Digital asset management system for small graphic design operations

According to the 1999 data of the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 75% of graphic design firms are small, with no more than four employees. Currently, there is a limited amount of literature relating to digital asset management (DAM) in relation to this population. These graphic design firms work on various projects using multiple digital assets for each, such as text, images, and fonts. Some firms choose to use proprietary asset management software to manage, search, and backup their assets, while others set up workflows that utilize existing network systems and graphic software. This research is a case study which observes the current practices of asset management systems in small graphic design firms. First, asset management problems faced by participants were identified. Some of the basic challenges include naming conventions, folder nesting, and digital asset searchability. Most participants in this study want to make improvements in their file management practices. Graphic design firms can improve their asset management system by keeping themselves informed of current DAM technologies; by relying less on personal memory and more on systematic organization; and by developing a checklist of important items to consider when managing digital assets, namely: naming convention, folder nesting, archiving, backup, searching, and means of asset transfer. In some cases, the solution is as simple as applying available desktop search engines to the workflow

Sharing digital object across data infrastructures using Named Data Networking (NDN)

Data infrastructures manage the life cycle of digital assets and allow users to efficiently discover them. To improve the Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability and Re-usability (FAIRness) of digital assets, a data infrastructure needs to provide digital assets with not only rich meta information and semantics contexts information but also globally resolvable identifiers. The Persistent Identifiers (PIDs), like Digital Object Identifier (DOI) are often used by data publishers and infrastructures. The traditional IP network and client-server model can potentially cause congestion and delays when many consumers simultaneously access data. In contrast, Information-Centric Networking (ICN) technologies such as Named Data Networking (NDN) adopt a data-centric approach where digital data objects, once requested, may be stored on intermediate hops in the network. Consecutive requests for that unique digital object are then made available by these intermediate hops (caching). This approach distributes traffic load more efficient and reliable compared to host-to-host connection-oriented techniques and demonstrates attractive opportunities for sharing digital objects across distributed networks. However, such an approach also faces several challenges. It requires not only an effective translation between the different naming schemas among PIDs and NDN, in particular for supporting PIDs from different publishers or repositories. Moreover, the planning and configuration of an ICN environment for distributed infrastructures are lacking an automated solution. To bridge the gap, we propose an ICN planning service with specific consideration of interoperability across PID schemas in the Cloud environment

The solid ecosystem: ready for mainstream web development?

Companies have been collecting data from its users over the years. This data it is often grouped in places called data silos and may then be used for profit in many ways: building data models to predict or enforce user behaviour, selling their data to other companies, among others. Moreover, the centralisation of data makes it appealing for people with malicious intentions to attack data silos. Security breaches violate users’ privacy, by exposing its sensitive data such as passwords, credit card information, and personal details. One solution to this problem is to separate data from these systems, demanding a shift in the way companies create web applications. This dissertation explores different solutions and compares them, focusing on a particular project named Solid. Created by the inventor of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee, Solid is a solution that takes advantage of the power of RDF in order to create a web of Linked Data, introducing decentralisation on software architecture in different layers. In order to achieve mainstream adoption, various aspects such as the impact of the introduction of this technology have on the user experience and development experience need to be considered. This dissertation documents the development of a prototype web application built with Solid at its core and compares it with the same application developed using a more traditional stack of technologies. An analysis was conducted under two perspectives: developer and final user. While in the former it is considered aspects such as development time and documentation diversity and quality, the latter is focused on the user experience. Resorting to a questionnaire presented to real users, it was concluded that the user experience of some the features of these applications, such as the user’s registration and the login process is affected by introducing this type of decentralisation. Moreover, it was also considered the lack of documentation this technology has at the moment, though it has improved throughout the development of this dissertation.As empresas têm coletado dados dos seus utilizadores ao longo dos anos. Esses dados são frequentemente agrupados em locais denominados de data silos e podem ser usados para fins lucrativos através de várias formas: construção de modelos de dados para prever ou impor comportamentos nos seus utlizadores, venda dos seus dados a outras empresas, entre outras. Para além disso, a centralização desses dados capta a atenção de pessoas com intenções maliciosas, que possuem interesse em atacar esses agrupamentos de dados. Falhas de segurança violam a privacidade dos utilizadores, expondo dados confidenciais, como passwords, informações de cartões de crédito e outros detalhes pessoais. Uma solução para este problema passa por separar os dados da aplicação, exigindo uma mudança na forma como as empresas criam aplicações. Esta dissertação explora diferentes soluções e efetua uma comparação entre elas, com foco num projecto específico denominado de Solid. Desenvolvido pelo criador da World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee, Solid é uma tecnologia que aproveita o poder de RDF para criar uma rede de informação interligada, introduzindo descentralização nas arquitetures de software em diferentes camadas. Por forma a conseguir uma adoção massiva, vários aspetos, como o impacto que esta tecnologia tem na experiência de utilizador e no desenvolvimento de software, necessitam de ser considerados. Esta dissertação documenta o desenvolvimento de uma aplicação que utiliza Solid no seu núcleo e compara-a com uma outra aplicação desenvolvida com uma pilha de tecnologias mais tradicional. Foi conduzida uma análise através de duas perspectivas: desenvolvedores e utilizador final. Enquanto que na primeira os aspetos considerados estão relacionados com tempo de desenvolvimento assim como qualidade e diversidade de documentação, a última está mais focada na experiência de utilizador. Recorrendo a um questionário apresentado a utilizadores que tiveram a oportunidade de experimentar ambas as aplicações, concluiu-se que a experiência do utilizador em algumas funcionalidades, como o registo de utilizador e o processo de login, é afetada pela introdução deste tipo de descentralização, ainda que em muitas outras a diferença seja impercetível. Além disso, também foi considerada a falta de documentação que esta tecnologia possui no momento, embora tenha melhorado ao longo do desenvolvimento desta dissertação

Do we still need financial intermediation? The case of decentralized finance – DeFi

Purpose Decentralized finance (DeFi), enabled by blockchain, could bring about a new financial system, where peers will interact directly, with little or no place for traditional intermediation. However, some crucial tasks cannot be left solely to an algorithm and, consequently, most DeFi applications still require human decisions. The aim of this research is to assess the role of intermediation in the light of DeFi, analysing how humans and algorithms will interact. Design/methodology/approach The authors based their work on a twofold qualitative methodology, first analysing publicly available secondary data, particularly from white papers and DeFi Pulse (a website providing data on DeFi solutions) and then running two focus group discussions. Findings DeFi does not eliminate financial intermediation, but enables it to be performed in new ways, where decentralization means that no single entity can hold too much power or monopoly. DeFi has, however, inherited risks from the underlying technologies that unintentionally facilitate illegal behaviour and can hamper the authorities' supervision. The complex duality algorithm- vs human-based actions will not be solved indisputably in favour of the former, as DeFi solutions can range from requiring algorithms to play a dominant role, to enabling greater human interaction by actively involving more people. Originality/value This research contributes to the emerging debate between algorithm- and human-based intermediation, especially in relation to the standing literature on financial intermediation, where considerations made in the light of the newest theories on blockchain and DeFi are still scarce

Decentralized Finance (DeFi): A Survey

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) is a new paradigm in the creation, distribution, and utilization of financial services via the integration of blockchain technology. Our research conducts a comprehensive introduction and meticulous classification of various DeFi applications. Beyond that, we thoroughly analyze these risks from both technical and economic perspectives, spanning multiple layers. Lastly, we point out research directions in DeFi, encompassing areas of technological advancements, innovative economics, and privacy optimization

Blockchain in Service Management and Service Research – Developing a Research Agenda and Managerial Implications

As blockchain technology is maturing to be confidently used in practice, its applications are becoming evident and, correspondingly, more blockchain research is being published, also extending to more domains than before. To date, scientific research in the field has predominantly focused on subject areas such as finance, computer science, and engineering, while the area of service management has largely neglected this topic. Therefore, we invited a group of renowned scholars from different academic fields to share their views on emerging topics regarding blockchain in service management and service research. Their individual commentaries and conceptual contributions refer to different theoretical and domain perspectives, including managerial implications for service companies as well as forward-looking suggestions for further research.Information and Communication TechnologyEconomics of Technology and Innovatio

DevSecOps: S-SDLC

L'objectiu principal d'aquesta tesis és veure com s'incorpora la seguretat a DevOps en un entorn corporatiu. En concret, aquesta tesis busca veure com implementar S-SDLC. A més a més, la tesis mostra la implementació d'un CI/CD ben fet. Durant el projecte s'han implementat noves eines que faciliten el desenvolupament segur i de qualitat al programador durant la fase de desenvolupament.The main objective of this thesis is to examine how security is incorporated into DevOps in a corporate environment. Specifically, this thesis aims to explore how to implement S-SDLC (Secure Software Development Life Cycle). Additionally, the thesis demonstrates the implementation of a well-executed CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery). During the project, new tools have been implemented to facilitate secure and high-quality development for the programmer during the development phas