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Wed, 2011-06-15 08:18 — mdmcdonald
The Knowledge Science working group is focused on exploring the advancement of knowledge science.

The mission of the Knowledge Science working group is to explore the advancement of knowledge science.

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Joyce Fedeczko Kathy Gilbeaux Maeryn Obley mdmcdonald mike kraft Siftar
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knowledge-science@m.resiliencesystem.org

Rapid Appraisal Methods

Tue, 2012-02-21 18:29 — Kathy Gilbeaux

usaid.gov

WHAT IS RAPID APPRAISAL?

Rapid Appraisal (RA) is an approach that draws on multiple evaluation methods and techniques to quickly, yet systematically, collect data when time in the field is limited. RA practices are also useful when there are budget constraints or limited availability of reliable secondary data. For example, time and budget limitations may preclude the option of using representative sample surveys.

BENEFITS – WHEN TO USE RAPID APPRAISAL METHODS

Rapid appraisals are quick and can be done at relatively low cost. Rapid appraisal methods can help gather, analyze, and report relevant information for decision-makers within days or weeks. This is not possible with sample surveys. RAs can be used in the following cases:

  • for formative evaluations, to make mid-course corrections in project design or implementation when customer or partner feedback indicates a problem (See ADS 203.3.6.1);

  • when a key management decision is required and there is inadequate information;

  • for performance monitoring, when data are collected and the techniques are repeated over time for measurement purposes;

  • to better understand the issues behind performance monitoring data; and

  • for project pre-design assessment.

How Did Facebook Gain Its Initial Traction?

Fri, 2012-02-17 23:57 — Kathy Gilbeaux

quora.com

Adam D'Angelo, early Facebook employee

At Harvard the founders invited their friends and sent emails to some mailing lists. At some other early schools they relied on their friends at those schools to spread it socially or by sending emails to mailing lists.

The key for solving the cold start problem in general, though, especially for schools where there was already a competitor, was cross-school friend connections, which was a feature that wasn't added until there were already a few schools (initially the schools were completely isolated instances of the application). After that point, users at the existing schools could search for and connect with or invite friends at the newly-launched schools.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

How Did Craigslist Gain Its Initial Traction?

Fri, 2012-02-17 23:43 — Kathy Gilbeaux

by Craig Newmark and Bram Cohen - huffingtonpost.com - February 16, 2012

Craig Newmark, Customer Service Rep & Founder

The thing got traction during its first few years, when it was just my hobby, got substantial traction, as I measure it, in its first few years. A few details:

  • from beginning, did something simple and useful
  • from beginning, began cycle: asked for community feedback, did something about it, repeat forever
  • got lucky with simple site design, realizing I have no design skills (didn't waste time doing fancy stuff no one wanted)
  • end of 1997: million page views per month (real traction, at that time)
  • asked to run banner ads by Microsoft Sidewalk (turned down: I don't like banner ads, didn't need the money, not an altruistic decision)
  • Turned it into a business early 1999, after having decent traction.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

What is a Virtual Operations Support Team?

Fri, 2012-02-17 22:30 — Kathy Gilbeaux

Guest Post: Scott Reuter - idisaster.wordpress.com - February 13, 2012

I’m fortunate to be working with a group of #SMEM*  friends who like to help each other during disasters. We train on real disasters as well as live non-disaster events, such as conferences and fast-moving popular events, so that we can test new social media tools and techniques. We do this to learn for our own varied emergency needs, and to share what we learn with others in order to contribute to the development of social media disaster operations in all phases of disasters. We call ourselves the “Virtual Operations Support Team“, or VOST for those who prefer acronyms.**

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

One Billion Smartphones by 2016, Says Forrester

Fri, 2012-02-17 22:09 — Kathy Gilbeaux

submitted by Samuel Bendett

by Zack Whittaker - zdnet.com - February 13, 2012

Summary: A new Forrester research report sees over 1 billion smartphones being used by 2016, while app store spending increases and ‘bring your own’ device becomes the norm.

In a world where already you cannot travel on the subway without someone flipping out their cellphone, or stand at a Starbucks without someone yapping away on their iPhone, imagine what’ll happen with 1 billion smartphones out there?

Forrester seems to think so. Analysts at Forrester believe that by 2016 — only four years away, and in time for the following Olympics — there could be as many as 1 billion smartphones on the planet. This isn’t to say that everyone will have two or more smartphones, that is.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

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Communication
Technology
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Solutions
Problem

The Age of Big Data

Fri, 2012-02-17 17:11 — Kathy Gilbeaux

Image/Chad Hagen - The New York Times Company

submitted by Samuel Bendett

by Steve Lohr - The New York Times -February 11, 2012

GOOD with numbers? Fascinated by data? The sound you hear is opportunity knocking.

Mo Zhou was snapped up by I.B.M. last summer, as a freshly minted Yale M.B.A., to join the technology company’s fast-growing ranks of data consultants. They help businesses make sense of an explosion of data — Web traffic and social network comments, as well as software and sensors that monitor shipments, suppliers and customers — to guide decisions, trim costs and lift sales. “I’ve always had a love of numbers,” says Ms. Zhou, whose job as a data analyst suits her skills.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

Creation of Next-Gen Public Safety Comms Net Should Be Managed by Non-Profit, Says Study

Fri, 2012-02-03 01:13 — Kathy Gilbeaux

submitted by Mike Kraft

gsnmagazine.com - by Mark Rockwell - February 1, 2012

The next generation public safety communications network should be managed by a non-governmental, non-profit organization that could impartially reconcile the myriad standards and procedures affecting emergency responders nationwide, said a report by an independent government advisory committee.

It also recommended that such a network should take advantage of “assigned public safety spectrum.” Congress has been trying to get spectrum for a national public safety network for years, battling over whether to assign the spectrum directly to first responders or auction it off to communications companies, so they can share it with responders and manage its back-office functions.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

Country / Region Tags: 
United States
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Communication
Disaster Response
Technology
Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?: 
Solutions

FBI Releases Plans to Monitor Social Networks

Sat, 2012-01-28 20:51 — Kathy Gilbeaux

newscientist.com - January 25, 2012

      

(Image: Patrick George/Ikon Images/Getty)

Jim Giles, consultant

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has quietly released details of plans to continuously monitor the global output of Facebook, Twitter and other social networks, offering a rare glimpse into an activity that the FBI and other government agencies are reluctant to discuss publicly. The plans show that the bureau believes it can use information pulled from social media sites to better respond to crises, and maybe even to foresee them.

The information comes from a document released on 19 January looking for companies who might want to build a monitoring system for the FBI. It spells out what the bureau wants from such a system and invites potential contractors to reply by 10 February.

(READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE)

Country / Region Tags: 
United States
General Topic Tags: 
Communication
Security
Technology
Visualization
Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?: 
Other

Google Announces Privacy Changes Across Products; Users Can’t Opt Out

Thu, 2012-01-26 16:03 — Kathy Gilbeaux

submitted by Stuart Leiderman

      

by Cecilia Kang - The Washington Post - January 24, 2012

Google will soon know far more about who you are and what you do on the Web.

The Web giant announced Tuesday that it plans to follow the activities of users across nearly all of its ubiquitous sites, including YouTube, Gmail and its leading search engine.

Google has already been collecting some of this information. But for the first time, it is combining data across its Web sites to stitch together a fuller portrait of users.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

(GOOGLE PREVIEW: PRIVACY POLICY - EFFECTIVE MARCH 1, 2012)

Country / Region Tags: 
United States
General Topic Tags: 
Communication
Security
Technology
Vulnerability
Problem, Solution, SitRep, or ?: 
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