http://freesoftware.mit.edu/papers/crowstonhowison.pdf
In this paper, The Social Structure of Free and Open Source Software Development, by Kevin Crowston and James Howison of Syracuse University, the social organization of these development communities is studied from the perspective of social network analysis. In so doing, the authors contest conventional notions […]

As technology evolves and consumer demands spur further innovation, there is often an advantage to adopting a format standard.  When a new technology emerges, it can be confusing for consumers to understand differences between competing formats in next-generation technologies.  Additionally, using the same format as your peers eases consumer problems, as illustrated in the early […]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6506027.stm
As we have been discussing in class operating systems are one of the products that shows positive network effects with expanding user base. This makes sense because with a larger user base reduceds concerns of interoperability which is a concern for business users. Also once there is a larger user base then more […]

Reference: “Innovations and Technological Spillovers” by M. Ishaq Nadiri – pdf at http://ideas.repec.org/p/cvs/starer/93-31.html
Recently in class we began discussing the idea of diffusion in networks. This notion of diffusion can be useful for modeling many things including the spread of information or rumors, the epidemiological problem of disease outbreaks, or (as mentioned in class) the […]

Stock Markets are ideal places to track fads and information cascades because Stock Markets quantifiably merge emotion and information. From the first Tulip bubble in the Dutch Golden ages to the recent Internet stock market bubble, information cascades provide a framework when markets react in non-rational ways. Stock market corrections prior to the Great Depression […]

“Meet Hollywood’s Latest Genius”
http://www.latimes.com/features/printedition/magazine/la-tm-random27jul02,1,1850294,full.story?coll=la-headlines-magazine&ctrack=1&cset=true
In his article, Leonard Mlodinow examines the unpredictability of Hollywood; he explores how much of a studio’s success is due to executives making the business choices and how much of it is random. Recent research has suggested that films, no matter what the budget, are subject to unpredictable factors arising during […]

In a recent press release by Google, the company announced that they will be expanding their advertising ideas to television.  The article can be found at Google’s Press Center:
 
http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/annc/tv_ads_trial.html
 
By using a similar model of their online advertising, the television ad spots will be auctioned off and advertisers will only pay for how many people viewed […]

Imagine a network in which one person has several contacts. These contacts, for the sake of argument, are not connected despite the likely influence of triadic closure, and thus stem from the person in question like spokes from a wheel. The people at the end of these spokes have their own friends who may or […]

Sites referenced:
http://www.moneycontrol.com/india/news/pressnews/juxtconsultshaadicom/shaadicomadjudg/market/stocks/article/271619 
www.shaadi.com
Shaadi.com is the number one matrimonial website in the world. A quick look at the website reveals it has recently won a spate of titles, including most user friendly matrimonial website in India, the subject of the article posted. Shaadi.com has capitalized on the role of the matchmaker in arranging in Indian weddings with […]

There is a balance between personal signals and decisions of past users for most people in a decision making process. However, I question what can be said for the initial individual to accept or reject something.
Theory has it that the first individual makes a decision based on their personal signal. So thereafter the other individuals […]