Social Computing by Karthik Adithya

DATA ANALYSIS READING ASSIGNMENT The paper studied for the following responses could be found here  and here . §   What were the assumptions of the model and the data analysis the authors used? Assumptions of the model were that the social network adoption spread very similarly to the way diseases spread amongst a finite population. They also assumed that there would be a gradual disuse of social networks as users and their peers begin to lose interest. Hence, it reflected the gradual reduction in number of members, much similar to the cured number of people in epidemiological progression. Authors also assume that web traffic is the general metric to measure the data of social network usage. §   Find three arguments that could call the authors’ conclusions into question. Three arguments I believe that bring the authors’ conclusions into question are: 1) Users shall gradually get disinterested in a social networking platform. – This assumption implies that the inter

Responses to the Assignment 4 - Public Discourse in the Age of Personalization: Psychological Explanations and Political Implications of Search Engine Bias and the Filter Bubble Audrey B. Carson Please propose an alternative design for Google search that addresses problems posed in this paper. By design I mean here just a short description of user interactions, information filtering and presentation of results. Google search, in its current form, does pose the issue of "Filter Bubbles" and as the paper states, could potentially be performing  "global lobotomy".  But at the same time, providing an alternative design for Google search is a monumental challenge in itself, as it needs to take into consideration various challenges, including but not limited to the following criteria: TRUSTWORTHINESS OF SOURCE: -  "Trusted Source/Vetted Media Source" Badge  - Much like how Facebook & Twitter have currently adopted "Verified Account&quo

This Blog Post is in response to the Assignment #3 which can be found  here  or  here .  The Livehoods Project: Utilizing Social Media to Understand the Dynamics of a City 1.       What patterns are used by the authors to define a  livehood  cluster? Authors define Livehood clusters based on “… the spatial proximity between venues as given by their geographic coordinates, as well as the social proximity” derived “… from the distribution of people that check-in to them.” The authors use Foursquare check-ins by users in the targeted area to analyse and define Livehood clusters. The authors used only the Foursquare check-ins that were publicly disclosed by users on Twitter to collect the data, use Cluster mapping to define Clusters of user behavior which determined the borders of Livehoods within city municipal borders. For each check-in, authors documented the user ID, the time, the latitude and longitude, the name of the venue, and the category of the place. The

Find below the answers for the questions asked in the Assignment.1 : Link to the assignment is here . PAPER ONE:  Tie strength in question answer on social network sites How do the authors define strong and weak ties, and how did they measure the strength of a tie in Social Network Sites? Strong ties and weak ties are usually connections that an individual have with people around them, online/offline. The tie strength represents the depth of friendship between individuals. Whether they are close friends or acquaintances. Measurement of tie strength was based on the following variables (which were derived from the study by Gilbert and Karahalios): - Days since last communication - Days since first communication - Words exchanged - Mean tie strength of mutual friends - Positive emotion words - Intimacy words What could be the reasons that more helpful answers come from weak ties? What could be the reasons that more helpful answers come from strong ties? Weak Ties: - Different Soc

ASSIGNMENT-2: Case Analysis Project Analyzing the metric of "likes" on Facebook as a Social Computing variable, and its impact. Answers follow the Questions from the assignment are written below: In what way are “likes” on Facebook interesting form of a “social computing perspective? "Likes" were the initial core metric of Page or Content reach towards users. It represented, on a face value, the level of adherence or agreement that users displayed towards the Pages and Page Content that users preferred to interact with. However, the platform of Social Media Marketing is fast developing, and the trends in Social Media update, change, and adapt every few months to an year, at most. Hence, one could surmise, in the context of Social Media Marketing in 2018, Facebook likes have gradually become less relevant as a metric of measuring a Page's success in reaching relevant users, with meaningful engagement. From a theoretical perspective, in the context o