Data mining as a tool to improve business

In some countries credit card companies gather extensive information on the purchases of their clients. This data is stored in large databases not only for record keeping purposes but to discover ways to better serve the card holders. Data mining, which is the process of discovering patterns, is conducted on the contents of the database. When patterns in the purchasing behavior of customers are found, these are used as a basis for determining what purchases may not have been made by the customer. When the information system detects card purchases that deviate from the usual pattern this prompts the system to call the card holder to verify the purchase.

This creates value for the card holder because the information system helps protect them from fraud. Some additional benefits of the data mining the purchases database is that helps the card company determine what freebies and promotions that the card holder would likely be interested in. Also, information generated from this data helps management decide on the features of their credit card to further improve customer satisfaction.

The use of data mining is not only limited to credit card companies. For instance other businesses that are engaged in retail can make use of data mining in order to improve their marketing techniques.

It is unarguable that data mining has a lot of benefits; however, data mining has also its concomitant issues that have to be dealt with. For instance, there is the issue of privacy. Will the data mining techniques violate the privacy of a person? What should be the guidelines for this? Should there be limitations as to its possible uses?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_mining
http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/faculty/jason.frand/teacher/technologies/palace/datamining.htm

The state is watching you...

European states have adopted a directive in 2006 on the retention of data generated or processed with publicly available electronic communication devices or public communication networks. Data retention in the telecom field generally refers to the storage of call detail records of telephony, internet traffic and transaction data by government and commercial organizations. In government data retention, the data accumulated are usually phone calls made and received, emails and web sites visited. The main purpose of data retention is traffic analysis and mass surveillance. With the analysis of the data accrued, the government can then identify the location of an individual, his associates, monitor his transactions and determine membership in groups especially those who are politically involved.

The Members of the Parliament of UK enacted a act that facilitates a voluntary data retention system on telephone operators and internet service providers. This system deals with the use of retained information from correspondence through the telephone and internet service. This Code allows the state to gain access to subscriber information, telephony data, SMS, EMS & MMS data, email data, ISP data, web activity logs and other collateral data. Private citizens are being subjected to this intrusion in the interest of national security, public health, safety and other police power justifications. Talk about another case of balancing state interest versus the right to privacy of the citizens. However, last month though, Members of the Parliament were surprised to discover that they themselves were not exempted from the state surveillance that they themselves created. The MPs are troubled coz all of their correspondences are being monitored despite the MP immunity from snooping known as the “Wilson Doctrine.” How is that for equal protection… Now the MPs know how the rest of their constituents feel regarding the privacy and confidentiality of correspondence.

Imagine if Congress enacted a Data Retention Act in our country. Coupled with the Human Securities Act, the overreaching police power of the state would violate even the most basic provisions of Bill of Rights. Right to privacy, freedom of speech and expression would be rendered nil especially in this time where the people are getting tired of all the government’s inability to uphold public trust. The political discourse has continually been fueled as more and more government under tah table transactions are being brought to light. I just hope GMA does not get any idea from this... otherwise, the police power would definitely be up for abuse....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_retention#Data_retention_in_the_European_Union
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7226016.stm

Advertising in Technology or Technology in Advertising?

The advertising has propelled the creation of various industries and technologies. Gone are the days when advertising served as lifeblood only to the Tri-Media. Today, advertising has not only grown alongside certain industries, it has even given birth to industries of its own.

Events are examples of the offshoot of advertising. A few decades ago, events would never have been a viable form of marketing. Now however, it has become such an acceptable way of promoting and creating a brand that even students are able to raise funds through advertising in their own college events. Below-the-line advertising as they call them or sometimes public relations has become practically a way of life.

New Media is also very much a creature of advertising. New Media consists of interactive media, namely text messaging and Internet technology. Whenever you text to vote for anything on television or radio through text messaging, that is new media. Whenever you download the latest ringtone or logo, that is new media. Whenever you go to a website to participate in a forum, that too is considered new media. It is everything digital that bridges the gap between advertiser and consumer. It is inescapable, practically permeating all aspects of our modern-day life.

However, in terms of Technology, the impact is so significant that advertising does not only give birth to new industries, but it also giving birth to its own technologies.

Case at point: the Philips Lumalive technology is a technology that allows light patterns to be displayed from clothing. As a result, Philips can now offer shirts and jackets that not only light up but animates its display into a variety of images. Prototypes were available since 2005 but actual production has only begun recently.

The product is trivial at first, but Philips actually designed the shirt with advertising in mind. So when you think about it, it is technology with a purpose. In creating this technology, Philips not only enhanced its brand recognition, it also created a new platform to promote products and services. In cases like these, advertising is not just a passive onlooker eager to play with the latest available toy, but rather an active participant, shaping and moulding the technology it uses, technology that will affect our lives tomorrow.

- Elgene L. C. Feliciano

The Truth About Spratlys - Nothing to hide

The 1935 Constitution specifically set Philippine territory as being the metes and bounds set by the treaty of Paris, When Arturo Tolentino and the Philippine delegation went to the UNCLOS, they accepted the proposed archipelagic baselines on behalf of the Philippines. The result was a reduction of Philippine territory. The country's exclusive economic zone that we claim the Spratlys as being within does not confer sovereignty but merely sovereign rights. The two are not the same. The latter merely confers the right to exploit.

Word around the grapevine is that the Spratlys agreement with China for seismic testing used to be posted on the DFA website before it mysteriously vanished. Whoever is responsible for its disappearance should repost it on the net as there is nothing illegal about entering into an agreement for joint exploitation of a sovereign right.

An RTC judge in Zambales came up with a decision quite some time ago saying that it was not clear whether or not the Spratlys is a part of the Philippines. That decision was published in China. Heh.

TROLLS

Forums exist all over the net and every forum seems to have one resident troll, an asshole out to purposely irritate others by posting irreverent and sometimes stupid remarks. Trolls often get banned for being a nuisance but sometimes they somehow stick around and continue to spread their poison .

One such example can be found in the Lightninghoof server forum of World of Warcraft. Some bigot started a thread that Obama was the Antichrist and to my surprise, people dignified the bigotry by posting their replies. It is not that I prefer Obama over Clinton or that I believe in equality and brotherhood for all mankind but the tread that was started was simply stupid and illogical.

My God, the internet is still full of assholes and immature people.

PLDT MY DSL - Lousy

I got a Pldt my DSL line installed over a year ago. I wanted an auto connect line but the technician installed a dial up. And he left no installer cd. I bought a new PC recently and since the PLDT technicians have yet to come to my house to change the line from dial up to auto connect, I had to do my internet work over my friend's house. Lousy.

Another thing I have noticed with Pldt my DSL is that it does not seem to perform as advertised. The speed doesn't seem up to par with what I am supposed to be paying for. Typical

Retroactive Copyright Protection

Relic Entertainment pulled a fast one on people buying pirated copies of their software Company of Heores. The original version had no copyright protection aside from the usual cd key entry requirement. Upon applying the update patch, users of pirated software found that they needed to log in to Relic's online service in order to play even non online games. It goes without saying that the pirated version of the games were rendered unusable . Tough luck .