Facebook Subscription Fees
In 2011 there was a rumor spreading that Facebook was to start charging all users a subscription fee for use. Because Facebook users knew that did not have another network equivalent to Facebook to join for free, this subscription fee idea anger many. The reason there was no equivalent networking site to Facebook was not […]
The Future of Lying
In light of our substantial focus on information cascades and network effects, it is interesting to observe – on a less mathematical scale – the ramifications of a plethora of networks in one pervasive human trait: lying. It is no surprise that deception has existed in numerous species dating as far back as we can […]
Information cascades – present or not?
The idea of “crowd [un]intelligence” arising from information cascades has often been cited as a primary reason against the reality of Global Warming. Either as an elaborate conspiracy among a select minority of scientists, world leaders and policy makers, or simply a consequence of poor academic practices; skeptics often argue that the “evidence” for Global […]
The decline of physical music sales
In the past decade, the way people have been obtaining or listening to music has changed drastically. When one of your favorite artists released a new album, it was very common to go out and buy a physical copy of the CD and listen to it. Nowadays, that is rarely done. Everything has been shifting […]
Network Effects on College Decisions
Do you go to Cornell because of the strength of the program or the allure of the Ivy League diploma? When people are undergoing the process of applying to college, they are frequently faced with the dilemma of going to a prestigious university with a top-notch reputation versus going to state university that will cost […]
New Song Quickly Spreads
A new music video, It’s Thanksgiving by Nicole Westbrook, was released last week on YouTube on November 7th. Since being released, the video has already accumulated around eight million views. Many popular videos on YouTube have had similar growth rates, getting a million views or more per day. This popularity can occur for various reasons. […]
The Black Friday Prisoner’s Dilemma
Since 2005 Black Friday has been the busiest shopping day in the United States [3], where holiday shopper attempt to get gifts early at bargain prices. It has been customary for years for retailers to open early, but recently opening times has been taken to new extremes. It used to be customary (around 2005) for […]
Children are our Present
http://www.fastcodesign.com/1671239/how-kids-are-remaking-our-consumer-behavior Traditionally, we imagine the adults of society leading the young, blazing the trail towards the future that children will follow behind. However, as the article points out, there are a number of ways in which this view is inaccurate and may even be reversing. First of all, adult behavior is (perhaps increasingly) influenced […]
War and Propaganda on Twitter
In light of the recent large-scale rocket barrages between Israel and the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Force (IDF) has begun live-tweeting its military actions on its official Twitter IDFSpokesperson page. Since the page tweeted the assassination of Hamas military leader Ahmed Jabari on November 14, it has been providing frequent updates on its actions […]
Go Greek
Roughly 30% of all Cornell undergraduate students are part of the Greek System. With 14,158 enrolled undergrads, 4,248 students are currently in a fraternity or sorority. There are many enticing reasons that would persuade a perspective rush to decide to accept a bid. These reasons include gaining a resume booster, to gain leadership experience, to […]
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