The Dark Web
In the internet, there are different layers: the surface web, the deep web, and the dark web. The surface web is where web pages are that show up when you use search engines such as Google. The deep web is web pages that cannot be accessed through search engines that require a password and or […]
The Changing Face of Ads
When you are getting something for free, you are probably what’s being sold. The internet was built by believers in openness and sharing. To keep it free, those pioneers entered a devils bargain with advertisers. To keep the internet accessible to all it became acceptable to sell users attention. This was not a novel […]
How TripAdvisor Influences Travelers
In an age where it is relatively easy to travel anywhere in the world via plane, there are boundless options for vacations and getaways. How does one decide where to go? TripAdvisor is a popular website that provides hundreds of millions of reviews on hotels, restaurants, and aspects of travel. Its motto, which is […]
Google’s Self-Loop Mishap and the Flaws in the PageRank Algorithm
In 2012, when Google Chrome was in its youth, Google found itself violating its own policy by inadvertently upping its Chrome browser’s PageRank. The problem was a result of Google paying a third party, called Essence Video, to host ads for Chrome. Essence Video then used the capital from Google to pay a company called […]
Cheating the PageRank and its Penalties
Google’s PageRank system still represents the core of how websites are ranked in its search queries. Relying on the simple principle that lots of good “links in” represent a quality result, and likewise that lots of good “links out” represent a quality hub, it has clearly served the company well. However, this simplicity comes at […]
Welcome to Night Vale and the Power of Crowd Influence Through Social Media
Welcome to Night Vale is a bi-monthly science fiction horror podcast that first released on Jun 15 2012 to little notice or acclaim. The podcast remained a well reviewed and moderately successful if mostly unheard of niche-story until August 1 2013, nearly a year after its first release. Out of almost nowhere, Welcome to Night […]
Doctors, Odds Ratios, and Bayes’ Theorem
Today’s lecture largely focused on Bayes’ theorem, a powerful tool for updating beliefs based on evidence—say, whether or not you have a given disease, if you find out that you tested positive for it. If undergraduates in a math-related course at Cornell learn the math behind that, surely most practicing doctors know it…right? You’d be surprised. News […]
Sunk-Cost Fallacy
The sunk-cost fallacy is the notion that significant past investments will push one to make future significant future investments, even though the investments might not be worthwhile. The idea of sunk cost can easily be traced to our everyday lives decision making. We’ve all sat through the first half of a terrible movie and noticed that […]
LinkedIn: Advertising Toward Professionals
LinkedIn is a powerful tool for marketing. Advertising on LinkedIn is advertising to an audience of professionals. There are two options to set up ads: the “cost-per-click” option (CPC) and the “pay-per-impression” option (PPM). As well, there are ways of targeting your advertising to only reach members with specific profiles (such as specific job titles, […]
Online review paradox
Internet has become an inseparable part of people’s daily life and plays a critical part in determining people’s decision making. Internet is the first place come to mind for many people to search for information and advice when they experience new things. Think about buying a new product, going to a new restaurant, or finding […]
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