Online Service Providers Research Articles

Pengukuran Penerimaan Aplikasi Pengajuan Sertifikat NIK Menggunakan UTAUT dan Social Influence Theory

The East Java Province Department of Cooperatives and SMEs is taking advantage of advances in technological developments by providing online services. One of the services is, submitting a Cooperative Identification Number Certificate. The problems and difficulties that arise can affect the cooperative's acceptance of the use of the application for a Cooperative Identification Number certificate. For this reason, research was carried out entitled Measuring the Acceptance of Applications for Submitting NIK Certificates Using UTAUT and Social Influence Theory. The choice of UTAUT and Social Influence Theory as conceptual models was based on previous research conducted by Lim et al. (2023). The testing in this research used the SEM-PLS technique and was tested on SmartPLS 4 software. The research results showed that the performance expectancy and subjective norms variables had a significant positive effect on behavioral intention and the electric word of mouth variable had a positive effect on subjective norms and perceived risk. Through this research, insight into user acceptance of the NIK Certificate Submission Application can be understood as an evaluation for improving and improving services in the future.

Effect of Single Custom Territory on Trade Facilitation between Tanzania and Kenya: A Case of Holili Border

This study examined the effect of the Single Custom Territory (SCT) on trade facilitation between Tanzania and Kenya, focusing on the roles of legal frameworks, inter-agency cooperation, and technological integration as independent variables. The study used a quantitative approach through multiple linear regression methods to determine the extent to which SCT’s constituent factors have influenced trade facilitation in the region. Both primary and secondary data were collected and analyzed. The findings suggest that 72.1% of variation in trade facilitation can be explained and attributed by the predictor variables. The legal framework plays a pivotal role in ensuring successful trade facilitation within the SCT context. Harmonization of trade policies and tariffs among the partner states (Tanzania and Kenya) emerged as a critical enabler for seamless cross-border trade. It was further revealed that enhanced inter-agency cooperation and collaborative border management committees contribute significantly to efficient trade processes. The integration of advanced technology, including ICT systems and electronic platforms is a key driver to efficiency in trade facilitation through massive reduction of operational costs and minimization of transit time. The study recommends, Partner states to actively collaborate in harmonizing trade policies, tariffs, and regulations across borders through consistent efforts in enacting and enforcing legislation that promotes transparent and efficient trade processes. Thus reducing ambiguity and fostering a conducive environment for cross-border trade. Partner state governments should facilitate formation of joint border management committees, cross-functional teams, and the implementation of regular training programs to promote collaboration and reduce redundant processes, thereby creating a streamlined trade ecosystem. Member states to embrace and expand technological integration that enable real-time data sharing, efficient information exchange, and provision of online services.

Identifying Dark Patterns in User Account Disabling Interfaces: Content Analysis Results

Dark patterns are user interface (UI) strategies deliberately designed to influence users to perform actions or make choices that benefit online service providers. This mixed methods study examines dark patterns employed by social networking sites (SNSs) with the intent to deter users from disabling accounts. We recorded our attempts to disable experimental accounts in 25 SNSs drawn from Alexa’s 2020 Top Sites list. As a result of our systematic content analysis of the recordings, we identified major types of dark patterns (Complete Obstruction, Temporary Obstruction, Obfuscation, Inducements to Reconsider, and Consequences) and unified them into a conceptual model, based on the differences and similarities within nuanced subtypes in the user account disabling context. The Dark Pattern Typology presented at the 12th International Conference on Social Media and Society is further illustrated in this work. We document the distribution of the subtypes in our sample SNSs, exemplifying dark UI design choices. All of the sites used at least one type of dark pattern. Our findings provide empirical evidence for these pervasive—yet rarely discussed—strategies in the social media industry. Users who wish to discontinue using SNSs—to protect their privacy, break an addiction, and/or improve their general well-being—may find it difficult or nearly impossible to do so. Dark patterns, as common UI design strategies, require further research to determine whether particularly manipulative and user-disempowering varieties may warrant more stringent social media industry regulation.

Особливості урбаністики в умовах цифрової економіки

This work focuses on the study of the features of modern urbanism, the development of «smart cities» in the context of the formation of the digital economy. With this in mind, special attention is paid to the development of digital tools – as one of the driving forces of the modern digital economy – and the possibility of its effective use for the development of modern urbanism. The purpose of the presented work is to determine the features of modern urbanism in the context of the formation of the digital economy and possible vectors of its further development. The main methods of research are: methods of analysis and synthesis – to determine the features of urbanism and the characteristics of its elements, which directly depend on the conditions of the digital economy; methods of induction and deduction – to determine the modern vector of urban development and the formation of the digital economy; comparison methods – to describe the elements of urbanism that depend on the current conditions of the digital economy; tabular and graphical methods – for visual display of the results of the presented research. The main results of the research include the following conclusions: digital technologies allow the development of the conception of «smart city», where sensors, the Internet of Things, data analytics and artificial intelligence are used to optimize the management of urban resources, reduce energy consumption, improve the transport system, ensure safety and improve the quality of life of residents; government agencies can use digital technologies to improve the operation of city services and units, provide online services to citizens, e-governance, and ensure openness and transparency in city governance; large amounts of data collected from sensors, mobile apps, public systems, and other sources allow for detailed analysis of the urban environment. The digital economy creates new opportunities for public engagement in urbanization processes. Mobile apps, online platforms and social networks allow city residents to take an active part in decision-making on the development of their city, express their needs and opinions.

Ethics Responsibility: Using Social Media of Social Work Practice in Thailand

This study aims to develop communication guidelines for social workers using social media. Thematic analysis of documents and reviews was used as the research methodology. The importance of understanding the use of social media in social work practice and the need for guidelines to ensure professional ethics are upheld. The guidelines incorporate legal knowledge and standards, including relevant laws such as the Kingdom of Thailand 2017 Constitution and the Social Work Profession Act 2013. Emphasise the importance of digital literacy, technology literacy, and ethical communication skills to communicate with clients and multidisciplinary teams effectively. The Thailand Council of Social Work Professions has presented guidelines for public communication for social work professionals. The guidelines stress the importance of social workers considering the best interests of their clients when providing online services. e-professionalism is also essential for social workers to explore ethical considerations in the digital world.

Co-living with children and Internet use by adults with severe mental disorders in Beijing, China

ABSTRACT This study employed an explanatory sequential mixed methods design to examine the effect of co-living with children on Internet use by individuals with severe mental disorders (SMD). The quantitative analysis showed that co-living with children was not significantly associated with overall Internet use by individuals with SMD. However, co-living with children reduced older adults’ engagement in several instrumental Internet activities. The supplementary qualitative analysis revealed that the physical proximity of co-living children and their high involvement in everyday household life reduced the need and willingness to use these instrumental Internet activities among older adults with SMD. Therefore, digital inclusion policies for older adults with SMD should adopt a family-based model in addition to promoting autonomous Internet use by individuals with SMD. Moreover, proxy use should be accommodated when designing and providing online services by allowing people to log on as an authorised proxy user and operate on behalf of a named other.

Evaluation Method of IP Geolocation Database Based on City Delay Characteristics

Despite the widespread use of IP geolocation databases, a robust and precise method for evaluating their accuracy remains elusive. This study presents a novel algorithm designed to assess the reliability of IP geolocation databases, leveraging the congruence of delay distributions across network segments and cities. We developed a fusion reference database, termed CDCDB, to facilitate the evaluation of commercial IP geolocation databases. Remarkably, CDCDB achieves an average positioning accuracy at the city level of 94%, coupled with a city coverage of 99.99%. This allows for an effective and comprehensive evaluation of IP geolocation databases. When compared to IPUU, CDCDB demonstrates an increase in the number of network segments by 18.7%, an increase in the number of high-quality network segments by 13.2%, and an enhancement in the coverage of city-level network segments by 20.92%. The evaluation outcomes reveal that the reliability of IP geolocation databases is not uniform across different cities. Moreover, distinct IP geolocation databases display varying preferences for cities. Consequently, we advise online service providers to select suitable IP geolocation databases based on the cities they cater to, as this could significantly enhance service quality.

Investigation of antecedents and consequences of usefulness in online travel communities: The moderating role of decision making stage

This study examines the perceived usefulness (PU) of online discourse and the decision-making behavior of users in Online Travel Communities (OTCs). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used on secondary data available in OTCs in the form of 852 threads to empirically test the proposed integrated model. The antecedents of the perceived usefulness of online travel communities were found to be the argument quality and credibility. These influence the PU of user-generated content significantly and are helpful in information adoption in OTCs. The PU of OTC discourse positively impacts travelers' information adoption and decision-making. The current study offers implications for OTCs and online service providers for enhancing the usefulness of user-generated content in OTCs and social media sites, leading to online information use and travel decision-making. Prior literature has explored the nature and magnitude of the influence of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) on information adoption and intention to use information for travel purchases from users' perspectives and has investigated the PU of third-party travel sites. This paper is an effort to examine PU and decision-making by analyzing the User-Generated-Content (UGC) posted by the actual users.

Innovations in the Security of Banking Operations

The contemporary changing technological environment forces all economic units to go through a digital transformation. The banking industry is in the epicenter of this change. Credit institutions seek to adapt a business model that is increasingly customer-oriented, providing new services with greater transparency and levels of security. The growing demand for more effective protection against fraud, phishing attacks, theft of identities and ensuring better levels of security in a timely manner is increasingly central topic in retail banking. The issue of security, as in the territory of bank branches, ATM-devices, as well as in the provision of online and mobile services, arouses the interest of credit institutions to the use of biometric identification technology. Biometric technologies are becoming an indispensable part of the means of personal verification and secure identification activities in banking institutions.

‘To say report it, well, it seems a little useless’: Evaluating Australians' expectations of online service providers and reducing online child sexual exploitation

AbstractOnline service providers (OSPs) provide a range of opportunities for individuals to engage in online child sexual exploitation, including the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material. As the failings of opaque content moderation systems have become apparent, a range of states have proposed or implemented new regulatory measures, amidst ongoing debates over the legitimacy of state intervention in online communication. This paper presents the findings of a survey of 482 Australian adults regarding their expectations of technology companies and governments in relation to key issues of online child protection. The results suggest strong demands for greater action by OSPs against sexual exploitation, and for governments to legally enshrine some obligations for OSPs, as well as concern about the privacy of innocent users and about the data handling and cybersecurity of governments and technology companies. These findings indicate that governments and OSPs which are seeking to construct meaningful action against online child sexual exploitation might find significant support among the general public for such measures. Equally, these are very sensitive areas of governance for many. Governments and companies would draw significant assistance from understanding the views of users when navigating these challenging issues and ensuring that their measures are carefully calibrated to their legitimate concerns.

A decision tree classifier approach for predicting customer’s inclination toward use of online food delivery services

In today’s world, demand for online food delivery (OFD) applications has been boosted because of people’s busy schedules and aspirations for comfortable and smooth lifestyles. The purpose of the study is to provide knowledge of consumer behavior to the OFD Service providers. Primary data has been collected from 410 users of OFD applications. Decision Tree Classifier approach has been used to predict the consumer inclination toward use of OFD services.The study concludes by presenting the Decision Tree by which Online Service Providers can predict the consumer behavior and based on which they can make better decisions. Major finding reveals that, dinner is the most preferred meal for OFD services across different income and age groups. Offers and discounts play a vital role in influencing the behavior of majority of OFD consumers. Practical implications: This paper offers a guidance to the Online Food Delivery Aggregators for better decision making.

The Relationship of the Level of Pharmacy's Knowledge in Telepharmacy on Pharmaceutical Services in Pharmacy in Denpasar City Bali Indonesia

Telepharmacy is a subset of telemedicine practices that refers to the provision of pharmaceutical services by pharmacists. This service is provided digitally between pharmacists and patients as recipients of health services. The important role of pharmacists in supporting telepharmacy to provide online services and consultations. This research aims to see the relationship between knowledge in telepharmacy and pharmaceutical services (Rahayu et al., 2023). The design of this research is a prospective analytical descriptive study with sampling using cluster sampling. The research instrument uses a questionnaire filled in by respondents. Data were analyzed using the Chi Square Test to see the relationship between knowledge in the application of telepharmacy to pharmaceutical services at the Denpasar Bali Pharmacy (Ajie & Prameswari, 2022). The description of pharmacists' knowledge regarding telepharmacy in pharmaceutical services in pharmacies is in the good category. There is a relationship between pharmacist knowledge and the application of telepharmacy in pharmaceutical services at the Denpasar Pharmacy with a p-value (p<0.05).

Effectiveness of Online Tax Services Via www.pajakonline.jakarta.go.id

Online tax services through the BAPENDA website are one of the policies of the Directorate General of Taxes (DGT) so that taxpayers can complete their taxes electronically. Based on Circular number SE – 42 /PJ/2017, online tax service is an electronic system provided by the Directorate General of Taxes or other parties appointed by the Directorate General of Taxes to be used by taxpayers who want to manage their taxes electronically through DJP Online and Electronic service provider. In compiling this thesis, the author used descriptive research methods. The results show that online tax services hrough www.pajakonline.jakarta.go.id are the right strategy to increase local tax revenues because this service really helps taxpayers save time and costs, learn features on the website, reduce paper use, and reduce mobility during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, there are still internal barriers in terms of technology, namely inaccessibility of the website, network errors, and unstable electricity, while external obstacles include the lack of understanding and knowledge of taxpayers about TI. Efforts that have been made by the tax authority are conducting campaigns to the public directly or through the Bapenda website on how to use online tax services. Tutorials such as how to register and how to apply for a tax deduction online have also been created. To further improve online services, campaigns should be increased and counseling should also be provided so that taxpayers are more aware and better understand online tax services.

Exploring the influence mechanism of chatbot-expressed humor on service satisfaction in online customer service

As chatbots gain widespread adoption in online customer service, optimizing their inherent value and enhancing customer satisfaction emerges as an indispensable concern necessitating attention. Therefore, this study focuses on the effect of chatbot-expressed humor on customer service satisfaction from the perspective of emotional expression and constructs three mediating pathways (cognitive, emotional, and social). The results of two online and one laboratory-based experiment show that chatbot-expressed humor can significantly enhance customer service satisfaction. The impact of humor on service satisfaction was mediated by competence, entertainment, and social presence. Moreover, identity disclosure exerts a negative moderating influence on the association between chatbot-expressed humor and both service satisfaction and competence. Through this study, we hope to provide ideas for online service providers to adopt AI strategies and for product designers to improve the design of chatbots.

Aile hekimlerinin pandemi döneminde muayene fobisi ve online görüntülü muayene hakkındaki görüşleri

Introduction: During Covid-19 pandemic, many hospitals closed their outpatient clinics because of the high number of inpatients and individuals turned to their family physicians for medical care. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the opinions of family physicians regarding examination phobia and telemedicine video examinations during the pandemic. Methods: This was a single-centered, cross-sectional study. The participating physicians completed a questionnaire with 28 questions including their sociodemographic data, whether they performed examination during the pandemic, telemedicine knowledge and opinions on telemedicine. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 20 software package and statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: 364 family physicians participated in our study and 163 of them (44.8%) reported hesitation while examining patients, with the majority (53.8%; n=196) expressing anxiety about oropharyngeal examinations. 211 of them (58%) reported having knowledge of telemedicine. The majority of family physicians thought that follow-ups and prescriptions for chronic diseases, repeat prescriptions, and post-treatment control examinations could be performed online whereas pregnant, postpartum, infant, and child follow-ups could not. While 40% (n=146) didn’t want to provide services via video/telephone examination, 32.7% (n=119) wanted to and 27.2% (n=99) undecided. 86.8% (n=316) of them believed that telemedicine video/telephone examination could result in legal problems. Participants estimated that less than 25% of their daily patients were suitable for telemedicine, and that less than 25% had access to the necessary technology. However, 55.8% (n=203) of family physicians believed that patients would be interested in telemedicine, and 59.6% (n=216) thought that providing such services would increase their workload. Being undecided about providing services through telemedicine was more common among women (p=0.029), while unwillingness to provide online services increased with age and years of occupation (p=0.024, p=0.004, respectively). Conclusion: Telemedicine, which has come to the forefront with the development of technology today, was seen as an opportunity to reduce contact with patients during the pandemic. However, our study found that family physicians believed that telemedicine services would increase their workload and that a large portion of society was not ready for this system. Keywords: Telemedicine, telehealth, covid 19, family physician.

A Proposed Settlement and Distribution Structure for Music Royalties in Korea and Their Artificial Intelligence-Based Applications

Digital music is one of the most important commodities on the market due to music royalty distribution in Korea. As the music market has been transformed into a digital music market by means such as downloading and streaming, the distribution of music royalties via online service providers (OSPs) has become a highly important issue for music rights holders. Currently, one of the most important issues in music royalty distribution in Korea is the unfair distribution of royalties due to the indiscriminate repeat streaming of digital music. To prevent this, music consumption log data from several OSPs were collected via a day-based system; however, there was a limit on the identification of detailed information on the use of music in its current state. This paper analyzes the structural problems and limitations related to the settlement of music royalties and provides a structure in which there can be transparent settlement and distribution between users and rights holders as an institutional measure. We also propose various AI (artificial intelligence)-based applications using music consumption log data. The proposed system will hopefully be used for public purposes.

Public Usage of E-Government in EU Countries: Are There Any Consequences for Tax Evasion?

Due to the processes of digitalization and automation, the e-Government has become an essential tool of public administration. The paper deals with the problem of e-Government usage by the public and its potential connection to tax evasion. The analysis is based on available secondary panel and cross-sectional data on the level of EU countries in the period 2008 to 2021. We compare the situation in the countries and classify them into homogenous clusters based on the overall public usage of e-Government. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis have been used as tools for dimension reduction and clustering. Moreover, we also found evidence of a potential relationship between the usage of e-Government and tax evasion. The provision of online information and services by the government to its citizens as well as online communication with public authorities are related to the lower level of tax evasion in the country. Hence, public authorities should support e-Government usage and e-filing systems to fight against tax evasion.

E-service quality and customer loyalty in the e-commerce market, South West, Nigeria: Post-COVID-19

In today’s fiercely competitive e-commerce arena, online service providers are compelled to focus on improving quality service delivery to remain competitive. The e-commerce market in Nigeria has experienced low patronage due to factors such as establishing cost, accessibility, credit card threat, information privacy, data security, and network reliability. Thus, the study explored the impact of quality service delivery on customer loyalty. A survey research design was used to seek information about the phenomenon of interest from the sampled respondents through an online platform, mobile device, and mail. The study used copies of the questionnaire as an instrument to gather data from 385 customers of Jumia and Konga who are engaged in e-business service delivery. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. The results indicated that the computed t values and the associated significant probabilities of responsiveness, privacy, fulfillment, compensation, insistence action by customers, switching restraint by customers, repeat purchase by customers, customer satisfaction and customers loyalty were 16.08 (P < 0.001), 26.33 (P < 0.001), 12.97 (P < 0.001), 6.75 (P < 0.001), 10.60 (P < 0.001), 7.35 (P < 0.001), 15.75 (P < 0.001), 13.74 (P < 0.001), and 11.92 (P < 0.001), respectively. Given the foregoing, it is evident that respondents perceive a firm’s responsiveness, privacy, and compensation to be significant at the ninety-nine percent confidence level. Furthermore, insistence action by customers, switching restraint by customers, repeat purchase by customers, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty are perceived to be significant at the ninety-nine percent confidence level.

Noah: Reinforcement-Learning-Based Rate Limiter for Microservices in Large-Scale E-Commerce Services.

Modern large-scale online service providers typically deploy microservices into containers to achieve flexible service management. One critical problem in such containerbased microservice architectures is to control the arrival rate of requests in the containers to avoid containers from being overloaded. In this article, we present our experience of rate limit for the containers in Alibaba, one of the largest e-commerce services in the world. Given the highly diverse characteristics of containers in Alibaba, we point out that the existing rate limit mechanisms cannot meet our demand. Thus, we design Noah, a dynamic rate limiter that can automatically adapt to the specific characteristic of each container without human efforts. The key idea of Noah is to use deep reinforcement learning (DRL) that automatically infers the most suitable configuration for each container. To fully embrace the advantages of DRL in our context, Noah addresses two technical challenges. First, Noah uses a lightweight system monitoring mechanism to collect container status. In this way, it minimizes the monitoring overhead while ensuring a timely reaction to system load changes. Second, Noah injects synthetic extreme data when training its models. Thus, its model gains knowledge on unseen special events and hence remains highly available in extreme scenarios. To guarantee model convergence with the injected training data, Noah adopts task-specific curriculum learning to train the model from normal data to extreme data gradually. Noah has been deployed in the production of Alibaba for two years, serving more than 50 000 containers and around 300 types of microservice applications. Experimental results show that Noah can well adapt to three common scenarios in the production environment. It effectively achieves better system availability and shorter request response time compared with four state-of-the-art rate limiters.

“Talk to strangers!” Omegle and the political economy of technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation

This article examines how technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation has flourished within the laissez faire regulatory frameworks of neoliberalism, and argues that political economy should play a more central role in theorising about child sexual abuse. Drawing on the case study of Omegle, a livestreaming website that matches strangers via webcam, the paper illustrates how deregulatory trends have produced an alignment between the sexual interests of child sexual abusers and the economic interests of some online service providers. The paper suggests that intersecting political ideologies and economic structures have increased opportunities for child sexual exploitation and decreased formal and informal controls, while recruiting paedophilic desires and exploitative subjectivities within processes of capital accumulation. The paper explores the implications of political economy for theories of child sex offending, which have typically focused on the psychological, social and legal dimensions of child sexual abuse while overlooking the role of capitalist structures and imperatives.