practices we have learned in the course of successful knowledge management implementations in over 300 enterprises across the globe.


Support agents of all levels with multiple access modes and roles 



eGain KnowledgeAgent enables both novice and expert agents to find the answers they need, easily and efficiently. Based on the agent's role (Level 1, Level 2, etcetera.), the agent can view appropriate levels of information and use different access methods. For example, a novice agent could be forced to go through an interactive Q&A session with the application through a guided-help interface to resolve a customer issue. An expert, on the other hand, would use browse-and-search access mode to complement the guided help interface to be more efficient. Equally important, the business administrator can set up roles for agents that determine their ability to create and document new knowledge into the system.
http://www.egain.com/products/knowledge_management.asp

วันจันทร์ที่ 6 กุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2555

Chapter 11 Information Systems

Hilton's Customer-information System, Called OnQ, 
Rolling Out Across 8 Hotel Brands; Seeking Guest
Loyalty and Competitive Advantage
with Proprietary Technology
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BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Aug. 31, 2004 -- Hilton Hotels Corporation (NYSE:HLT) announced today that having completed deployment of its proprietary technology platform called OnQ(TM) across all of its more than 2,200 Hilton Family Hotels, including Hilton(R), Conrad(R), Doubletree(R), Embassy Suites Hotels(R), Hampton Inn(R), Hampton Inn & Suites(R), Hilton Garden Inn(R), Hilton Grand Vacations Club(R) and Homewood Suites by Hilton(R), the company continues to utilize technology to enhance guest recognition and efficiency, rolling out or expanding the following cutting-edge programs:
  • Remote, Web-based check-in 24 hours prior to arrival enables guests with password-protected online account to select their room type and features based on preferences and history and print their confirmation document;
  • Electronic folio access enables individual business travelers to review online and print their hotel folios (hotel receipts) following their stays at any of the 2,200+ Hilton Family of Hotels; for all guests with password-protected online preferences, a first for a multi-brand hotel company;
  • Expansion of automated check-in kiosks to 100 kiosks within 45 Hilton Family hotels by year-end with an emphasis on metro and airport markets, enabling self-service check-in, room selection, check-out and a variety of other automated services; and
  • High-Speed Internet Access now is available to guests at more than 1,995 of its 2,200 hotels, bringing the Hilton Family closer to 100 percent completion than its top competitors.
"We are passionate about taking care of our guests, providing them with more choices and flexibility through effective use of technology. Being the only hospitality company utilizing a single, common technology platform across all brands and sharing real-time information across every guest touch point -- the hotel front desk, reservations, the HHonors Service Center and our brand websites -- enables us to take better care of guests at every single point of contact while ensuring their privacy," said Tom Keltner, president - brand performance and franchise development group. "Through better inventory management and enhanced recognition of returning guests at all points of interaction, we've achieved a rare feat in our industry of dramatically increasing guest recognition and loyalty scores within the past year across all brands."
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"The name, OnQ (pronounced "On Cue"), supports the Hilton Hotels Corporation 'Customer Really Matters' (CRM) strategy and represents information that is available to team members on demand, prompting them to act on guest 'cues' -- preferences and service-recovery alerts -- that will delight customers and create a bond of loyalty to the Hilton Family of Hotels," said Tim Harvey, chief information officer for Hilton Hotels Corporation. "OnQ also represents an integrated suite of tools that 'cue' hotel operators to respond decisively to current market conditions and make informed business decisions based on historical trends and competitive data."
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Web-Based Check-In Provides Greater ConvenienceAvailable within the fourth quarter 2004 at selected hotels across all brands, Web-based check-in will enable Gold and Diamond Hilton HHonors(R) members with password-protected online accounts to check into their hotel rooms in advance of arrival, regardless of how they made their reservation. Guests simply access their reservation via one of the brand websites, select a room with features that best meet their needs, and print the confirmation. Since guest information is stored within the online personal account, the hotel does not need to collect the same information at check-in.
Once the guest checks in remotely via the Web, the hotel is notified electronically of the pending arrival. The hotel front desk then completes all pre-arrival and check-in processes so that the guest's key card and registration packet are ready and waiting for the guest's arrival. Upon arrival at the hotel, guests exchange the check-in receipt for their prepared room key and welcome packet, which will be waiting for them at the hotel front desk.
"OnQ takes customer loyalty to a new level within the hospitality industry, most significantly because it enables us to continue to launch new, innovative technology that caters specifically to our guests' needs and aspirations," said Tim Harvey, chief information officer for Hilton Hotels Corporation. "Demonstrating our passion for taking care of our customers, our most recent and ongoing technological innovations are putting our guests more in control of their hotel experience, from pre-reservations to post-stay."
Guests easily can create a personal profile by visiting any of the Hilton Family brand sites and click on "Create an Account."
Electronic Folio Service Eases Travel Management & Expense Reporting
By September 1, 2004, guests who create a password-protected online account with the Hilton Family will be able to access, view and print hotel folios (itemized descriptions of hotel charges) for an unlimited number of stays at the past five hotels across all brands, through an online feature made possible by the company's OnQ technology. At program launch, guests will be able to access three months of folio history, which will be expanded to a longer period of time in early 2005.
"While we have provided electronic folios in the past to groups and corporate clients with negotiated rates, the Hilton Family is the first multi-brand company within the hotel industry to make E-Folio available to individual business travelers, across all of our brands," said Harvey. "Further easing the travel ordeal, saving time for frequent travelers, providing the convenience to facilitate expense report back-up, E-Folio is just one of the many ways we can provide peace-of-mind to our guests through their password-enabled online personal profile."
Kiosk Check-In/Check-Out Saves Time
Utilizing the OnQ technology as an enabler, Hilton developed, tested and deployed pilot kiosks in only three short months and is accelerating installations in more hotels in additional cities. Thirty kiosks now are deployed within seven hotels in Boston, Chicago, New York and San Francisco. The company is planning to install check-in kiosks in a total of 45 hotels and 100 kiosks across all brands by year-end. Deployment will focus on its company owned and managed metropolitan-area and airport hotels.
Kiosks are designed to provide guests with more choices, convenience and control. Self-service kiosks currently are being used by 10-12 percent of guests on average within the hotels that offer the service. In some hotels, as much as 35 percent of the eligible guests are utilizing the convenient technology, far exceeding company expectations. Guest services staff assigned to the kiosk area are available to assist guests who have questions.
Current enhanced-service applications for the kiosks include room check-in (ability to select the room, disbursement of room keys, and printing of registration information), check-out (printing of folio), personalized messaging to guests, and coupons for hotel services in selected locations. Upcoming enhancements include expanded ability to: offer visual room selection, hotel services such as bundled high-speed Internet access and phone services; up-sell to executive floors; and review resort package options.
Hilton Family Nears Complete Installation of High-Speed Internet Access in All Hotels
In one of the most aggressive efforts within the hotel industry to complete installation of simple, fast and reliable high-speed Internet access within all hotels across all brands, the Hilton Family is targeting the end of the fourth quarter to install HSIA in all of its 2,200+ hotels. Leading the industry in deployment progress, the company has achieved installation in more than 1,995 hotels, or roughly 90 percent installation throughout all of its hotels, including wireless in most public spaces.
OnQ Technology Resonates with Guests
OnQ improves guest recognition at check-in and provides more enhanced levels of service based on real-time access to guest preferences, information about Hilton HHonors guest reward program membership status, and past and future guest stays across all brands.
"With the award-winning OnQ system, everyone benefits," said Keltner. "Because of increased guest recognition and enhanced service levels across all guest touch points, the Hilton Family is ensuring guest loyalty, which is increasing each brand's market share among its competitive set."
Once a guest creates a password-protected account, front desk team members can recognize him or her at check-in and provide more personalized, enhanced service, including:
  • Welcoming a guest back when he or she typically stays at another of our hotels in the Hilton Family and is staying for the first-time at one of the sister brands;
  • Delivering a guest's top four guest preferences, including smoking or non-smoking room; type of bed (king or double/double); floor level; and room location relative to the elevator, among other preferences;
  • Accessing real-time information about an HHonors member's reward status;
  • Making requested adjustments to a guest's personal profile; and
  • Changing a future reservation from the hotel in which a guest currently is staying.
Since the launch of OnQ, the Hilton Family has been recognized among Computer World's 100 Best Places to Work in IT; within the Information Week Top 5 and 1st place within the Hospitality and Travel Category; and has received the Chain Leadership Award in the Category of Technology from Lodging Hospitality and as a result of being nominated by one of our technology partners, has received the Black Business Association award for Support of Minority Businesses.About the Hilton Family of Hotels
Hilton Hotels Corporation is recognized internationally as a preeminent hospitality company. The company develops, owns, manages or franchises more than 2,200 hotels, resorts and vacation ownership properties. Its portfolio includes many of the world's best known and most highly regarded hotel brands, including Hilton(R), Conrad(R), Doubletree(R), Embassy Suites Hotels(R), Hampton Inn(R), Hampton Inn & Suites(R), Hilton Garden Inn(R), Hilton Grand Vacations Club(R) and Homewood Suites by Hilton(R).
http://www.hotel-online.com

วันจันทร์ที่ 30 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2555

Chapter 10 Information Technology


 The Advantages of New Technology in Your Business

Reduced Waste

will lead to lower costs. Today, the amount of waste produced by technology can be the difference between strict environmental regulations and closure (but of course, also profitability).

Increased Productivity

where properly assessed, increased production, through efficiency and better planning, can also result from the introduction of new technology.

Less Workforce

may be needed if jobs that previously required personnel can now be automated, further reducing costs. This is an added advantage if you have few employees already, otherwise you may face redundancies.

Higher Profits

due to the increased efficiency which produces less costs. It may also be that new technology allows jobs to be completed quicker so that cash flow is more fluid.

A Higher Income

can be yours if your business is making more profit. You may even decide to give your employees a bonus that could increase their motivation.

Advanced Communications

such as the use of e-mail, computer networks and mobile phones allow information to be sent/received instantly. This is especially useful for long distances where documents and information needs to be passed on quickly. Remote work-force employers (employing travelling sales, home workers etc) have instant access to staff from mobile phones, web cams from PC’s and on-the-road lap tops.

More Competitive

as you can afford to lower the price of your product/service if your profit levels increase, without lowering your standards.




The Disadvantages of New Technology in Your Business

The Management

of new technology can be extremely difficult.
If the decision of purchasing new technology is down to you, do you buy now or wait for the next technological advance? Also, you have to decide if the technology is really needed as some things can be expensive. Integrating the technology into your workforce is another task in its self.

New Skills

may be needed to operate the new technology and so you will have to re-train your employees.

Maintenance

of the technology will be required to keep it efficient. More importantly, if it is a piece of machinery on a production line: what if it beaks down – will it put a stop to all production?

Costs

are something that will be reduced if integrated properly. You have to consider if you have the finance to purchase the technology in the first place. Secondly, if it is to replace employees, will you have to issue redundancy pay?

Time

can be lost if you have to reorganize the workplace to set up the new technology. This could be an important issue if your business works to tight deadlines.
If you have a network of PC’s (even two) you will have to know something about computers to ensure quick resolvement of IT issues.

วันจันทร์ที่ 23 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2555


Chapter 9 : Evaluation

characteristic of good websites


What makes a website successful? Keep the following points in mind when creating your website to get the most out of it:
  • Content
Quality content on your website can provide users with the information they are looking for. Content also allows you to establish yourself as an expert in your field. When your website visitors are looking to make a purchase they will feel more comfortable with your products and services if you have built their trust and confidence through what you have written on your website.
Keyword-filled content is also crucial for getting high search engine rankings. Most internet users trust search engines to help them find what they are looking for. Taking the time to create high quality content can have huge payoffs through increased search engine rankings.
  • Simple and Attractive Design
The design of a good website should be simple, yet professional. The design should not take away or distract from the content. Websites with excessive use of Flash and moving images can be very distracting. Use design to help you get your message to visitors, not to distract them from the message. Colors should not be hard on the eyes, and text should be easy to read.
  • Easy Navigation
Navigation and links provide opportunities to incorporate design elements in to the website; however, navigation schemes should not be so elaborate that the user has trouble knowing where to click to move to another page. The average visitor’s attention span is a matter of seconds, and if it is hard to find what he or she is looking for, you will loose that visitor very quickly. Links to your most important pages should be easily found on every page. A good rule of thumb is that every page should be accessible in two clicks from your home page (this may not be possible with larger sites).
  • Unique
The most successful websites will stand out from the crowd. There are a number of was that you can make your website stand out: better design, high quality articles, a blog, a newsletter, some type of resource or tool. Find something that would be appealing to your target market.
  • Fresh
Having a website that changes or is updated frequently will encourage repeat visitors. Repeat visitors will be more loyal and more likely to buy. There are a few different options for keeping your site fresh:
1- Update the site and add content occasionally – This will require you to either pay a designer or do the work yourself.
2 – Use a blog – With a blog you can add content to your website from any computer with an internet connection. All you’ll have to do is login and type. No special software or skills are required.
3 – RSS feeds – With RSS feeds you can add news headlines, weather, stock tickers, etc. to your website. Additionally, you can add content from most blogs to your site with RSS. The benefit of RSS feeds is that once in place they will automatically update.
  • Optimized
A successful website will be search engine-friendly. Optimization includes things like using page titles and meta tags for all of your pages. Using headers and alt tags for images can also help optimization and accessibility. Even a website that is strong in other areas but weak in optimization may be hard for users to find.

Example :  The Good website

Information Bias


Examples of Bias in Wikipedia: Global warming

This article lists examples of Bias in Wikipedia, related to global warming:
  1. Conservapedia posted the news about liberal corruption of global warming science (climategate) on its Main Page on the very first day: November 19th. But it took Wikipedia over two weeks to give priority to this bombshell, and even now its entry is remarkably biased against it.[1]
  2. 100's of other climatologists have been removed from the category "Global warming skeptics", which Wikipedia decided to delete.[2][3]
  3. Wikipedia's most controversial pages are guarded by liberal elite. Thereby, accuracy is replaced with ideology. [4] The first one-hundred and sixty-eight words on Wikipedia's Global Warming page contains multiple conjectures, major errors and bias. "increase in the average measured temperature ... since the mid-twentieth century" that same paragraph "solar variation combined with volcanoes ... and a small cooling effect from 1950 onward." Which is it, warmer or cooler from 1950? "very likely due" "probably had" or "the overwhelming majority of scientists working on climate change agree with the IPCC's main conclusions"- unsubstantiated bias.
  4. Liberal elites at Wikipedia have embraced the ideology of Al Gore's Global Warming. It is with great sadness that ClimateGate has emerged as a worldwide news story. In an attempt to shrug-off the story, Wikipedia labels the page Climatic Research Unit e-mail hacking incident, with ClimateGate as only a redirect. [1] Next, Wikipedia claims the CRU was illegally hacked but other sources say possibly an inside job. [2] Finally, Wikipedia is sure to include plenty of climate change alarmists views discounting the incident; a smear campaignan attempt to sabotage the CopenhagenJames Hansen "no effect on the science" , UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband "We should be cautious about using partial emails that have been leaked to somehow cast doubt..." [3]
  5. A recent charge is that U.K. scientist and Green Party activist and Realclimate.org member William Connolley functioned as a Wikipedia editor and website administrator, repressing information that militated against Climate Change. As such he "rewrote Wikipedia’s articles on global warming, on the greenhouse effect, on the instrumental temperature record, on the urban heat island, on climate models, on global cooling. On Feb. 14, he began to erase the Little Ice Age; on Aug.11, the Medieval Warm Period."[5]
  6. Michael Mann is a well known global warming alarmist who is ridiculed for his so-called scientific work on tree ring temperature data, the Hockey Stick theory and was the subject of fraud in the Climategate scandal. Wikipedia decides not to allow any mention of his involvement with Climategate. Any mention of Climategate is immediately removed from Mann's page. [4]
  7. Wikipedia defines Denialism as "choosing to deny reality as a way to avoid an uncomfortable truth". It then gives as two of its main examples, Exxon-Mobil contributing to climate change research, and the Bush Administration's refusal to submit the Kyoto Protocol for ratification.[5]

References

วันจันทร์ที่ 17 ตุลาคม พ.ศ. 2554

Chapter 8: Search Engines

How Do Search Engines Work?

Internet search engines are special sites on the Web that are designed to help people find information stored on other sites. There are differences in the ways various search engines work, but they all perform three basic tasks:
  • They search the Internet -- or select pieces of the Internet -- based on important words.
  • They keep an index of the words they find, and where they find them.
  • They allow users to look for words or combinations of words found in that index.
Early search engines held an index of a few hundred thousand pages and documents, and received maybe one or two thousand inquiries each day. Today, a top search engine will index hundreds of millions of pages, and respond to tens of millions of queries per day. In this article, we'll tell you how these major tasks are performed, and how Internet search engines put the pieces together in order to let you find the information you need on the Web.

5 Example:
1. http://www.entireweb.com/
2. http://infomine.ucr.edu/
3. http://infomine.ucr.edu/
4. http://www.topsite.com/
5. http://www.surfcanyon.com/

วันจันทร์ที่ 10 ตุลาคม พ.ศ. 2554

Chapter 7: Internet

Please suggest the ideas to help and support the flooding crisis in Thailand in your web blog.




Have people donate a lot, so rescue team can go and buy stuffs that are needed for the victims that are in the flood areas or have already move out into safe zone areas. Also, we should have the rescue teams move the injury victims as soon as possible to a safe places.