A Data Mining Project (day 1)

I've decided that the following weather station is a suitable model to get started with (http://goo.gl/vQSQu).
"Smartweather Professional Weather station with PC hookup and Solar power" http://goo.gl/vQSQu. It looks very similar to the (rebadged?) Ambient Weather WS-2080 Wireless Home Weather Station http://www.ambientweather.com/amws2080.html

Anyway: it has a solar battery recharger - so I don't have to maintain the outdoor part - wind speed and direction sensor, temperature, rainfall, barometric pressure; so lots of interesting data to accumulate.

However as Alex said "the fun is in deciphering the protocol used to transfer the data from the unit to the PC".

The console acts as a local display and the connection point between the PWS (personal weather station) and a PC. The Smartweather kit comes with an EasyWeather software install CD.
n.b. Davis provide the WeatherLink software application for their own products. There may also be other basic client software packages from open source or free. Some resources to investigate:

• the Cumulus Weather Station Software (link)
• the Weather Station Data Mining Project on sourceforge (link)
• the Weather Underground (wunderground) weather station network (link)
• for OS X, the Weather Snoop (link)

All good stuff. Now to read Mike Puchol's blog on "where are the all the beautiful Mac OS weather apps?"... (link)

Working life byod (r)evolution

Do you have the option of flexible work locations?
Do you work as a member of a virtual team working in different time zones?
As a member of a virtual team working in the same time zone?
What BYODs do you use (smartphone, tablet, laptop, other?)
Do you use paid-for IT services or 'free'?
Are your IT services provided in-house or by a supplier?
Who pays (for bandwidth, valued added services, hardware, support, breakages)?
Is it secure? Has data spread beyond the 'login' of the corporate zone?
Have you experienced data loss from file corruption? From erroneous use? From other's erroneous use? Due to faulty software or systems failure?
Is my working day spreading into private time? How much?
Has your BYOD ever failed, been broken, been stolen?
Are personal files (family photos, emails) mingled with your work files?
Are your personal files synched or backed up via regular docking or cloud services?
Have you paid excessive charges for backup or cloud services? Does your employer reimburse you?
Has your BYOD been audited by your employer? If so how was the audit conducted? What was the outcome?
Has your BYOD device been seized or subpoenaed as evidence?
Has it been subjected to a forensic examination?
Have copies of the files on your BYOD been made by other agencies in connection with investigation or litigation?
Do you know what files have been copied?
How are those files disposed? Retention/destruction period if relevant?

Exercise: Learning to learn in groups...

Adapted from material developed and provided by Maeve Houlihan and Aoife Doherty 
Lecture time: 1h15'

Objectives (5') - S1-S2 

To produce and present a critical analysis
To conduct independent research
To experience and reflect on group work

Transition (5')

Identify groups

Provide readings

Group work starts (20') - S3 

In groups of approximately 5

• Critically evaluate one of the articles provided.
• Preparing a group review (without visual props). 
• 20' to read and prepare of which 5' quiet time.

Presentation delivery (30')

10x 2-minute presentations followed by one quick Q&A on the subject matter

---

Articles

• Power points – an Irish-German affair (The Irish Times) 
• Criticism of Project Maths syllabus fails to add up (The Irish Times) 
• Western tales of China’s imminent collapse are a bit rich (The Guardian)
• Teenage angst – the implications of China’s slowdown (The Economist) 
• The rise and fall of the Boomtown Prats (The Irish Independent) 
• Death of the Celtic Tiger? (New Zealand Herald – long article) 
• Hey, not so fast on European Austerity (New York Times – 3 page article) 
• Elisabeth Murdoch attacks News Corp values and praises BBC (Irish Times) 
• Verdict on UK riots: people need a stake in society says report (The Guardian)
• Why insensitive bosses make more sense (Financial Times) 
• Waiting for the great leap forward (Irish Left Review)

---

Debrief Discussion (10')

What is critical analysis?

• Evaluating
• Subjective
• Persuasion
• Evidence
• Scientific
• Political 

Did typical roles arise? What were they?

• Manager
• Timekeeper
• Recorder/checker
• Sceptic
• Big boss
• Lurker
• Facilitator

Were roles assigned or volunteered for?
Did people change roles? Why?

Did each member have a voice, make an impact?

What was the dynamic (over time)?

• Initial analysis
• Independent research
• Synthesis
• Chaos
• Lost in the desert
• A cavalry charge

Did the group...

• Present a brief and cogent piece? 
• Add value - illustrate, relate etc?
• Reflect and critically evaluate?

e.g. (t: critical analysis - 30s) / (t: synopsis + 30s) + insightful analysis + impactful conclusions.

Wrap up - S4 - S5 - S6 - S7 - S8 - S9 - S10

---

Further reading

A process for combining self-directed and group-based learning can be organised as follows. Note, groups should adapt and modify the steps to suit the round style and conditions. (Schwartz et al., 2001) 

1. First encounter a problem ‘cold’, without doing any preparatory study in the area of the problem.
2. Interact with each other to explore their existing knowledge as it relates to the problem.
3. Form and test hypotheses about the underlying mechanisms that might account for the problem (up to their current levels of knowledge).
4. Identify further knowledge gaps or learning needs for making progress with the problem.
5. Undertake self-study between group meetings group to satisfy identified learning needs.
6. Return to the group to integrate the newly gained knowledge and apply it to the problem.
7. Repeat steps 3 to 6 as necessary.
8. Reflect on the process and on the content that has been learnt.

The Seven Jump or Maastricht process offers a similar template for structuring small-group tutorial learning. (Grave et al., 1996)

1. Clarify unknown terms or concepts in the problem description.
2. Define the problem(s). List the phenomena or events to be explained.
3. Analyse the problem(s). 
• Step 1. Brainstorm. Try to produce as many different explanations for the phenomena as you [can] think of. Use prior knowledge and common sense.
• Step 2. Discuss. Criticize the explanations proposed and try to produce a coherent description of the processes that, according to what you think, underlie the phenomena or events.
4. Formulate learning issues for self-directed learning.
5. Fill the gaps in your knowledge through self-study.
6. Share your findings with your group and try to integrate the knowledge acquired into a comprehensive explanation for the phenomena or events. Check whether you know enough.

Alternatively the MacMaster ‘triple jump’ represents three main stages for student-driven problem investigation: initial analysis, independent research, and synthesis. Each stage consists of a series of activities (not necessarily taking place in sequence).

1. Initial analysis: identify problems, explore extant knowledge, hypothesise, identify knowledge gaps
2. Independent research: research knowledge gaps
3. Synthesis: present findings – relating them to the problem(s), integrate learning from others, generate a synthesis, self-assessment of learning process, repeat ‘triple jump’ if needed.

References:

• GRAVE, W. S., BOSHUIZEN, H. P. A. & SCHMIDT, H. G. (1996) Problem based learning: Cognitive and metacognitive processes during problem analysis. Instructional Science, 24, 321-341.
• SCHWARTZ, P., MENNIN, S. & WEBB, G. (Eds.) (2001) Problem-Based Learning: Case studies, experience and practice, London, Routledge.

Discuss: IP is a drag in Cyberspace

The motion for discussion is...
"Intellectual property is a drag in cyberspace: discuss"

Goal
The use of GPL, open source, copyleft and creative commons licenses suggests that intellectual property protection is a drag in cyberspace. Our goal is to study and understand the structure, powers and implications of the GPL.

Instructions
Two groups (red-against, blue-for) will present an analysis and then debate the merits of their different positions, involving the whole class in the closing stages.
The readings given for initial investigation are listed below. We strongly encourage the use of additional secondary sources and providing examples as evidence supporting arguments.
Each group has 5 minutes to present.

Readings

• The GPL: GNU General Public License (www.gnu.org)
• GOETZ, T. "Open Source Everywhere", Wired Magazine, 2004. (wired.com 11.11)

Notes

• From ITworld.com: "Oracle sued Google last August, contending its open-source Android operating system violates Java patents and copyrights that Oracle inherited when it bought Sun Microsystems. Google denies any wrongdoing and has characterized the case as an attack on open source."
• Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (www.wipo.int)
• Yockai Benkler's web, www.benkler.org
• Benkler's 'Wealth of Networks' yupnet.org/benkler/
• The Economy of Ideas by John Perry Barlow (wired.com 2.03)

No Internet?!#... we're all alone

"Over Logging" (or "The Day the Internet Stood Still")

Still from "Over Logging", (South Park Studios, 2008)

Hilarious stupid but also thought provoking, this episode of South Park thinks the unthinkable; what happens if the Internet runs out, when there is not enough Internet to go around? Precise on Wikipedia. 

Discuss: Social Media transforms business

The motion for discussion is...
"Social media transforms business! discuss"
The motion examines both the hype and the facts surrounding social media and Web 2.0 technology.

Goal
To assess the claim that firms employing so called 'Web 2.0 technology' have actually (or not) transformed consumer online behaviour.

Instructions
Two groups (red-against, blue-for) will present an analysis and then debate the merits of their different positions, involving the whole class in the closing stages.
The readings given for initial investigation are listed below. We strongly encourage the use of additional secondary sources and providing examples as evidence supporting arguments.

Readings
Dutta, S. "What’s Your Personal Social Media Strategy?," Harvard business review (88:11), November 2010 2010, pp 127-130.

Extras

• Taylor, C.P. "Eight Ways to Ruin Your Social-Media Strategy," 2009. (online at b.net)
• Kaplan, A.M., and Haenlein, M. "Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media," Business Horizons (53:1) 2010, pp 59-68.
• Benkler, Y., and Nissenbaum, H. "Commons-based Peer Production and Virtue," Journal of Political Philosophy (14:4) 2006, pp 394-419.
• The Forth Estate in a Digital Democracy (online video snippet, accessed March 2011)
• The future of work is social (on Slideshare)
• Using the crowd, to create content, to create a 'service'. Waze and passively capturing GPS to model and share traffic status (http://bit.ly/eqTpXX at curiositycounts.com) RT chrisjhorn
• Are location check-in services a fading fad? (www.readwriteweb.com/) 
• Fractures (or Forks) appear in Twitter's micro-blogging market? (edition.cnn.com/)

Al-Jazeera, the Internet and 21st Century media

View more presentations from Bilal Randeree

The Business Value of Social Media @ Social Media & Community 2.0 Strategies - Boston, MA April 2011

View more presentations from Jamie Pappas

ShiftHappens Various Versions
I included these for a number of reasons, they illustrate some of the changes impacting any organisation attempting to cope with the changing social/technological transformations shifting society, education, markets. These videos are also notable for having gone 'viral' April 2010 and since in various remixes.


And the remix version ala FatBoy Slim

Did You Know? from Amybeth on Vimeo.

Shift Happens 2011

Discuss: The future is Smart and Wireless

The motion for discussion is...
"The future of commerce is smart, wireless, and pervasive! discuss"

Goal
This motion examines the idea of an 'Internet of Things', what it is or might be, its uses, its problems, its boosters, its critics and regulation.

Instructions
Two groups (red-against, blue-for) will present an analysis and then debate the merits of their different positions, involving the whole class in the closing stages.
The readings given for initial investigation are listed below. We strongly encourage the use of additional secondary sources and providing examples as evidence supporting arguments.

Readings

• Eu Com (2009) Internet of Things - An action plan for Europe COM(2009) 278. European Commission. (link)
• Saponas, T. S., Lester, J., Hartung, C. & Kohno, T. (2006) Devices that tell on you: The nike+ipod sport kit. Seattle, WA, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. (link)

Extras

• IoT (Internet of Things) 101 presentation on slideshare (http://slidesha.re/hSVJDm)
• Latitude Life Connected (www.latd.com) accessed March 2011
• German railways merge NFC networks (www.theregister.co.uk) March 2011.
• Explanation of the IoT - Internet of Things (www.readwriteweb.comp) 2010
• Talking Yoghurt Pots and the Silence of the Chips (www.theregister.co.uk) 2009
• The Internet Fridge - yet again (www.readwriteweb.com) 2009
• The i-Loo controversy (wikipedia) 2003

Outsourcing Videos

HP Video Podcast: Be "on the business" for strategic IT and outsourcing
Tim Hynes, IT Director Europe, Middle East & Africa, Microsoft

The Other Side of Outsourcing

Thomas L. Friedman Reporting: Accent Neutralization / Discovery Channel looking at high tech outsourcing to India (link).

Database is Dead

What if "analytics-as-a-service" was an operating model you could plug into your firm's infrastructure?

See practicalanalytics.wordpress.com/

Forget the past, yesterday's data is loosing its value with every second that passes.
The future of data is now and predictive.
The problem for most firms is they don't have the capability - the technological infrastructure, the knowledge, skills and knowhow - to look for and find trends, patterns, 'signal's among the noise of the streams of data that engulf them.
That said, if you're in business you know what you want to know; you already know the kinds of questions that are relevant, interesting, essential for your firm's success. What you don't have is the latest shiny piece of tech booty and all its related paraphernalia. While you have the need you don't have the science.
Is there a solution? Outsource the problem to a trusted provider. That's what Ravi Kalakota is suggesting is happening and is necessary.

Smartphone volumes and OS innovations

Contrast these two reports covering shipping volumes and OS innovations of smartphone devices.

The article by Mike Hanlon "The all-conquering smartphone seems headed for ubiquity" 07:27 September 5, 2011 (gizmag.com)

and the infographic by Horace Dediu on "The proliferation of mobile platforms" September 4, 2011 3:15 PM (asymco.com)

Discuss: New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail

The motion for discussion is...
"New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail! discuss"
The motion examines what is termed the Innovator's Dilemma. Digital Darwinism dooms established firms to falter against the forces of innovation and new technologies.

Goal
To assess the claim that disruptive innovation cannot occur within the structure of established firms.

Instructions
Two groups (red-against, blue-for) will present an analysis and then debate the merits of their different positions, involving the whole class in the closing stages.
The readings given for initial investigation are listed below. We strongly encourage the use of additional secondary sources and providing examples as evidence supporting arguments.

Readings
Christensen, C.M., and Overdorf, M. "Meeting the Challenge of Disruptive Change," Harvard Business Review (78:2), Mar-Apr 2000, p 66-76.
Bower, J.L., and Christensen, C.M. "Disruptive Technologies: Catching the Wave," Harvard Business Review (73:1), Jan-Feb 1995, pp 43-53.

Hi YouTube. Two Kings have gotten together

A Message From Chad and Steve

"The king of search, the king of video have gotten it together. We're going to have it our way."

Believe it or not YouTube was once a small software development/service company. Founders Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim started YouTube in February 2005. The company was acquired by Google 20 months later in a stock only transaction (October 9, 2006) valuing YouTube then at $1.65B. At the time of acquisition YouTube was reputed to have about 65 employees working in an anonymous building in San Bruno, San Franciso.

Further info
YouTube company timeline (YouTube link)
Google to Acquire YouTube, (Google link and here)
List of acquisitions by Google (wikipedia link)
(Mashable link)

Become a Data Scientist?

A data scientist is...

RT @hmason What is a data scientist? @smfrogers finds out! bit.ly/w4xxCj

Discuss: Give Us Your Data To Save the World

The motion for discussion is...
"Give Us Your Data To Save the World! discuss"
We need a process to make both public and private data transparent and available for researchers and firms to use.
The motions are to take positions for or against legislating for organisations to have access to public and private data to "save the world."

Goal
Data mining is possible, who benefits, who loses? What are the benefits versus the risks of bringing different data sets together. To assess the value versus the cost of making public and private data available to all.

Instructions
Two groups (red-against, blue-for) will present an analysis and then debate the merits of their different positions, involving the whole class in the closing stages.
The readings given for initial investigation are listed below. We strongly encourage the use of additional secondary sources and providing examples as evidence supporting arguments.

Readings

• Hey, T. "The Next Scientific Revolution: How data mashups can help save the world," Harvard Business Review), November 2010 2010, pp 56-63.
• Give us back our crown jewels (www.guardian.co.uk) Thursday 9 March 2006

Exercise: Using spreadsheet 'Goal Seek' for break-even analysis

Goal seek is a spreadsheet function that attempts to match the function value of a 'goal' cell to a 'target' value by changing the value of an 'input' cell. Simply put, goal seek tries to solve and identify a function 'output' in terms of a single input variable.

Break-even Anaysis
Break-even analysis attempts to solve or identify the point at which a total cost (TC) function equals (i.e. cancels out) a total revenue (TR) function. The usual demonstration is to model TC and TR as simple line equations (functions of the form y = m*x + c). By plotting values (cost and revenue) against quantity, where quantity is the number of units produced or service delivered. Naturally, at some level of production (quantity) TR must exceed TC for the business to be financially viable.

The following examples illustrate the use of goal-seek for break-even analysis.

1. In the first case identify the production level (quantity) that needs to be sold for the business to achieve break-even in year 1.

2. The business model in this case is loss making. What unit price should be charged over the next period to break-even?

3. Goal seek can be applied to seek a solution output for any single input variable. In this case identify a price per unit in a scenario where the break-even point is 200.

4. Finally, using the model from question 1 identify the break-even point graphically by plotting a range of values for TC and TR against quantity, i.e. graph the range of net profit/loss outcomes for a range of production levels (quantities). This formulation does not use 'goal seek'.

Playing with DSS, Modelling and AI

The cool stuff: 
Havok for AI, destruction, cloth, behaviour, physics and more.

Possible Medical examples:
WebMD (link)
YourDiagnosis (link)
Differential Diagnosis (link)

Identify the Decision Support Systems

Gerd Ludwig's Long Shadow Project

Preparing for Flight (Oct 29, 2010)

Artificial Intelligence around the corner?

The media has celebrated IBM's 'Watson' program after its recent win in popular US TV game show Jeopardy. But should we temper this success with a more pragmatic view of the so called 'intelligence' of what is after all, simply a computer program?

...and why isn't AI or artificial intelligence ready for the real world, if indeed it is possible in the first place? Watson doesn't know what the questions mean. Watson doesn't know if it is right or wrong. Watson can't explain why its answers might be right or wrong. Watson doesn't care about winning or losing, or feel responsible for its success or failure. Watson doesn't think or come up with a new idea. Watson can't ask original meaningful questions that matter to it. Watson doesn't care.

Articles

• IBM team that developed Watson (online at reddit.com)
• IBM Press kit "Watson to challenge humans at Jeopardy" (ibm.com)
• Irish Times (online) 19th Feb
• Watson thick as two planks: critique/comments on CW (www.computerworld.com)

Which is the longest London Tube Line?

Classic London Tube Map

vs a geographic depiction

A Geographic Map from Maptube.org

And for fun have a look at animals on the underground (link)

The future of Artificial Intelligence!

AI vs AI. Unintentionally funny perhaps. But more seriously, is this the dawning of a new age of intelligent computing?

Mobile data: where for, what for?

Matt Biddulph from Nokia offers a thoughtful overview of the potential for aggregate data. Mostly it confirms what we already know, the data is dead unless we ask interesting questions. What he shows us however is our growing ability to present data in interesting and engaging ways. What is less clear is how these things add value; are these representations merely pretty pictures or do they say something deep about our cities and behaviour?

'Cognitive Cities: City analytics' on Slideshare homepage. http://slidesha.re/gUIAFX

Read the questions at the end... 'privacy', 'who benefits', etc.

Also see Oliver O'Brien's Suprageography blog and pages.


Image credit: screen shot of Oliver O'Brien's London Bike Share Map (2/3/2011)

Global Pulse, who benefits?

Who benefits from data Philanthropy? Individuals, organisations and corporations have long dreamed of the free availability of social data. We now imagine that Orwellian vision to be so much closer by accessing messages in social networks, text messages, blogs, micro-blogs and other emerging social exchanges. Worthy causes break down our reluctance to give up or give over something we may have never appreciated fully. But who benefits?

“something is happening that is evident in the digital smoke signals... This is computational behavioral economics,” he said. “We’re part of a whole new science here.”

Robert Kirkpatrick, director of Global Pulse (quoted in Lohr, 2011)

References and further reading
Global Pulse: Harnessing innovation to protect the vulnerable. Website (link)
Steve Lohr, pSR1 The New York Times. December 18, 2011. (link, may require registration and/or fee)

Discuss: Customer Data; Use It or Lose It

The motion for discussion is...
"Customer data; use it or lose it! discuss"
The motions are essentially to take positions for or against using customer data to the maximum possible, at the edge of the legal limits.

Goal
To review the status of data protection in Ireland, the rights of individuals and obligations of organisations. What are the implications for using and acquiring customer data, for direct marketing, data accuracy, faults, selling on, etc. The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner provides the following characterisation; customer rights, organisation's obligations. Is it possible to also characterise data management in terms of an organisation's rights and a customer's obligations?

Instructions
Two groups (red-against, blue-for) will present an analysis and then debate the merits of their different positions, involving the whole class in the closing stages.
The readings given for initial investigation are listed below. We strongly encourage the use of additional secondary sources and providing examples as evidence supporting arguments.

Readings

• Ireland's Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (http://www.dataprotection.ie/)
• Davenport, T. H., Harris, J. G., Jones, G. L., Lemon, K. N., Norton, D. & Mccallister, M. B. (2007) The Dark Side of Customer Analytics. Harvard Business Review, 1-9.
• Clarke, R. A. (1999) Internet privacy concerns confirm the case for intervention. Communications of the ACM, 42, 60-67.

Relational DB (mockup)

(link to Google Spreadsheet)

From Scrapbook Photos

Exercise: VLOOKUP - what it is, what it's good for, how to use it

What is VLOOKUP? A function that performs 'vertical lookups' in a spreadsheet.
VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP allow spreadsheets simulate the functionality of relational databases. LOOKUP functions employ database-like functionality and concepts like array indexing (column or row) over a number of tables.

The syntax is generally as follows:
lookup_value (the value you want to find in the table or array)
array or table_array (the range of cells comprising the table you are using e.g. $A$1:$C$9)
row_index_num or col_index_num (the content of the corresponding array location as indexed from the array you defined earlier, e.g. col_index_num value of '2' will return the value from the 2nd column)

The following illustrates - an example in Excel for Mac.


Goal
The objective of this exercise is:
to introduce the vlookup function;
Secondary goal is to use basic spreadsheet calculations: sum, addition, multiplication, bracket rules, cell ranges, relative cell references, absolute cell references.

Materials
At least one laptop computer running Excel or another spreadsheet application in each group.

Instructions
Allocate 20" to complete exercise.
Groups of between 2 to 3 students working on a single laptop.
Open the exercise spreadsheet and enter formulae, values and calculations to answer the set questions.

Comments
What to do if the student is running a Mac without MS Excel installed? Use Google docs spreadsheet in that case.
1. login to Google, select Docs and click the 'create new' button (LHS).
You can use the following example on googledocs.

Exercise: Pivot Tables

The following figures illustrate answers for assignment 5.
Note: Present each report in a separate, new worksheet.

Starting the pivot with the example spreadsheet:

a). Create a pivot table displaying a breakdown of the sales for each month in each state.
(i). In an attempt to identify trends, group the Month field by Quarters only.
(ii). Now adjust the Pivot Table so that it shows the sales in each quarter as a percentage of the full year.

b). Create a new pivot table displaying the type of product that was sold in each state for each month. Arrange the fields in a manner that most easily displays the information.

c). Create a PivotTable Report showing breakdown of the sales for each month in each state with pages formatted by Type.
(i). Filter the Type to show just White products.
(ii). Identify the state that does not have a good sales record. Filter this data to show what total sales would look like without this State.

d). Create a Pivot Chart displaying the sales per state for each month. Allow this chart to be filtered by product group.

Discuss: Senior Management Knows It All

The motion for discussion is...
"Senior Management knows it all! discuss"

Goal
To critically assess Nonaka's claim that innovative knowledge-creating corporations can be modelled as 'organisms,' with Senior Management envisioning, Managers interpreting and Employees experiencing.

Instructions
Two groups (red-against, blue-for) will present an analysis and then debate the merits of their different positions, involving the whole class in the closing stages.
The readings given for initial investigation are listed below. We strongly encourage the use of additional secondary sources and providing examples as evidence supporting arguments.

Readings
NONAKA, I. & TAKEUCHI, H. (1991) The knowledge-creating company : how Japanese companies create the dynamics of innovation, New York ; Oxford, Oxford University Press.

Open source programs open to scrutiny

It gives me a sense of comfort to know that open source programs are open to scrutiny by people who just want to know stuff and to people who need to know and be able to critique it. In this example Tali Garsiel, a developer in Israel who likes to figure out how things work, began exploring the internals of Firefox, Chrome and Safari (which is partly open source). She documented what she found... (link)

Dutch aim to explicitly protect "Fair Use"

What does the Dutch stance on relaxed copyright protections mean for Europe as a whole? A relaxed position on copyright or a lazy one? (link)

Ireland’s clouds a computing advantage?

(25.09.2009) Microsoft's completion and commissioning of a major European data centre in Dublin West to service the growing use of cloud computing services and applications was announced in 2009. Dublin was well placed to be selected to be one of Microsoft's key hubs for these growing services due to geographical and environmental factors, in addition to Ireland's previously acknowledged advantages for basing high technology industries here (education, language, cultural aspects, access to Europe, clustering of other high tech industries).

It is interesting to note that Ireland's climatic conditions are now seen to offer specific advantages for the operation of computer server farms - large, conditioned, secure facilities housing thousands of rack mounted computer servers - due to Ireland's relatively low ambient temperatures. Annual temperature averages for Ireland hover around 9°C, with coastal areas experiencing a relatively smaller range around the average than inland areas due to stablising influence of the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea. Coupled with Ireland's stable temperature profile, its relatively high average annual rainfall raises the efficiency of geothermal heat pumps, which in combination help to minimise one of the principle cost drivers for data centres, the cost of cooling computers.

For more see SiliconRepublic.com

Discuss: Data Driven Decisions Remove the Human Factor

The motion for discussion is...
"Data driven decisions remove the human factor! discuss"

Goal
To critically assess the claims surrounding rational and intuitive decision making.

Instructions
Two groups (red-against, blue-for) will present an analysis and then debate the merits of their different positions, involving the whole class in the closing stages.
The readings given for initial investigation are listed below. We strongly encourage the use of additional secondary sources and providing examples as evidence supporting arguments.

Readings
LOVEMAN, G. (2003) Diamonds in the Data Mine. Harvard Business Review, 81, 109-113.
BONABEAU, E. (2003) Don't Trust Your Gut. Harvard Business Review, 81, 116-123.

In projects: Fail early, fail often.

The point with fail early and fail often is that it is a total radical upending of the way we generally think about working on projects, particularly projects where the goal we want to achieve has never been done (at least not in our knowledge).

Asa Raskin illustrates this idea with a story about Paul MacCready (designer of the Gossamer Condor) who put it this way “The problem is we don’t understand the problem.” In which case the best strategy is to learn quickly, to discover what the problem is. Often the goal itself seems to suggest solutions, perhaps obvious, but that these may be diversions to a more creative and ultimately successful resolution.

http://www.azarask.in/blog/post/the-wrong-problem/

Trading robots (software)

HFT Algo Machines from January 2007 through January 2012.
The following chart from Nanex displays the date/year and time/value of automated trades (high frequency trading);

http://www.nanex.net/aqck/2804.HTML

Exercise: Analysing data

Review the following data (link to Google docs)

What is the average transaction value based on this data?

This set of transactions is incomplete, estimate how many transactions in total occurred over the period? Assume transactions (see receipt number) are numbered consecutively when produced.

Provide an estimate the total sales value over the period.

Provide an estimate of one week's revenue based on a 5 day week.

Exercise: What is data, what is information?

Goal
Build up an understanding of the difference between data and information.

Instructions
1. Ask members of the class to define information and identify examples. (1 minutes)
2. Write down and display this list of definitions and examples.

Definitions
Something told
Items of knowledge
A thing known
...
...

Examples
News
A point on a scale
...
...
...

Comments:
There are no wrong answers, just build up a list, tabulate and provide back to the class.
What is data?
What is the relationship between data and information?
Consider difference between technical definitions and non-technical.

Date and time values in Excel (and Access etc)

Date/time values are stored internally in Excel as a real number where the apparent integer part and the mantissa part are interpreted as simple counts or fractions respectively.

• The data component is represented internally in Excel as the 'number of days elapsed since 12/30/1899.
• The time component is represented internally in Excel as the fraction of 24 hours.

Consider the following example:
Create your own test by entering January 26, 2011 9:00 PM the date into an Excel cell, e.g.

26/01/2001 21:00

Excel's auto format will usually recognise it as a date and record it (internally) as a date time.
Now change the cell format to General. You should see the following displayed.

36917.875

Date component	separator	Time component
36917	.	875

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The mantissa part (the 'fraction part', everything after the decimal point or separator, also called a 'significand') is a decimal fraction of 24 hours.

The integer part is (the whole number in front of the decimal point or separator) is simply the number of whole days.

Question: does the actual internal representation in Excel map to a double precision floating point number or two integers?

Discuss: Formal Project Management Contributes to Project Failure

The motion for discussion is...
"Formal project management contributes to project failure! discuss"

Goal
To critically assess the claims surrounding the need, specification, assumptions and efficacy of the 'project management' approach.

Instructions
Two groups (red-against, blue-for) will present an analysis and then debate the merits of their different positions, involving the whole class in the closing stages.
The readings given for initial investigation are listed below. We strongly encourage the use of additional secondary sources and providing examples as evidence supporting arguments.

Readings
THE STANDISH GROUP (1999) CHAOS: A Recipe for Success.
FELD, C. S. & STODDARD, D. B. (2004) Getting IT Right. Harvard Business Review, 82, 72-79.

Project Management Thinking

Choose strategic projects by...

• Focusing on organisational goals
• Categorising
• Doing financial analysis

A well-defined project plan is...

• Easy to understand
• Easy to read
• Communicated to all (real stakeholders and involved actors)
• Commensurate with project size, complexity, accuracy
• Prepared by the team

Change happens because...

• Something was left out
• We misunderstood something
• The environment changes
• The organisation changes
• The technology changes
• Everything changes
• Unrealistic expectations of clients/users/customers
• Funding, deadline, time limits change.

Dealing with changes...

• Have a change policy (if you make a change then something else happens)
• Anticipate change (it's going to happen anyway so plan for it)
• Seek change (it's bubbling under the surface, is going to happen, so make it happen)

Risk management

• Identify
• Ones you can quantify
• Ones that are qualitative
• Respond (to reasonable expectation i.e. loss x probability of occurring)

Risk factors

• Changing environment
• Group think
• Change management
• Time (lack)
• Irrationality
• Gilding the lily
• Not communicating
• Not delivering increments
• Unrealistic expectations

Things to do

• Lead
• Learn
• Listen
• Talk
• work with people
• Change
• Risk

Exercise: Creating something 'like' a GANTT chart in Excel

Goal:
Familiarity with Excel graphing functions.

Instructions:

Example in Google docs (link)
Step 1: Enter the sample data
Step 2: Create a stacked bar chart
Step 3: Make the chart look like a Gantt chart


Example in Microsoft Office Excel (link)
Step 1: Enter the sample data
Step 2: Create a stacked bar chart
Step 3: Make the chart look like a Gantt chart

Other links:
Various videos illustrate this process, see this search on google (terms: gantt, excel, video)

Discuss: IT Doesn't Matter

The motion for discussion is...
"IT doesn't matter! discuss"

Goal
To critically assess the claims surrounding the assumption that IT unambiguously confers competitive advantage to its users; that it generates efficiency, and consequently delivers profits to firms developing or acquiring it. Instead, Carr claims in essence, IT is now a commodity and therefore no longer matters.

Instructions
Two groups (red-against, blue-for) will present an analysis and then debate the merits of their different positions, involving the whole class in the closing stages.
The readings given for initial investigation are listed below. We strongly encourage the use of additional secondary sources and providing examples as evidence supporting arguments.

Readings
CARR, N. (2003) IT Doesn't Matter. Harvard Business Review, 81, 41-49.

Exercise: Outsourcing Business

Goal
Come up with a list of examples of business that is outsourced.

Instructions
1. Ask members of the class in small groups to come up with examples of businesses, business activities or functions that are outsourced. (3 minutes)
3. Ask each group to provide one example.
2. Write down and display this list of examples.


Examples
20:Nike: Manufacturing
19:Apple: Foxconn
18: UCD: Security
17: Apple
16: Dell: Call centres to India
15: Apple: Manufacturing
14: Apple:
13: Apple:
12: Apple:
11: Xbox: Support India
10: Coke: Outsoucing bottle supply
9: Dell: Call
8: Apple
7: Apple
6: UCD: Security
5: Insurance: Call centres
4: Aerlingus: Accounting/Financials
3:UCD: Email to Google
2: 02: Customer services
1: Motorola: Customer services:
...
...
...
...

Reflection
Ask questions like:
Is there a distinction between work that is subcontracted and work that is outsourced?
What is amenable to outsourcing?
What is not amenable to outsourcing?
Is outsourcing the same as subcontracting?
Does offshore delivery matter?

Exercise: What is Outsourcing?

Goal
Come up with a working definition of Outsourcing.

Instructions
1. Ask members of the class to define outsourcing or give examples of global sourcing. (3 minutes)
2. Write down and display this list of definitions and examples.

Definitions

• "Outsourcing is the procurement of goods and services from external suppliers" (Mol, 2007)
• "Sourcing is the act through which work is contracted or delegated to an external or internal entity that could be physically located anywhere." (Oshri et. al, 2009)
• "Outsourcing is defined as contracting with a third service provider for the management and completion of a certain amount of work, for a specified length of time, cost, and level of service." (Oshri et. al, 2009)
• ...
• ...

Examples

• ...
• ...
• ...
• ...

Comments: There are no wrong answers, just build up a list, tabulate and provide back to the class

References:
Mol, M.J. Outsourcing: Design, Process and Performance Cambridge University Press, 2007.
Oshri, I., Kotlarsky, J., and Willcocks, L.P. The Handbook of Global Outsourcing and Offshoring Palgrave Macmillan, 2009, p. 266.

Exercise: a 30 second video

"I like the Quinn because..."

Goal
To get 'hands-on' experience creating a video presentation.

Instructions
You have 30 minutes to produce a 30 second video.

1. Form groups, at least one member of each group to have a laptop computer on the wireless network.
2. Each use your own smartphone video function or group given a Flipcam (product link).
3. Announce the objective.
• To create a video "I like the Quinn because..."
• Completed video to be 30 seconds duration or less.

Tips
First try producing the video in a single take (to avoid merging different shots or doing complicated edits).
Planning a video...
Start by brainstorming different ideas in the group.

When brainstorming:

1. Let each member provide 2 or 3 ideas, capture each ideas with a post-it notes.
2. Suspend your judgment until everyone has stated their idea.
3. Next build on ideas, some ideas will be put aside at this stage.
4. At all times be aware of your own and other's personal safety.
5. Criticise the idea not the person.
6. Use serial discussion, everyone has a turn, no one person dominates.
7. Consider taking on roles but keep it democratic.

Producing a video
Videos have a beginning, middle and end so consider writing a brief script.
Assign roles...

1. to write the script.
2. to plan the shots.
3. to film.
4. to act.
5. find/create props.
6. to edit.

Do dry runs!

Perhaps you might

• Upload your video to Vimeo or YouTube?

---

Further reading

• My piece on storyboarding ideas (managingsystemsdevelopment.blogspot.com).
• Storyboarding is also used as a user-design technique for systems development. For examples see The Importance of Storyboarding Your iPhone App by Josh Clark and Storyboard technique for software projects by Adam Musial-Bright.
• Reynolds, G. (2008) Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery, Berkeley, CA, New Riders.
• Sawyer, B. (2009) The Learner's Journey in Practice. (blogs.oreilly.com)
• BBC video editor (link)
• Camista screen recorder (link)
• Quick and Easy Video with a Flip Cam (dspace.ndlr.ie)
• A Guide to Student-Generated Videos(www.studentgenerated.com)
• MINO HD FLIP CAMERA USER GUIDE (dspace.ndlr.ie)

Here's my pitch for you to 'storyboard' and some tips on how to do it.

Storyboarding from Allen Higgins on Vimeo.

Exercise: What is Information Technology?

(also an icebreaker to encourage participation in a large lecture theatre environment)

Goal
Come up with a working definition of Information Technology.

Instructions
1. Ask members of the class to define information technology or give examples of information technology. (3 minutes)
2. Write down and display this list of definitions and examples.

Definitions

• ...
• ...
• ...

Examples

• ...
• ...
• ...
• ...

Comments
There are no wrong answers, just build up a list, tabulate and provide back to the class

• "Information technology (IT) is a 'field' concerned with the use of technoloogy in managing and processing information." (Baltzan et. al., 2009: 9)
• "There are two basic categories of information technology: hardware and software." (Baltzan et. al., 2009: 318)
• Information technology (IT) is "the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications". (Longley & Shain 1985: 164)

References:
Baltzan, P., Phillips, A. & Haag, S. (2009) Business Driven Technology, McGraw-Hill.
Longley, Dennis; Shain, Michael (1985), Dictionary of Information Technology (2 ed.), Macmillan Press (via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_technology)

Index to Motions/Discussions for Semester 2, 2011-2012

The motion for discussion...

• No motion Week 1!
• Week 2... "IT doesn't matter: discuss"
• Week 3... "formal project management contributes to project failure: discuss"
• Week 4... "data driven decisions remove the human factor: discuss"
• Week 5... "Senior Management knows it all: discuss"
• Week 6... "Customer data; use it or lose it: discuss"
• Week 7... "Give Us Your Data To Save the World: discuss"
• Week 9... "New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail: discuss"
• Week 10... "The future of commerce is smart, wireless, and pervasive! discuss"
• Week 11... "Social media transforms business! discuss"
• Week 12 is... "IP is a drag in Cyberspace; discuss"

Each group presentation is limited to 5 minutes +/- several seconds. One letter grade will be deducted for each minute a presentation goes over time.

Hint. Produce a video presentation to keep within the time limit. See the video exercise for tips (link).

Ideas behind the E4MIS Blog...

Elements of the Blog
Debates
I think it is important to use contemporary and historical analyses in debates on crucial issues affecting society, markets, and commerce. The debates constructed here will either boost or criticize a important aspect of management thought or some technologically mediated innovation.

Discussion Format
Two student groups take the opposing views on the stated motion (blue supporting and red attacking). Presentations are allocated 5' followed immediately by 10' discussion. Further summative discussion is encouraged after both presentations have concluded.

Exercises
A small number of spreadsheet exercises and classroom activities are offered to support the subject matter

Notes:
The objective of this blog is to support students with an interest in information systems and who are prepared to take responsibility for their own learning; people who are keen to discover and form their own opinions about the impacts, uses and risks of information technology.

The blog offers an eclectic overview of contemporary information systems, products and services. Topics include knowledge, knowledge management, transactional systems, databases, electronic commerce, mobile commerce, issues of privacy, data protection, copyright, outsourcing, and others.

The context for this is information systems and high tech products used or applied in contemporary organisations dealing with pressing needs and demands. Notice I wrote organisations rather than businesses. This is to draw the point that, while much of the industry focus is commercial and this blog arises within the setting of a Business School (formerly Faculty of Commerce), it is important to acknowledge that not all organisational forms are commercial in nature nor is a commercial orientation necessarily the most crucial perspective to apply in organisations generally. However, management responsibility is a necessary condition for effective organisation and therefore the focus on information systems and high technology innovation is orientated towards impactful activities and responsibilities of management.

Blog overview

This blog offers exercises and articles to help students get to grips with information technology and systems, to use them to advantage in modern organizations.

What kinds of information systems do we encounter in business and in our social lives? Systems in common use include: so called 'knowledge management' tools, e-commerce applications, online banking, social networking, specialist database services (libraries), e-enabled information services (weather, traffic, airport) etc.

Types of activities relating to the development, adoption, and use of information systems include: requirements, analysis, design, development, delivery, maintenance etc.

Topics covered in the blog should help you:

• Describe and characterise information technology and systems of use (e.g. some of the things mentioned above).
• Applying analytical frameworks to analyse instances of IT systems in organisations (e.g. theory from Marx, Morgan, Porter, etc).
• Familiarisation with knowledge related to IT and MIS applied to organisations generally (purchasing, logistics, payroll, HR, finance etc).
• Analyse and assess impact of emerging technologies (convergent devices, ubiquitous sensors, location based services, etc)
• Use and critique decision making models, tools and techniques.
• Spreadsheet competence.
• Trending technologies and the internet (e.g. consider the relationship between everything 'e' and entrepreneurship).