Chimat's Blog: 20Q of Networked Life

在現在這個科技進步的社會，隨處都可以看到人們使用著智慧型手機，無論是搭捷運時用iPhone看新聞，和朋友出去玩拍照後上傳至facebook，或者是及時地用3G網路影音串流觀看影片，現在網路與人們的生活已經密不可分。最近在看一本書叫做「Networked Life: 20 Questions and Answers」，由Princeton University的Mung Chiang教授所寫。這是ㄧ本很不一樣的教科書，此書藉由20個很務實的問題來討論網路上的許多現象，同時這20個問題所延伸出來的內容即構成了瞭解現在網路的一些基本知識。

20Q

What makes CDMA work for my cell phone?
How does Google sell its ad spaces?
How does Google rank webpages?
How does Netflix recommend movies?
When can I trust product reviews on Amazon?
Why does Wikipedia even work?
How to viralize a Youtube video and tip a Groupon deal?
Twitter and Facebook: How to influence people online?
Can I really reach anyone in 6 steps?
Does the Internet have an Achilles heel?
Why do AT&T and Verizon Wireless charge me $10 a Gigabyte?
How can I pay less for my Internet connection?
How does a packet get through the Internet?
Why doesn’t the Internet collapse under congestion?
How can Skype and BitTorrent be free?
What’s inside the cloud of iCloud?
Netflix, iTune, IPTV: Which way to watch video?
Why is iPad's WiFi faster at home than at a hotspot?
Why am I only getting a few % of advertised 3/4G speed?
Is it really fair that my neighbor’s iPhone downloads faster?

Social Network v.s. Technological Network

現在的網路我們可以解釋成是Social Network及Technological Network所共同組成，許多有趣的研究就在討論這兩者間交互作用所產生的火花。例如美國影音串流網站Netflix如何針對每個使用者過去使用該網站的歷史紀錄，來客製化地推薦使用者他可能會喜歡且未看過的Top 10電影(Q4)。此影音串流網站(Technological Network)中，分析全體使用者過去對各自所看影片的評價來預測新的使用者對特定影片的評價(Social Network)的影用就是現在網路中Social/Technological Network密不可分的例子。