Is the “Harvey Effect” an Information Cascade?
Link: http://theweek.com/articles/734026/harvey-effect-changing-how-talk-about-sexual-assault People like to follow crowds. Think about the nature of virality, peer pressure, and the power of mob mentality. They are all examples of the phenomenon we have come to know as an information cascade. When learning about information cascades, I couldn’t help but think about the recent events that have come to […]
Information Cascades and Echo Chambers
Coming off news of Russian interference in 2016 Presidental Election, there was a Senate Intelligence Hearing on Capitol Hill that had representatives from Google, Facebook, and Twitter. The topic discussed concerned the tech companies’ roles in curbing hate speech while also protecting free speech, as many politicians were aggravated over the Russian government being able to […]
The Importance of Voting Order
Voting order matters. A democratic vote is decided not only on who or what is being voted on but also how these people or things are paired when voting. One thing or person could win a series of votes after a certain order of pairings, but an entirely different thing or person could have won […]
Google’s Algorithm Manipulated
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/16/google-autocomplete-rightwing-bias-algorithm-political-propaganda Eighteen years after Larry Page and Sergey Brin published their famous paper on Google’s search algorithm: “The Anatomy of a Large-Scale Hypertextual Search Engine,” the algorithm is still being modified, scrutinized, and most importantly manipulated. The Guardian found empirical evidence that Google’s autocomplete algorithm and search algorithms in general often gave preference to conservative […]
How Companies Grapple With Network Effects to Sell New Products
Rolling out a new product is always a nerve-racking process for employees of tech companies, whether those are multinational conglomerates or startups still in their first rounds of funding. Even companies with a loyal customer base and cohorts of fans experience backlash when they experiment with new designs and technologies. A potent example of this […]
Don’t Forget about the new iPhone 8 and X!
https://morningconsult.com/2017/09/23/poll-new-iphones-less-popular-among-u-s-consumers-iphone-7/ The original iPhone sparked a technological revolution that continues to this day. Ever since Steve Jobs announced the first phone, Apple has been dominating the smartphone market. Through innovation and expert marketing, Apple had created an almost cult following of the iPhone, with people camping outside stores for days trying to get their […]
The Spread of Controversial Technologies
https://jalopnik.com/what-if-autonomous-cars-just-never-happen-1820778692 In order for a technology to spread, it must reach a certain payoff for each customer in addition to being started in the right market groups. In a real world scenario, the spread of technology takes on a much more complicated path than discussed in lecture with a set defined threshold and defined groups […]
Whopping Cough and its Relation to Epidemics
Networks are incredibly useful in modelling life situations and putting the information into simplified terms. Epidemics are easily presented by a contact network and explained by its branching process. Whooping cough, or also known as pertussis, is a highly contagious disease that causes the victim to cough uncontrollably. This bacterial disease induces symptoms similar to […]
Information cascade in feminist movement
An information cascade is a situation where an individual makes a decision based on the observations or choices of others, and each individual’s decision impacts on a greater result. This social theory is picked as one of the main reasons for today’s giant wave of sexual harassment scandals. As Gillian Tett, the author of the article, […]
Information Cascade and Cyber Security
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/the-psychology-of-cyber-security-how-hackers-exploit-human-bias_uk_5a159c0ce4b0815d3ce65bbd According to the article, even companies of supposed tech “experts” like Google and Facebook can fall victim to targeted scams to employees in their networks. Why is this? The answer lies in a combination of information cascade and exploitation of human bias. According to numerous studies, people often think that they are better than […]
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