Network Traffic and the launch of T3
As a means of facilitating in newsroom reports, Total Traffic & Weather Network discusses their innovative new interface for newsrooms, which essentially allowing for more efficient traffic reports. The new system and social network connectivity (live tweets), allows the viewer with a list of options to plan out the best way to get to their destination. Alice Jacobs, Vice President of a WSVN news station says that T3 is essentially more aesthetically pleasing for the viewer, with efficient live updates. The article briefly discussed the influence of social media. This is actually a more feasible solution for increasing the speed of spreading information. With social media, users can label their posts with a ‘hashtag’ symbol. Facebook facilitates this by allowing your friends (strong or weak edges) to view your stories in their news feed. If a user watches a news program with T3s improved system, they can tweet or post about it. It will end up spreading in that person’s social network.
This relates to the material discussed in the course. Game theory is a common practice that influences the decisions of all people in the world. Network Traffic is essentially game theory, where people try to weigh out the best possible route to arrive at a destination in the timeliest fashion. Given this information, one interesting scenario involves a large group of players travelling through the same route (100 players). Nash equilibrium is possible with the fast updates traffic and accident reports. This will allow players to reroute and plan accordingly for a backup on a popular thruway. It will lessen the density of players on one route, and redirect them to different ones. If Player 1 passes by an accident on a popular thruway, Player 1 can tweet about the accident that costed him precious time to get to his destination. His followers (80 people) can view the message and plan in advance, assuming they need to travel in the same direction as player. Total Traffic and Weather Network has an adaptive weather and traffic system, where the tweets are interlinked, essentially informing traffic reporters of incidents almost instantaneously. This will attract a larger audience. Likewise, with the invention of smartphone applications, users have even more access to this system. While this may not be the only means of updating the database, it provides users, and potential players in a network traffic ‘game’ to view accident reports and traffic information.
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