A linguistic phoenix: The recycling of very in Ontario English

Unintended consequences of emerging communication technologies: Instant Messaging in the workplace

Objective – To examine provider pessimism by comparing user and provider perception of the same instant messaging reference transaction. 
 
 Design – Instant messaging users and providers completed post-reference transaction surveys which were analyzed using the pair perception comparison method.
 
 Setting – A large research university in the United States.
 
 
 Subjects – Two hundred undergraduate journalism students (users of the instant messaging service) and 51 Master of Library Science (MLS) students enrolled in a reference services class (providers of the instant messaging service).
 
 Methods – The authors created a research help webpage from which users could access the instant messaging service. Prior to service availability, providers received reference instruction and demonstrated reference aptitude through in-class activities. The authors briefed providers on the project and provided a wiki containing resources they might need during reference transactions. Providers worked in two-hour shifts, and two providers were available during each shift. The service was available for one week while potential users completed a journalism assignment. The authors asked both users and providers of the service to complete an online survey at the conclusion of the reference transaction. Users and providers completed different surveys, but both types included the following four elements: questions to aid in matching a user to a provider; questions about satisfaction with the service based on guidelines put forth by the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA); open-ended questions about the reference transaction; and questions regarding demographics, prior reference service usage, and knowledge of instant messaging. There were 55 valid reference transactions, and from those, the authors matched 26 pairs of user and provider surveys. The authors analyzed paired surveys to (a) compare the user’s perception of the reference transaction with the provider’s guess about the user’s perception and (b) compare the provider’s self-perception of the reference transaction with the provider’s guess about the user’s perception. The authors introduced the pair perception comparison method for the analysis using two-tailed paired t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. 
 
 Main Results – Analysis of background information showed that users were younger on average than providers and used instant messaging more frequently. Even so, most users and providers felt comfortable with instant messaging. 
 
 When providers were asked to guess how satisfied overall they thought the user was with the reference transaction, they reported on average that the user was less satisfied than the user actually was. These results were statistically significant. The authors found no significant difference between the providers’ overall satisfaction with the service they provided and their guesses about the users’ overall satisfaction. 
 
 The authors also analyzed the matched pairs on 14 specific aspects of satisfaction gathered from surveys. When comparing the users’ satisfaction with the service they received and the providers’ guesses about the users’ satisfaction, the providers underestimated the users’ satisfaction on average for all 14 dimensions. The authors found statistically significant differences with regard to 7 of the 14 dimensions: tempo, ease of use, friendliness, understanding, accuracy, follow up, and spelling. When comparing the providers’ satisfaction with a given reference transaction and their guesses about the users’ satisfaction with the same reference transaction, the authors found significant differences for 3 of the 14 dimensions: interest, resource type, and accuracy. 
 
 Conclusion – This study has shown for instant messaging reference what other studies have shown for face-to-face reference—that provider pessimism exists. Whatever the environment, providers of reference tend to judge themselves more harshly than the people they are helping judge them. Based on a review of the literature, the authors further note that both expert and novice reference providers experience such pessimism. The authors are hopeful that providers will view these results as evidence of their own competence during instant messaging reference transactions. 
 
 The results of this study provide valuable information for training instant messaging providers. For example, the fact that providers thought users were less satisfied with the tempo of the reference transaction than they really were suggested to the authors that instant messaging providers need not be so concerned about giving a quick answer. An accurate answer is more desirable. In the same vein, providers thought that users were more concerned with spelling than they really were. Both of these cases, and others gleaned from the results, provide insight into what aspects of the reference transaction providers should spend their time and effort on. 
 
 Finally, the authors introduced the pair perception comparison method to compare feedback from matched pairs on individual reference transactions, a methodology not used in any earlier studies. They deemed this method to be an effective way to uncover biases and false assumptions.

In the big data era, data become more important for BI and SCADA system operation. The load cycle of traditional data warehouse is fix and longer, which cannot timely response the rapid data change. Real-time data warehouse technology, as an extension of traditional data warehouse, can capture the rapid data change and process the real-time data analysis to meet the requirements of SCADA system. The real-time data access without the processing delay is a challenging task to the real-time data warehouse. In this paper, the real-time data ETL framework is presented to separately process the historical data and real-time data. Then, combining an external dynamic storage area, a dynamic mirror replication technology was proposed to avoid the contention between OLAP queries and OLTP updates. Finally, the experiments is set up based on the TPC-H benchmark to evaluate the performance of the proposed real-time data ETL framework. The experimental results demonstrates the proposed solution to real-time data ETL can effectively mitigate the query contention and data skew.

This study examines how supervisory feedback facilitates doctoral students’ academic literacy development in their situated practice of writing for publication (WFP). Multiple-sourced data collected from one supervisor and his four doctoral students were analyzed, including drafts with written comments added, feedback dialogues around text development through instant messaging, and student interviews. Findings show that supervisory feedback unpacks the hidden knowledge about WFP and contributes to students’ academic literacy development in three ways, namely, familiarizing them with the conventions of the academic genre, inducting them to the social relations embedded in scholarly communication, and encouraging them to make and claim original contributions. Overall, the supervisory feedback characterized by dialogic interactions creates a productive site for students to internalize the tacit and discipline-specific knowledge in the social practice of WFP and develop as reflexive and independent scholarly writers. The findings have implications for academic writing pedagogy and feedback giving at doctoral level.

This is a case study designed with qualitative research pattern. It investigated the use of information and communication technologies in the e-mentoring process. The study group consisted of 44 undergraduate students as mentees and 8 graduate students as mentors. The program was carried out in group mentoring model in which graduate students were appointed as e-mentors for the undergraduate students for developing multimedia projects. The study data were collected using the project reports prepared by mentors and mentee groups, system logs of the interaction areas, observational notes of the researcher, and written forms seeking opinions of the mentees about the process. The data collected with different instruments were analysed with separate content analysis. It was found out that e-mail, social networking, phone conversations, SMS, instant mobile messaging applications, online storage, online documents, blog, LMS and teleconference technologies were utilized to provide interaction in the e-mentoring process. Among those, instant messaging and social networking sites proved the most effectively used ones, which the participants are also accustomed to in their daily lives. Most of the participants found the ICT tools used sufficient for interaction in the process. Still, some mentors and mentees stated that face-to-face interactions should also take place in the e-mentoring process.

This paper reports the findings of a study developed to evaluate the suitability and potential of Instant Messaging (IM) for the Novanet Live Help service. Both IM and the existing commercial Virtual Reference (VR) software were offered in tandem for one semester. The services were evaluated through a combination of statistical reports and survey data gathered from both the users and service providers. Comparison of statistics revealed a 44% increase in online sessions, with 22% more sessions received by the IM service. Although users displayed satisfaction with both of the online services, they preferred IM over the VR software. The IM chat widget was reported as the most preferred method for receiving library reference services overall, including face-to-face, telephone and email. Both undergraduate and graduate students preferred the IM service, while faculty and other patron groups did not have a significant enough response rate to assure an accurate measure. After the initial learning curve, service providers preferred delivering online reference by IM over the commercial VR platform. Based on these results, Novanet’s Live Help service will switch to a multi-protocol IM-based service with a chat widget in the fall of 2008.

The Internet and its current infrastructure provide many opportunities to exploit improved electronics testing by increasing collaboration among individuals worldwide. This paper proposes several ways to take advantage of the ubiquitous Internet infrastructure, its applications, and increasing network bandwidth to better share between engineering and test technicians, and to build and maintain a network of sharing among test and maintenance technicians in geographically separated units. Current Internet infrastructure applications that are available and being used in an ad hoc manner are email, instant messaging, video conferencing and remote control of PCs. These applications can be used by the military to integrate and enhance communications methods and improve the sharing of data as well as remote control of automatic test equipment by engineers providing diagnostic assistance. Knowledge management techniques will be exploited to provide capture of and better access to head knowledge which typically stays within an individual technician or engineer. Collection of repair and test data in real time from geographically dispersed locations can be implemented via the Internet. Engineering can be more responsive in updating TPS software by having more information and in turn distribute the updates via the Internet by providing access to a secure server.

The article presents the results of the analysis on perception by network actors implementation of urban projects that affect the environment. An algorithm for adapting linguistic, psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic methods for interpreting Big Data in real time is proposed. The study has enabled identifying several conflict situation markers and rating social tension compilation. The transdisciplinary approach has been applied with the use of neural network technologies, text analysis, analysis of word associations, content analysis, sentiment analysis. The material for the study was the data of social networks, microblogs, blogs, instant messengers, video hosting, video materials, forums and reviews on the construction of metro stations in Moscow. Analysis of the data showed the ambivalent attitude of Muscovites to the construction of new metro facilities. A positive reaction, due to the need to develop the transport structure of the city, improve the transport situation, is confronted with the protest of residents who put forward a number of claims. Verbal data examination has made it possible to reveal the rating of social tension around new metro facilities. The selection and analysis of the semantic and associative network with the use of neural network technologies contributed to clarifying and expanding the linguistic paradigm in speech perception of digital content. The results of the study can be used in both text and network analysis.

This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 99777, "Field of the Future: Making BP's Vision a Reality," by C. Reddick, SPE, BP, prepared for the 2006 SPE Intelligent Energy Conference and Exhibition, Amsterdam, 11–13 April. Rapid changes in digital technology are revolutionizing how data are acquired and processed and how the quality and efficiency of decision making are improved. By use of digital technologies, both new and existing, BP aspires to operate its assets at the technical limit of efficiency, recovery, and cost. The company implemented a program called Field of the Future (FOTF). This program covers development and deployment of technology and business-process solutions to most aspects of oil- and gasfield operations—from reservoir to export, in both mature and new fields, onshore as well as offshore. Program Origin Internal and External Environment. Rapid advances in digital technology offer the oil industry significant opportunities to address challenges of improving recoveries from existing and new fields, of improving operating efficiency in the face of unfavorable demographics, and of developing new fields in difficult and remote geographies. Technologies to acquire and transmit data in real time or near real time have been available for several years. However, the oil industry has, with some exceptions, been slow to adopt these technologies for large-scale deployment. Take-up is improving as tools are made available to post-process data, as the industry begins to appreciate the degree of organizational change needed to exploit these technologies, and as the appropriate targeting of these technologies becomes clearer. First Steps in a Real-Time Revolution. The subject program was established in 2003 with an initial focus on engagement and deployment, the objective being to deploy core technologies in a limited number of assets to establish operating history, to re-affirm the prize, and to build a technical and architectural foundation for subsequent bigger moves. Early results show numerous examples of production increases through, for example, improved sand management, well management, reservoir imaging, onshore/offshore collaboration, and remote-equipment monitoring. Reserves increases have resulted from the application of streamlined reservoir-performance prediction. Technology Development and Deployment Remote performance management includes technologies for well/reservoir and facilities monitoring. This activity develops and applies new tools for managing and post-processing real-time data. Surveillance methods, such as life-of-field seismic, to improved reservoir imaging and downhole flow technologies to improve conformance in water-floods are being developed. Optimization challenges include new technology to facilitate reservoir optimization by coupling real-time data flows to top-down reservoir-modeling technology and by extending the capability of the tool kit for rapid evaluation of reservoir-management options at all time scales. Wells- and Facilities-Data Processing. The BP Integrated Subsurface-Information System (ISIS) addresses the technology and processes required to move well data from the point of acquisition through to decision makers, thereby enabling production decisions and implementation of relevant actions. ISIS allows users to access and view surveillance data in real time. It cleans and conditions data, then alerts users to changes in the well: a proactive approach to reservoir-performance management. Fig. 1 shows how onshore users can observe up-to-the-minute offshore data.

WhatsApp messenger is a cross–platform working under smartphones that can provide instant messaging. Worldwide, WhatsApp messenger has become popular because it is practical for mobile users. Previous research has suggested the effectiveness of extending mobile devices into e–learning. However, mobile learning in the form of instant messaging is still under–represented. This research project explores the effectiveness of instant text messaging via WhatsApp for undergraduate students in higher education. A group of 50 students were given a written assignment and were required to text message one another. The students used WhatsApp messenger to develop their EFL basic writing skills. The students reported their experiences through a survey after completion of the writing assignment. The results showed students strengths and weaknesses. Although their holistic scores remained low, they seemed to have benefited from the spell checker as they have received better scores in the area of spelling and vocabulary. The results showed that the use of WhatsApp in the classroom increased students' motivation to write. Overall, findings from this small–scale research project provide a better understanding on the role of mobile technology in higher education.

Decision Support Systems (DSS) have a crucial role in real-time decision-making, especially in the digital era that demands high speed and accuracy. Managing criterion weights in a dynamic environment presents significant challenges due to rapid and unpredictable changes in conditions. However, determining an accurate weight becomes difficult due to uncertainty, incomplete data, and subjective factors from decision-makers. In addition, changes in the external environment, such as market trends, regulations, or customer preferences, can affect the relevance of each criterion, thus requiring a real-time weight adjustment mechanism. The purpose of this study is to develop and explore the dynamic weight allocation method in symmetry point- multi-attributive ideal-real comparative analysis (S-MAIRCA) to support more accurate and responsive real-time decision-making in a dynamic environment. This research contributes to the understanding of how the weights of criteria can be adjusted automatically and responsively to changing conditions or new data, which increases the relevance and accuracy of decisions in a dynamic environment. The urgency of S-MAIRCA research is important because it often involves real-time, dynamic, and complex data. This development not only improves the adaptability of the S-MAIRCA method, but also contributes significantly to creating computer science-based applications that are more intelligent, flexible, and relevant to the evolving needs of the system. The results of the alternative ranking comparison using the CRITIC-MAIRCA, LOPCOW-MAIRCA, ROC-MAIRCA, and S-MAIRCA methods showed variations in the ranking order generated for each alternative using spearman correlation. The results of the correlation value of CRITIC-MAIRCA and LOPCOW-MAIRCA have a very high correlation of 0.993, which shows that these two methods provide almost identical rankings in alternative evaluation. Likewise, CRITIC-MAIRCA and S-MAIRCA had a high correlation of 0.979, signaling a strong similarity in ranking results despite slight differences in the approaches used by the two methods. The results of the application of the MAIRCA-S method in the development of DSS based on real-time data have a significant impact on improving the speed, accuracy, and adaptability of decisions. MAIRCA-S strengthens the validity of decision results by considering a variety of attributes on a more comprehensive scale, providing added value in the development of DSS for various industrial sectors.

A multimedia telemedicine system (MTS) using Transfer Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) over the Internet is developed. Doctor with patient and doctor can communicate each other using this system. Real-time data, including audio, video and instant message (IM), and non-real-time data, including vital sign signals, radiological images with DICOM 3.0, file, bio-signal, bio-data and so on, can be exchanged on the system. This system's architecture is client/server mode. All data are encoded/compressed before transferring through Internet/Intranet. The real-time audio is encoded and decoded by MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) audio layer 3 algorithm and real-time video is encoded and decoded by MPEG-4. The software implementation of needed functionality without any externally attached hardware CODEC (Coder/Decoder) units enables the compact design with low cost. The real-time video has 25 frames per second at Local Area Network (LAN) and more than 20 frames per second at ADSL.

Operational Space Weather Services in National Space Science Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences

With the spread of the Internet, students now have greater opportunities to use Japanese outside of the classroom. For example, they can interact with other Japanese speakers through instant messaging or social networking, or utilize online dictionaries and translation tools to decipher websites in ways that would be impossible with traditional printed materials. One of the best ways to equip students to take advantage of such opportunities is to use similar technologies in teaching. However, the normalization of computer-mediated communication remains a challenge for educators. This paper describes the use of the social networking site Bebo in a beginners' class at an Australian university. Drawing on student surveys and interviews, this paper discusses some of the issues raised by the use of authentic technology in a foreign language education context.

Competition has become increasingly important in the postal sector for some time in the form of alternative entrants providing mail delivery. However, the competition from ICT in the form of email and instant messaging, the Internet, Facebook and other forms of social networking and portable wireless devices such as the iPad and Kindle may be even more significant. Mail volumes are falling and the economies of scale that have made possible daily deliveries to every address are being eroded. This book assesses volume these declines resulting from this so-called ‘eSubstituion’ and looks at the ways the postal sector can adapt to the rapid changes resulting from ICT. The impact of electronic invoicing on transactions mail, and the impact on bulk mail of electronic forms of advertising are examined. Strategies, including pricing and access policies, are discussed in the context of the increasing impact of ICT. A rethinking of the role of mail in an electronic age is taking place and this book provides the cutting-edge of this rethinking and the attempts of POs to reinvent themselves while continuing to meet the public’s expectation of continuing ubiquitous daily deliveries of traditional mail products.