Enrichment and ranking of the YouTube tag space and integration with the Linked Data cloud

The increase of personal digital cameras with video functionality and video-enabled camera phones has increased the amount of user-generated videos on the Web. People are spending more and more time viewing online videos as a major source of entertainment and “infotainment”. Social websites allow users to assign shared free-form tags to user-generated multimedia resources, thus generating annotations for objects with a minimum amount of effort. Tagging allows communities to organise their multimedia items into browseable sets, but these tags may be poorly chosen and related tags may be omitted. Current techniques to retrieve, integrate and present this media to users are deficient and could do with improvement. In this paper, we describe a framework for semantic enrichment, ranking and integration of web video tags using Semantic Web technologies. Semantic enrichment of folksonomies can bridge the gap between the uncontrolled and flat structures typically found in user-generated content and structures provided by the Semantic Web. The enhancement of tag spaces with semantics has been accomplished through two major tasks: a tag space expansion and ranking step; and through concept matching and integration with the Linked Data cloud. We have explored social, temporal and spatial contexts to enrich and extend the existing tag space. The resulting semantic tag space is modelled via a local graph based on co-occurrence distances for ranking. A ranked tag list is mapped and integrated with the Linked Data cloud through the DBpedia resource repository. Multi-dimensional context filtering for tag expansion means that tag ranking is much easier and it provides less ambiguous tag to concept matching

Managing the outsourcing of information security processes: the 'cloud' solution

Information security processes and systems are relevant for any organization and involve medium-to-high investment; however, the current economic downturn is causing a dramatic reduction in spending on Information Technology (IT). Cloud computing (i.e., externalization of one or more IT services) might be a solution for organizations keen to maintain a good level of security. In this paper we discuss whether cloud computing is a valid alternative to in-house security processes and systems drawing on four mini-case studies of higher education institutions in New England, US. Our findings show that the organization’s IT spending capacity affects the choice to move to the cloud; however, the perceived security of the cloud and the perceived in-house capacity to provide high quality IT (and security) services moderate this relationship. Moreover, other variables such as (low) quality of technical support, relatively incomplete contracts, poor defined Service License Agreements (SLA), and ambiguities over data ownership affect the choice to outsource IT (and security) using the cloud. We suggest that, while cloud computing could be a useful means of IT outsourcing, there needs to be a number of changes and improvements to how the service is currently delivered

Driving online shopping: Spending and behavioral differences among women in Saudi Arabia

This study proposes a revised technology acceptance model that integrates expectation confirmation theory to measure gender differences with regard to continuance online shopping intentions in Saudi Arabia. The sample consists of 650 female respondents. A structural equation model confirms model fit. Perceived enjoyment, usefulness, and subjective norms are determinants of online shopping continuance in Saudi Arabia. High and low online spenders among women in Saudi Arabia are equivalent. The structural weights are also largely equivalent, but the regression paths from perceived site quality to perceived usefulness is not invariant between high and low e-shoppers in Saudi Arabia. This research moves beyond online shopping intentions and includes factors affecting online shopping continuance. The research model explains 60% of the female respondents’ intention to continue shopping online. Online strategies cannot ignore either the direct and indirect spending differences on continuance intentions, and the model can be generalized across Saudi Arabia

Arts and Economic Prosperity 5: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts & Cultural Organizations & their Audiences in Western New York

[Excerpt] Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 provides evidence that the nonprofit arts and culture sector is a significant industry in Western New York—one that generates $352.1 million in total economic activity. This spending—$156 million by nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and an additional $196.1 million in event-related spending by their audiences—supports 10,160 full-time equivalent jobs, generates$208.2 million in household income to local residents, and delivers $40.3 million in local and state government revenue. This economic impact study sends a strong signal that when we support the arts, we not only enhance our quality of life, but we also invest in Western New York’s economic well-being

Chicago Recovery Partnership Evaluation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

From 2009-2011, the City of Chicago and Cook County received a total of $2.35 billion in funding provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act [ARRA]. The stimulus money was allocated to seven areas: education, basic needs, transportation and infrastructure, housing and energy, public safety, broadband and workforce development. The Chicago Recovery Partnership Evaluation of ARRA analyzes the impact of the stimulus spending using a costbenefit analysis framework. This report evaluated$1.09 billion of total spending in Chicago and Cook County, resulting in net benefits ranging from -$173.9 to$2,740.2 million. The wide range in net benefits is attributed largely to education, which received over half of ARRA funding

Cereal FACTS: Evaluating the Nutrition Quality and Marketing of Children's Cereals

Evaluates cereal companies' marketing practices in 2008-09, immediately before and after full implementation of their pledges to reduce unhealthy marketing to children. Ranks brands with combined scores for nutrition quality and marketing exposure

Communications Policy, Media Development, and Convergence

In the deliberations of scholars, policy analysts, and policy makers, television has exceptional power and influence. Yet the historical record shows that television has not changed the economics of attention for large populations in the course of their daily lives. By the mid- 1920s, print media alone were highly successful in creating new consumer visions and aspirations, building national brands, and establishing significant brand equity. The advent of radio and television did not change total advertising spending as a share of total economic output, nor did it change significantly total advertising spending per adult media hour. The contrast between communications policy and the reality of media development is not merely a fluke or just ironic. It points to a major impediment to the development of information societies. State- owned-and-controlled media can be an important policy lever for overcoming this opposition and promoting the growth of more diverse media environments and more diverse ways of interacting with media.media, communications, advertising, time, e-government, regulation, reading, newspapers, television, radio

Enhancing Team Dynamics in an Online Learning Environment

The corporate world considers the ability of employees to work well within a team environment as a critical factor in success and expects potential employees to gain experience of team work during their university education. Although team projects have been well-incorporated into the traditional curriculum in higher education, the advent of online learning has created challenges in ensuring effective team dynamics. This research presents a case study implementing an online team learning approach designed to create a positive learning environment at St. Petersburg College. In the original online environment, both staff and students encountered a variety of concerns and ineffective team dynamics. These issues were addressed by the course team using a variety of formalized rocedures, best practices and team documents. This led to improved student interactions, better quality of assignments, as well as lecturers spending less time on team management issues

Capturing TV user behaviour in fictional character descriptions

This work is part of the On-demand IPTV project, conducted by Acreo and SICS with financing from Vinnova and active support from an industrial consortium. The main goal of the project is to study the demands on cost-effective, scalable video-on-demand networks that can deliver video with high-quality with minor quality degradations in the transmission. An important issue in understanding this situation is to explore future user behaviour (and the resulting traffic patterns) when user can choose a mix of broadcast TV and a large number of on-demand channels and services. This paper reports on the first steps to develop an understanding of IPTV user behaviour by investigating the current situation using archetypical, fictional character descriptions often referred to as personas. This is an intermediate version; the final version will be the result of Task 4.1: User requirements analysis, part of WP 4: User needs and behaviour