ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Background Social networks have gained mass popularity in recent years. While social networks help share information and connect like-minded people, they can also lead to misuse of or unintended use of data that they share through data mining attempts. One of the most commonly used professional social networks is linkedin.com. Linkedin.com was launched in 2003 and as of October 2009, has 50 million users worldwide with 11 million users in Europe alone (Weiner, 2009). India is the fastest-growing country with 3 million users and rising day by day (Weiner, 2009). As Jeff Weiner (2009) says, LinkedIn’s mission is “to connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful”. How far LinkedIn has been successful in this attempt is interesting research by itself but more importantly, I find it more interesting to explore whether data mining is assisting LinkedIn in achieving its goal of creating further roadblocks? Getting a user to join LinkedIn is one thing, but being able to retain that user is another thing. So have users found LinkedIn as useful as it claims and have they continued to use LinkedIn or have they moved on? Survival data mining techniques can help answer this question. The survival data mining technique is an interesting technique that provides “rapid feedback about the customers and their behaviors, while at the same time providing a solid basis for quantifying customer value and measuring customer loyalty” (Linoff, 2004). Aims The project aims to understand LinkedIn users, improve user retention and a user lifetime to improve profit margins using survival data mining techniques:  1. to understand value addition such data mining can result into.  2. to understand users, their behaviors, and preferences.  3. to understand what strategies work best for LinkedIn  4. to understand how LinkedIn data can be misused, used against the user, or made unintentional use of without permission and how that can undermine the LinkedIn goals.  5. to understand what steps can be taken and what needs to be taken to reduce the chances of data being misused thereby improving chances of user retention. Methodology One of the ways to achieve the aim is to understand how users view data mining of their data on LinkedIn. This can be achieved by interviews or surveys of LinkedIn users whose expectations and concerns regarding the usage of their data can be noted down and their experience regarding the same can be found out. The second methodology to be employed is to harvest data directly from LinkedIn. This will serve as a proof of concept as to how easy or difficult it is to conduct data mining from LinkedIn to automatically gather large amounts of data and draw conclusions on usage trends. Since there is a multitude of questions to be answered through this research, a variety of techniques will
Introduction: What the Scandal Entailed The infamous Volkswagen diesel scandal of 2015 denotes a fraudulent case that was linked to the company’s move to establish software that had been fitted illegally in its vehicles around the globe to evade detection by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This environmental conservation organization had previously warned VW regarding its contravention of the Clean Air Act by permitting the operation of some of its vehicles that we’re releasing more than the laid-down carbon emission levels (Hibbert 3). The “clean air” federal policy was developed to curb atmospheric contamination in the country. The global automaker proceeded to fix the illegitimate software, otherwise referred to as the “defeat device”, in more than 11 million cars already sold to its international clients. According to Jung and Park, more than 0.5 million of these cars were operating in America alone (127). The plan to introduce this ill-fated gadget was to control its vehicles’ carbon emission capacities, especially when the EPA officials were on the ground ready to penalize any organizations whose products did not meet the required thresholds. What Happened and Why the Device Was Developed Following the EPA’s stipulations regarding permissible carbon emission quantities, VW was aware of the agency’s plan to conduct random checks on cars with the view of testing the respective amount of GHG they were released into the air. The company’s innovative engineers came up with the “defeat device” whereby they modified their turbocharged direct injection (TDI) engines in a manner that all fitted vehicles could detect the EPA’s testing operations in advance (Jung and Park 128). The gadget could then adjust the corresponding carbon emissions automatically to levels that the Environmental Protection Agency could allow for all newly manufactured cars. In particular, the gadget could fine-tune the operation of VW’s car engines accordingly to reduce the quantity of carbon produced. As such, they managed to pass all tests done by the EPA, despite the deception deployed by the company. It is crucial to realize that the device was established illegally with the view of escaping the EPA’s officials whose carbon emission findings would have substantial financial implications for any company that breached any of the rulings made regarding the Clean Air Act of the U.S. Several VW’s engineers and administrators worked collaboratively and secretly to come up with the gadget that was solely meant to help the company to continue with its profitable business at the expense of the environment. According to Jung and Park, such culprits had taken advantage of the organization’s poor leadership and dysfunctional e
Executive Summary In this study, the focus will be on understanding different aspects of consumer behavior that affects their purchasing of sports. A research objective and project will be followed by a brief introduction about the topic. Research methodology will be defined with the theories on which this methodology will be based. After a thorough study and analyzing the data, a brief analysis or findings will be presented to enable the reader to understand the consumer behavior towards the purchase of sports. By the end of this paper, a conclusion will be formed stating the basic factor that derives the consumer behavior towards purchasing sports along with suitable recommendations. Introduction Consumers are supposed to be the guards of interests of any industry or market in the world . When it comes to sports, consumers are the one who do not care for weather, location or the conditions and all they want is just to enjoy their favorite sports or to watch their favorite sporting team in action. These consumers even don’t care about the price that they have to bear in order to enjoy the sport. Sporting industry also contributes to the success of other industries as the consumers of sporting industry pay premium prices for other products to enhance their sports experience . Online marketing of sports has added more value to the attractiveness of the industry and people use this medium also to purchase a chance to see their favorite teams in action. Sometimes the love for sports reaches to a point where the consumers think of themselves, as an investor in their favorite team and put every effort to get a chance to watch their team playing and win a game . In the recent decades, sporting and other brands, Nike, Adidas, Fila, Emirates Airlines, Pepsi, Coca Cola and others has targeted sporting teams and individual player games to promote and create awareness about their products. These sports teams and athletes have contributed a lot to increase products’ sales of their sponsors . As the nature of this study is focusing on the impact of brand sponsorship on the behavior of consumers towards the purchasing of these sponsors, it is necessary to understand few theories and a scaling method before formulating the methodology for this study. These theories and scaling method will be used in analyzing the data collected from the questionnaire developed. Likert Scale Likert Scale based questionnaires provide the respondents a specific level of agreement or disagreement with the statements provided in the questionnaire. These statements provide an overview about the favorable or unfavorable attitude of respondents towards the research objective . Theory of Buying Behavior The theory of buyer’s behavior states that the consumer considers some factors before purchasing a good or service. These factors are quality, price, differentiation, availability, emotional appeal, product’s bond
Introduction There have been numerous debates across the globe regarding the sources of energy used in industries and homes. The increased debates have been as a result of the damages inflicted on the environment that are associated with the common sources of energy, such as fossil fuels. Burning of fossil fuel emits carbon dioxide, which is known to be the most dangerous greenhouse gas. The world is now moving toward searching for alternative sources of energy that will have less damage on the environment. In this bid, rural properties have become one of the favorite sources of energy as they are seen as a potential source of energy. The two major sources of energy that can be obtained from rural properties are wind farms and coal seam gas (Edenhofer, Pichs-Madruga, & Sokona, 2011). A wind farm can be large to an extent that hundreds of wind turbines may be erected to generate energy. It is a source of energy that is becoming increasingly popular. Among the countries where most wind farms are found include the United States of America, China, as well as Australia. On the other hand, coal seam gas, also referred to as Coal Bed Methane is a natural gas that originates from coal. The most common gas that is extracted is methane gas. It is important to note that methane is a greenhouse gas that can be used as a source of energy. However, its effect on the atmosphere is much less compared to that of carbon dioxide. It is for this reason that methane preferable to carbon dioxide. It is considered a cleaner source of energy compared to fossil fuel. Among the countries where coal seams gas energy is used most include the United States of America, Canada, and Australia. Australia is rich in coal seam gas. This report
Contrary to what many believe, prostitution is legal in many countries of the world, and Canada should not be left behind. For example, in the state of Nevada, USA, prostitution has been legal since early 1970’s. In Germany, prostitution is legal and is regulated by the municipal councils. Within the cities, like Munich, there are places that are designated for prostitution and are not allowed to operate outside certain limits. Within the city of Hamburg, prostitutes are only allowed to conduct their businesses in the nightclubs at certain hours. Whereas in Berlin, there are totally no restrictions and prostitutes can conduct their solicitations in the streets. Brothels in Germany are considered ordinary businesses, and do not require any license (Flowers 129). Most sex workers can be seen as independent contractors who pay taxes. In France, prostitution is not illegal, but what surrounds it is considered illegal. This view is almost similar to the Canadian view. French prostitutes pay taxes, and there are laws that prohibit soliciting for sex in public places. The laws governing prostitution in France prohibit individuals from selling or buying sex from persons who are below the age of 18. In Netherlands prostitution, brothels have been legal since 2000, so long as the workers are over 18 years and the client needs to be at least 16 years. The prostitutes are protected under the labor laws and have to pay taxes. The prostitutes must be registered with the authorities, and the municipalities do not require a license. In Greece, prostitution is legal, and each worker has to be registered, and must be at least 21 years. The prostitutes have to undergo medical checks after every two weeks, and any sex worker with medical records, which are not up to date, could be arrested (Weitzer 89). Prostitution, therefore, should be legalized because of the numerous benefits to the prostitutes, their customers, and the government. In Canada, selling and buying of sex is legal, but and activities surrounding it is illegal. For instance, soliciting for sex in public and procuring of prostitution are all illegal. This implies that the outlawed activities which surround the sex trade will make it extremely difficult for the prostitutes to carry out their work without breaking the law. In fact, the exchange of sex for money has never been illegal in Canada (Malarek 65). This apparent contradiction has always generated controversy and confusion for many years, and that is the main reason why the prostitution should be legalized by the government so as to remove all
Introduction The terrain of history is in bad shape because of the extent to which man has waged war. Both large scale and small-scale wars are commonplace. The destruction of property is alarming, and the number of people who have been killed blood chilling. The First World War claimed its share of human lives. The Second World War followed with its own share. Both of them led to the destruction of property worth billions of dollars. The Vietnam War was fought, and men and women lost their lives. The Cold War had its share of inconveniences to humanity despite the fact that no shots were fired. The Iran-Iraq war claimed its share of lives too in the form of men, women and children. The Kuwaiti attack by Iraq saw the torching of oil fields, the death of several Iraq and Kuwaiti soldiers as well as the citizens of the two countries. The Djibouti –Ethiopia war also led to several deaths. The recent Iraq war has claimed the lives of thousands of American soldiers, Iraq civilians, and Iraq soldiers too. The same story rings true for the recent case of Russian attack on Georgia. Main body As the deaths continue and the property destruction goes on, the question that has been the subject of debate for a long time now is: Why do wars happen? In this essay, three perspectives, namely; the liberal perspective, the realist perspective, and the identity theorists’ perspective will be explored. The perspective that has the most convincing ideas will be pointed out. In this case, it is the liberal perspective as we shall see in this essay. The essay will end with a brief summary of the main ideas. The various wars mentioned above such as the First World War will be used as examples in clarifying important areas of the various perspectives. To start with, the first perspective that has tried to explain why states go to war is liberalism; a theory whose backbone is the idea that peace in the world is a possibility so long as states are provided with a platform on which to sort out their problems. The argument is that differences will always exist but that is not a reason to fight. All that is needed is an organized forum or platform where the states that are in disagreement can have genuine and honest discussions with a deliberate intention to not only avoid war but also work towards lasting peace. There is a clear reliance on the assumption that human beings are driven by both rational instincts and the understanding of a shared destiny. What are the platforms that liberals think can assist in the provision of the chance to amicably solve international problems? The first platform that liberals point at is the one that is availed by internationally recognized organizations such as the United Nations. Through such organizations, states that have differences can be able to have mediation in well-organized negotiations that can eventually lead to peaceful resolution of their differences. The United Nations was formed after the Second World
Introduction: Love-and-Hate Relationships in Reluctant Fundamentalist For a range of reasons starting with political tensions and up to the cultural differences, there has been considerable tension between people of Muslim descent and the representatives of the U.S. population (Jackson 26). The history of the confrontations between the two cultures has been quite dramatic, leading to the development of a range of prejudices on both sides (Ahmed xiv). However, the biases in question reach by far the greatest magnitude when the Muslim population is in the scope of the analysis. Very few members of the American population, however, actually think of how the representatives of the Muslim community view them and whether their vision of the American culture coincides. In his book The Reluctant Fundamentalist , Moshin Hamid addresses the problems of Muslim people in American society. Rendering a range of the societal factors and current events that define the attitude of an average American to a member of the Muslim community, Hamid also sheds light on how the Muslim people envision the American values and the very concept of the American identity. By building his character, Changez, in a very original manner and displaying him as both the lover and the critic of the American traditions, the author of The Reluctant Fundamentalist makes the audience realize the depth of the cross-cultural conflict that lies between the two nations, at the same time suggesting a path to a mutual understanding, a compromise, and the final reconciliation. The Mechanics of Shaping the Character: Tools and Codes Used by the Author Building the character of Changez, Hamid uses primarily dialogue as the tool for establishing his motivations, philosophy, and frame of mind. The identified approach is doubtlessly efficient, as it creates the impression of the character leaving a purely objective impact on the audience. Particularly, the author introduces the elements of hatred towards some of the details of the American culture into the dialogue, such as people’s xenophobia: “It seems an obvious thing to say, but you should not imagine that we Pakistanis are all potential terrorists, just as we should not imagine that you Americans are all undercover assassins” (Hamid 183). While the reader takes the statements such as the one above with a grain of salt, knowing that it comes from a character and, therefore, may be exaggerated, it leaves an impact. Uttered by a person with a Muslim identity, the quote above serves as an essential tool for understanding why Changez might develop a grudge against the American culture. However, with a speck of irony and the emphasis on the mutually bigoted relationships between Americans and Muslims, the statement loses its harshness. The author portrays the character as a flawed human being, thus, making it clear that his attitude may be taken with a grain of salt, yet his judgments are worth taking into consideration. There is a
Introduction In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, various themes begin to develop, and they show the experiences in her life. She wrote the book while she was on a summer holiday in Switzerland with her lover Percy Bysshe Shelley whose wife was expecting a child. Later on, Percy’s wife committed suicide, and the two got married. Despite this, her life gets marred by deaths and tragedies, and that may have inspired her to write. The book reflects her thoughts and ideas about birth, biology, and gender equality. Birth & Creation in Shelley’s Novel The theme of birth and creation is one of the main issues in Mary Shelley’s novel. Its portrayal is through Victor Frankenstein, who is the main character in the book. He pursues knowledge that is even beyond the human limit, and in so doing, he ends up hurting even the people that he cares a lot about. Victor Frankenstein grew up in Geneva, and during his youth, he widely read books about alchemy. As he grew older, his interest shifts to modern science, a subject that later became the epitome of his obsession. When Victor joins Ingolstadt University, he quickly masters all that the professors teach him. While in this university, he discovers the secrets of life, and he embarks on a journey to create a human being. Frankenstein is a ruthless man who can stop at nothing in his pursuit of knowledge, and when he discovered the secrets of life, he uses it to create a monster. He devotes all his time to creating the human being. He finally manages to bring forth life, but when he sees what he has created, he gets horrified. The monster is eight feet tall and very strong. However, his mind is like that of a newborn baby. After creating the monster, he damps it and leaves it lonely and alone. He does not take responsibility for what he has created. Instead, he develops a hatred for it and runs away to escape the monster. Mary Shelley describes the way Victor manages to bring forth life as that of a woman giving birth and compares it to when a child is being born. She describes the place where he undertakes his research as a “workshop of filthy creation” is seen as the womb of a woman. Frankenstein has spent a lot of time creating his monster, and his body becomes weak and emaciated as a result, just like a woman who has undergone labor. The writer describes as a woman experiencing labor pains, and Victor Frankenstein’s long hour of creation is like a woman who is in labor. His greed for knowledge leads to him deteriorating physically. His cheeks have grown pale, with study, and he has become thin and emaciated because he does not even have time to eat. His obsession and wish to succeed in creating his monster does not allow him to care for his own self. His body has begun to decay like that of a dead person. Shockingly, a person can focus on something so much that he forgets himself just like a pregnant woman who, after nine months of pregnancy, becomes exhausted. In society, only God and women’s ability is to bring forth life, and
A greater percentage of people today prefer maintaining a healthy diet to prevent different diseases such as obesity, and cardiovascular-related problems. Many people are coming up with cheap food models and markets that sell healthier foods in order to combat the issue of obesity. Different organizations have teamed up to create awareness of the benefits of eating healthy and exercising regularly in my community. Early care and education and healthy food environments have been incorporated in schools and at home as well to further increase healthy eating habits. My community has taken the initiative of constructing walking trails and establishing media campaigns that deliver messages to people via radio and social media all in support of healthy eating habits and physical activity. The food we eat today contains added sugars, a factor that reduces the nutritional value of a given food product. Hence, apart from my community coming up with physical activity programs for instance; affordable and readily available gyms and promoting or encouraging physical activity among children and youths, food availability should be addressed as well. According to Ogden et al. (2017), obesity is prevalent due to income levels and the wealthier a household becomes, the lower the chances of obesity. Through this statement, promoting the availability of affordable healthy food choices and affordable beverages will reduce the chances of obesity in my community and the societies around. Increasing the availability of healthier food choices and improving the access to these healthier foods within the community will help reduce obesity. Additionally, enhancing infrastructure by creating walking and bicycle-riding zones and improving access to more outdoor activities will further increase physical activity and extracurricular activities amongst people. Reference Ogden, C. L., Fakhouri, T. H., Carroll, M. D., Hales, C. M., Fryar, C. D., Li, X., & Freedman, D. S. (2017). Prevalence of obesity among adults, by household income and education—the United States , 2011–2014. MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report , 66 (50), 1369.