Hello World

What's Up With Wojo? (Spring 2009)

2009-05-24T18:00:00.001+01:00

Exams are over, and I passed. My major trips, presentations, and essays are all behind me. For the next four months, I can work on my research, travel for fun, and explore new projects and ideas. It's a much calmer time, though throngs of tourists visit Oxford and space in the library is harder to find. Life is different than it was several months ago, so it's time for an update and an overview.

Dissertation and Research

My academic work is the main focus of my life until September. Data mining cabinet networks, politica bloggers, and organizational affiliations... If you had to tag my life in this area, it would include three big ones: "Social Networks Analysis", "Machine Learning", and "Mathematical Modelling". I'll post on these topics in a number of blog posts over time.

Politics and International Development

For the first time in a number of years, I find myself without a concrete plan or opportunity to do field work for Five Minutes to Midnight or related organizations. In my defense, I need to spend more time at Oxford, but it's an odd feeling to not have any major plans in this area. As such, I've decided to do more writing on politics, human rights, international development, and technology. If I can't travel and do work abroad, I'll at least keep up to date with developments, and share a few opinions.

So far, I'm hoping to write articles on cyber war, anonymity, network neutrality, and technology-related human rights. Not as much international development as I'd like, but I'm open to suggestions and ideas.

Art and Culture

Now that I have more time to explore England and places further away, I will definitely do so. More plays, museums, events, and so on. No concerete plans yet, but they're coming!

That's all for now... A much more relaxed Wojo, that's for sure.

Political Blog Networks and the U.S. Presidential Election

2009-05-19T00:33:00.004+01:00

I had the great fortune of giving a talk at the Nuffield Networks seminar series today, and the talk was titled "Political Blog Networks and the US Presidential Election". It was meant as an overview of some of the work I did at the IBM TJ Watson Research Center last year, though also went into new work I'm doing in sentiment analysis and complex networks. Overall, I'm quite pleased with the talk. It allowed me to find a focus for some of the work I've been doing over the last few weeks. Below is a brief list of some of the important points I wanted to raise during this talk.

Machine Learning is Important for Social Science

I think the most exciting part of my presentation, though also a part that was quite low-key, is the potential that machine learning holds for social science research. Labeling blog posts by hand is useful, but fairly intense and sometimes expensive. Tools like Amazon's Mechanical Turk provide a cheap alternative for labeling, but even this method if not scalable to two million or more blog posts.

I will not argue that machine learning can be the saviour of such social research, but rather that if it is used intelligently and correctly, it can help elucidate some of the trends within massive social systems (such as the blogosphere). By no means is this the death knell for human labels or qualitative research. Instead, I see the two working hand-in-hand.

Forget Word Vectors... Use Graph Theory

The subtitle is a bit strong, and maybe a little sensationalist. No, we shouldn't be avoiding word frequencies, multinomial distributions, or natural language processing... Keep these wonderful things, but also include the graph structure behind the blog posts and other data sets you are using! I remember writing a bit about some potential tools before, and still think it is quite important.

On a related point, predicting edges between nodes, while much harder (in my opinion) than predicting sentiment of a specific blog post, is still worth trying. There's a great paper that will be presented at the upcoming International Conference on Machine Learning, and it is worth reading.

Accuracy is Dead! Long Live Accuracy!

One of the biggest challenges in terms of this type of approach is how difficult it is to actually make predictions, and more importantly, how to validate models that predict rare events. When you're predicting hyperlinks between bloggers, you can have a model with 99% accuracy by simply saying that every blogger will not hyperlink to anyone. Accurate? Yes. Useless? Definitely.

Unfortunately, it's a bit difficult to justify the use of inaccurate machine learning models for social science research. That being said, I'm confident some creative and interesting solutions exist to this problem.

Great Books for Mathematical Modelling

2009-05-11T14:00:00.002+01:00

I realize it has been over a month since I last posted, and for this I apologize. The reason is simple: I had to write my final exams. Aside from a few evenings spent with friends, I pretty much studied every day in April, after which I spent a week with my parents and then a week in Switzerland. Now it's time to return to my pre-exam life, which is hectic in a very different way.

Fortunately, I have my exam results and they went well. I feel like the last two months have been the months of learning and understanding various tools in mathematical modeling, and there are certain books I simply wouldn't be able to live without. If you are interested in some of the technical aspects of mathematical modelling or are thinking of studying for the formal M.Sc. at Oxford, make sure you keep these books in mind.

Numerical Mathematics (1): focusing on all topics related to actually implementing theoretical mathematical ideas in a computer. The numerical linear algebra section (specifically, solving linear systems) is the best and clearest I've read in a while.

Finite Element Methods and Fast Iterative Solvers: with Applications in Incompressible Fluid Dynamics (1): impressive and complicated name for an impressive and complicated area of research. Yes, there's a whole course on this in the M.Sc., though we only really get through the first chapter of the book!

Applied Partial Differential Equations (1): focuses on getting you to solve PDEs. Really, that's all I can say... Though I'm convinced that there's an inverse relationship between the number of words used to describe a mathematical problem and the number of things you have to do to actually do it!

Boundary Value Problems of Mathematical Physics (1): a great introduction to how one can use distributions to solve various problems. Think of it as generalizing and abstracting how you actually integrate or solve differential equations.

So to those books and authors thereof, thank you!

Virtualization on Mac OS X -- Wow!

2009-04-01T21:37:00.002+01:00

I've written about this before, but wanted to share some more thoughts about my current laptop setup, and why I absolutely love it.

First and foremost, I am a Linux geek. It took me a while to be converted, and I still remember the early days... Walking around with my laptop and an external hard drive with Fedora Core.

I eventually started using Ubuntu as my main OS, and did so until this past June, when I bought a Mac. I tried to get Ubuntu running, but the amount of time I had to invest to get all the drivers working was a bit much, and I decided to use OS X. I miss Ubuntu, and use it as much as I can. Now that I'm working on my research again, Ubuntu is becoming more and more prevalent in my life.

And this is where VMWare Fusion enters. I run OS X, enjoy Ubuntu immensely, and also got on the beta testing wagon for Windows 7...

So here's what I do when I need to run multiple OSes. I enter full screen mode in VMWare Fusion, and have six desktops running in OS X. In full screen mode, I have either Ubuntu or Windows 7 (sometimes, but rarely, both). Even when I'm using Ubuntu or Windows, I still have the ability to switch between Desktops in OS X. This means I can be in full screen mode on any one of my OSes, and simply switch out of them using the standard Mac commands. I end up with four Mac spaces, an Ubuntu space, and a Windows 7 space... All easily accessible with a simple key press.

Talk about multiple Desktops in Mac... Now if only I had the multiple computer monitors I used back in Canada!

To make things even more wonderful, VMWare Fusion allows you to share folders between the various operating systems. So now when I do my research, I can actually modify the same files, documents, and presentations in any of the operating systems. How sweet is that?

This is such an awesome feature, and I just can't write enough about it. For anyone who enjoys working in multiple operating systems, I really recommend trying this.

Why I'm Giving Up on IMs

2009-03-24T17:31:00.002Z

Instant Messengers (IMs) are wonderful software products... I've been on ICQ, MSN, AIM, and a number of other incarnations since elementary school, forced to use them at various companies and organizations, and still have a few accounts. However, I'm deciding to bring it all to an end... At least temporarily, though we'll see how it goes.

The idea behind technology is convenience, and passive information is wonderful -- I can log into Twitter, Google Reader, Blogspot, e-mail, and Facebook whenever I want. Furthermore, these services are passive -- I am not interrupted when working if I am logged into any of them (at least with my current settings). IMs are different. They run in the background and people can contact me whenever I'm on, whenever they want. This has become far from convenient, as I try to memorize theorems or write essays.

So it's time to say goodbye to the instant messenger. If you need me, you can still find me on G-mail, Twitter, Facebook, and of course, this blog.

Inspiration #12: Remix Culture

2009-03-18T04:23:00.003Z

Thru You is a website with seven songs and videos that were created by clipping numerous YouTube videos. This is one of the most impressive art / new media project I've come across, and it's really worth watching and listening to. Video 8 provides an overview of how this was done.

(I also really like the website design!)

Inspiration #11: Wearable Computing

2009-03-14T22:49:00.001Z

While it still has a far way to go, some of the ideas focusing on wearable computing are really, really cool. This TED Talk is a perfect example of some of the potential, and I'm excited to see what will be available in the coming year.

Inspiration #10: Tokyo! (The Movie)

2009-03-13T20:22:00.006Z

This is an absolutely awesome trailer, and I can't wait to see the movie on DVD in a few months. Aside from being very original (it seems!) and set in one of my favourite cities in the world, the text in the trailer makes me extremely happy: "Do we shape cities? Or do cities shape us?"

Any movie that focuses on Tokyo, seems to be absurdly creative, and makes me think of Jane Jacobs is a total win.

Inspiration #9: Economist Technology Quarterly

2009-03-08T18:08:00.004Z

This week's Economist is a wonderful issue, containing their Technology Quarterly. I always make sure to read these quarterlies, as it's always a good reminder of what's happening in business technology, and what trends seem to be grabbing the imaginations of business types. I also read Seed's "Universe in 2009" (science predictions / trends), but feel that the Tech Quarterly has some really concrete ideas about what's to come.

Though I say everyone should read both!

There are three articles that really spoke to me, and I think everyone in computing should read. First, Model Behaviour, which looks at how mathematical modeling can be used in predicting how crowds will react to situations like fires or earthquakes. Very cool, especially because the mathematical technologies they're using are very different from the "classical" modeling paradigm. This might make little difference to end-users, but to myself, this is a huge change and one that really makes me happy -- humans are not continuous functions akin to liquids, but rather discrete agents with limited worldviews and seemingly random tendencies. Thank you, Massive Software!

Additionally, a review of some cool computer vision applications is given in Machines That Can See. If you've ever worked in a fast food chain, let me know how you feel about the idea of a computer analyzing whether you smile enough. I'm a bit skeptical.

And the final article is one about Brewster Kahle. Again, a wonderful overview of the entrepreneur and activist. Anyone with an interest in the Internet should check it out, if they haven't heard of him before.

Inspiration #8: The Times They Are A'Changin'

2009-03-07T22:12:00.001Z

This song!

Inspiration #7: Seed Magazine

2009-03-06T23:47:00.002Z

The latest issue of Seed Magazine has a sign on the front: "Science can fix this." Furthermore, the magazine's tag line is "Science is culture."

When I was visiting San Francisco, one of my friends said that my views on global problems, the supposed energy crisis, and other major challenges is that of a "technologist". The more I think about it, the more I think he's right. The world, humanity, and our existence is complex, and science helps us understand who we are, and why we are here. Science is beautiful, and as technology becomes more ubiquitous and pervasive, science affects our daily lives in a larger and more significant way. Science is culture, and just maybe, science can fix this.

Inspiration #6: Imperfect Corporations

2009-03-05T23:42:00.002Z

mashable recently posted two great articles, exploring the imperfections of Google and Facebook. To be fair, there's much more to the stories than that, but together, they serve to remind readers that while such massive companies have already created products that essentially serve a majority of users (well, this is certainly true in North America), they are not perfect. There's a number of ways that one can still get an edge on them.

Inpsiring? Certainly -- startups, have a chance! And what a complement to Inspiration #5!

Inspiration #5: Agile Development and Hackathons

2009-03-04T20:40:00.002Z

I was reading about Cloudspace's agile development model for software and it got me really excited. It reminds me of hackathons I've heard about in Toronto, New York City, and elsewhere. The idea of agile development, code sprints, hackathons, and related topics is focused on producing results (i.e. prototypes or software tools) within a short period, such as 24 hours or a week.

Why is this inspiring? Two reasons. First, the idea of "hacking" is very cool. I'm not talking about breaking into computers or computer security, which is what the media often focus on, but rather groups of people interested in technology and trying new things with it. Being with a core group of people for a day or two, solidly working and programming to develop a new product or service, is pretty exciting.

Furthermore, developing those new products and services in such a short period of time is a testament to how far technology has come. It's exciting to see how fast new ideas can be developed into actual products, and it makes me curious about what's to come.

Note: click on image for credits.

Inspiration #4: Man on Wire

2009-03-03T02:35:00.001Z

Sometimes, audacity and ambition go hand-in-hand.

Inspiration #3: Microsoft's Vision for 2019

2009-03-02T04:09:00.002Z

This video was recently posted on some of the social media sites I visit...

<a href="http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-GB&playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:a517b260-bb6b-48b9-87ac-8e2743a28ec5&showPlaylist=true&from=shared" target="_new" title="Future Vision Montage">Video: Future Vision Montage</a>

According to another blogger, this was presented by Stephen Elop at the Wharton Business Technology Conference.

... and what a vision! A lot of the technology being envisioned isn't that creative, and some of it is downright cliche, but I will admit that it's beautiful and exciting to see how things might change. A great set of concepts to think about for a day.

Inspiration #2: New Media and International Development

2009-03-01T04:23:00.002Z

I had a wonderful meeting the other day with a number of Oxford friends, where we spent time discussing our interests in new media (blogs, journalism, the Internet, etc.) and international development and politics. The meeting was, above all, refreshing -- it served to remind us why we do the work we do, and what it means to us. Some of us were meeting each other for the first time, and presenting our work and explaining why we're passionate about it was extremely important.

Sometimes, as we work extremely hard on a specific detail of a major project, the reasons for the passion we have become lost. Taking a few hours once in a while to explain to someone why you care so much about a certain topic is often useful, and (as I saw today!) can increase your productivity.

... the meeting was also timely, as on Friday night, I ran into a very interesting development on Wikileaks.

Whether or not you agree with Wikileaks posting sensitive information online, what is interesting about this is that a military document was decrypted, posted online, and is now being discussed around the web. This is a testament to the power of the Internet nowadays, and where it will lead (politically, socially, etc.) over the next several years is definitely exciting.

Inspiration #1: Ambition

2009-02-28T01:15:00.003Z

One of the things I'd like to try over the next while is posting things that inspire me. At times it's easy to be lost in the shuffle of life, and it's important to be grounded with ideas and thoughts that really inspire us and help us keep going.

So today is my first post on this topic, and it's simply a link to Ben Casnocha's blog post on Ambition. He provides a book review on the topic, and I think it's a great read... One of the things he discusses is whether ambition is good or bad. Oftentimes, we want to succeed in life (have a great job, make lots of money, etc.), but are also are encouraged to have healthy social lives, families, etc. Yes, the two can go hand-in-hand, but sometimes one must make a choice between a healthy career and a healthy life. In these cases (among others), ambition can be seen as a bad thing.

It's a refreshing post. If you've read Joseph Epstein's book on this, let me know!

Props to Spotify

2009-02-11T04:30:00.000Z

I just wanted to share the news... I now have a new music player: Spotify!

I've used numerous music services in the past, and still am a big fan of thesixtyone (which is wonderful for finding new music)... However, one of the biggest problems has been listening to music from major labels without actually paying for it. Sure, you can pirate songs, or pay $1/song on iTunes, but there must be a better way!

The great thing about Spotify is that it streams all the songs to you, and acts as a personal radio station. It's ad-supported, though you can pay to have the ads removed. It's very rare that I want to hear a song that they don't have.

... Though Matt and Kim are absent, and things just aren't the same without Mr. Westmore...

More Snow

2009-02-07T00:32:00.001Z

Snow in Oxford

2009-02-05T02:49:00.000Z

Oxford at Night

2009-01-28T00:05:00.000Z

Candy Bling

2009-01-18T16:57:00.000Z

I was checking the mail the other day and got the most awesome package ever! I wish the photo came out better, but all it says is that it's from Jenika, to Wojciech, and it's a package containing "Candy Bling". Every time I think of the face of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) agent who would see this (assuming one did), make me smile.

Thanks Jenika!

Windows 7 on my MacBook

2009-01-18T05:06:00.000Z

Every few days for the last 1.5 months, I've been looking around for information on a legitimate Windows 7 beta. A few days ago I got an answer, and have just installed the beta using VMWare Fusion. Now I'm running Windows 7 on my Mac, and it's looking very nice!

I must also say that this was, by far, the easiest Windows installation I've ever done. And don't worry people, I still love Linux most! Yes, even more than OS X.

Reporters Without Borders Campaign

2009-01-17T02:24:00.000Z

I was browsing the art and design publications at Borders today and ended up getting Archive, because of amazing page. The page was in the "social justice" section of the magazine, and had two photos from a Reporters Without Borders advertising campaign.

Since this was a Spanish campaign, I could only find this link to the photos, and they're a bit small... The RSF campaign tries to promote the dangers associated with journalism by showing the last photographs retrieved from the cameras of photojournalists working in dangerous places. This was really, really powerful stuff.

... Since those are difficult to see, and the small digital size does them little justice, here's a clip of Kevin Sites discussing his work in war zones. Note that this video is graphic, so viewer discretion is advised.

The iPod Touch

2009-01-02T21:50:00.000Z

A few days ago, I admitted to myself that I won't have an Internet-enabled smart phone in the next few months, and got myself an iPod Touch. I was worried about the purchase -- I like the Blackberry keyboards, and the Touch certainly isn't the iPhone... Luckily, those worries have been laid to rest.

Wired recently wrote that Apple's App Store was one of the best technological innovations of 2008. While I don't know if it would appear in my top ten list, I will admit that the store is a great resource for all Touch and iPhone owners... And it makes spending money way too easy.

Overall, the apps I've been using have been pretty great. DataCase for storing and reading PDFs, Evernote for writing notes, and yes, even Touch Physics for fun. The last of these is probably my favourite, especially when it comes to user interface -- it really takes advantage of the fact that you use your fingers to interface with the hardware, and this makes the game extremely fun. That being said, holding a set of books on the Touch makes it really easy to read on the run or store reference materials, papers, and so on. Kindle move over... The Touch is the best E-book reader I know of.

So what next? Aside from spending more time with Touch Physics and downloading other apps, I'm planning on developing my own. There's so many ideas and opportunities here -- for exploring novel user interfaces and making educational applications -- that I just can't pass this by.

Note: click photo for credits.

Toronto Love

2008-12-31T23:12:00.000Z

As I got more interested in art and design, and as I continue to spend more time in a growing list of cities around the world, I'm realizing two important things: (1) urban planning and urban design are crucial to city-dwellers' quality of life, and (2) Toronto is awesome.

I like to browse around magazine stands when in book stores, and two articles really jumped out at me this week. Foreign Policy has a great article on Global Cities, and it gives Toronto the 10th spot in the list of globalized cities. While the T dot does well in all categories, it does best in cultural experience (fourth overall), and human capital (tenth). A city with great, experienced, and intelligent people who like culture. Who can argue with that?

And to make matters even more exiting, Toronto Life has an article about Globalive, a Toronto-based company entering the Canadian wireless (cell phone) industry. Finally, someone new!

So as I prepare to celebrate the coming of 2009 in downtown Toronto, in a city that I can barely call home anymore, I am filled with pride. This is a nice place, you should all come here some time!

Note: click on photo for credits.

EDIT: I should note that due to traveling so much in December, I haven't updated this blog much. This post is just a quick note that I'm back on the blogging scene!

Speakers, Woah!

2008-11-27T02:36:00.000Z

One of the best things about Oxford is the large amount of wonderful and famous speakers that visit. Last week I listened to speeches by Phil Smith (the VP and CEO of Cisco Systems UK) and Shimon Perez. Then on Sunday and Monday, Silicon Valley Comes to Oxford took place, with speakers like Elon Musk and Philip Rosedale. The conference itself had a large number of venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and researchers.

I'm really enjoying all these events, and wish I had photos to go with them. Maybe next time!

Oxford's Colleges

2008-11-23T02:42:00.000Z

I've been visiting quite a few colleges lately, so for those who can't be here, I wanted to share a few photos. A lot of the older colleges are quite beautiful, and definitely worth a trip if you're ever in the UK.

First up is Lincoln, then St. John's. Unfortunately I just have photos from by the porters' lodges for these.

Aaron and I visited Magdalen College today while looking for parks to walk in (the college has a great deer park), so the rest of the photos are from there. Enjoy!

The Dorset Naga

2008-11-19T04:29:00.000Z

Rumour has it that the Dorset Naga may be one of the hottest chilis ever grown. As someone who enjoys his food spicy, I decided to drop by The Mission, a local burrito place here in Oxford, as they're currently serving their food with the option of having salsa made from this wonderfully spicy pepper.

So how spicy is it? I still don't remember the name of that hot sauce with the rooster on the front. You know the one -- it has a green cap and is in virtually every Chinese restaurant in Toronto and New York. I go through a bottle in a month or two... I put it on everything.

And yet, eating that burrito yesterday made me want to cry. I almost lost the battle, and having won once against the salsa, I'll gladly say I'll likely never fight it again. I'll still to the rooster variety of chilis. :)

Random Photos from London

2008-11-18T01:15:00.000Z

Just a few photos from the phone...

A Copyright Call to Arms

2008-11-13T03:42:00.000Z

I mentioned a while back about political things I'm getting involved in, but didn't want to share. So the "project" isn't as big as you might have thought, but Jesse Helmer and I wrote a piece for the Globe and Mail's Technology website. The article, A Copyright Call to Arms, provides an overview of what to expect with regards to intellectual property and copyright now that the Canadian election is over with.

There are lots of comments on the topic, so be sure to check those out as well!

American Elections

2008-11-05T02:43:00.000Z

One of the things I really like about Oxford is the massive amount of interest in politics... It's American Election night and there's parties, events, and public screenings of CNN in quite a few colleges. The photo above is just one example. Really awesome atmosphere!

London Calling

2008-11-02T23:58:00.000Z

This past Friday I finally had a chance to visit London! Not only that, but Kate (a fellow scholar from the US) joined me and we made a nice day of it. I was thinking of what to write here, but the event boils down to good conversation, eating dumplings and drinking bubble tea in Chinatown, and making our way to the a Halloween party thrown by Google.

What more can I say? Here are some photos, and text thrown in every once in a while.

So the dumpling place is called Jen Cafe and I recommend to everyone. Totally felt like discovering a new part of the city, and made me happy. That's Kate in the front, who recommended this place! (Bonus points for anyone who recommends good places for food.)

... and last but not least, the Google Party. Okay, I don't have much photos here, just the after-effects, courtesy of Glenn and Emma. The party was over at 12 am, but we wondered the city until about 2 am, looking for things to do. With bus ride and all, Oxford greeted us at 4:30 am. Long night!

I'm hoping to make my way into London a few more times in the coming weeks. Dorkbot is holding events, and there's a few conferences that I would love to attend. I'll keep everyone posted. Next time I'll also write something more substantive.

Combibos Coffee

2008-10-25T18:30:00.000+01:00

I finally found a coffee shop I can enjoy going to on weekends and not pay $6 for a drink! Not only that, but Combibos Coffee is also family run. I'll definitely be back... If only these places stayed open past 7 pm...

What's Up With Wojo This Coming Year?

2008-10-22T20:42:00.001+01:00

I think the photo above is a great illustration of where I'm finding myself. I'm happy, but a bit worried... I'm at my desk, looking up -- am I looking for something? Maybe... Am I anxiously observing the massive amount of mathematical work looming over me? Definitely... I have a few expectations of myself and of the year to come, and I hope to document them here.

So what's up with me?

Obviously, School

Four major courses, case studies, exams, and weekly assignments. Yes, this is my life, and what a workload! I vacillate between being completely happy with the challenges and problems being presented, while also worrying that things will only get harder from here. Nonetheless, this is the main thing I'll be doing. Seriously, what did you expect?

Politics

I'm hoping to get more involved in Canadian politics. I think I've done a lot of the international political stuff through Five Minutes to Midnight (FMM) and the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, and there's a few ideas brewing now with regards to Canadian public policy and politics. Okay, there's actually something amazingly cool in the works, but I'm keeping it confidential until it's released. Just wait a few weeks!

I'm going to place FMM in this category as well, though it has a much broader mandate than Canadian public policy. There's a few projects we're working on, and while it's hard to balance my broader life with FMM, I'm happy to continue doing so.

Research and Business

The research projects I've been working on are still moving forward, though much more slowly. So's the business idea and prototype I've been building. In fact, I use the prototype a few times a week to quickly and easily catch up with the blogosphere that I so miss now that I'm not at IBM. There, you now have a hint at what I'm doing!

Breaking Down My Comfort Zone

I try to do this regularly, but more so this year than ever before... This will include more social events and formals, more adventures, travel, running, hiking, etc. It's a vague category, but a very important one. And it totally relates with the ones above.

So what do I think of this coming year? Well, I wrote the above in a Starbucks and then went for dinner, planning to post this when I returned home. At dinner I got a fortune cookie, with a wonderful message. The photo is below (click for a larger version):

... I think that says it all.

Matriculation

2008-10-21T01:46:00.001+01:00

This past Saturday, I officially joined the University of Oxford. Unfortunately, I didn't take many photos, but am excited to get back the "official" photo that was taken.

Ironically, I'm writing about matriculation instead of working on the assignments I have due in the morning... So I'm off!

Oxford Graffiti

2008-10-20T00:52:00.000+01:00

The back exit of the Mathematical Institute at Oxford provides one with a perfect view of some interesting graffiti. Simple, yet in some way, quite deep. Makes me smile every time.

New Phone

2008-10-15T18:19:00.000+01:00

After 2.5 weeks away from my old phone, I finally have a new one! And yes, as promised, it's a bit of a camera phone. 3.2 megapixels... Though I really wanted a Blackberry, I couldn't justify spending over $600 on the Curve (my old one got wet!) or $800 on the Bold.

At least I can take photos! Finally, moblogging again! Though this time through Bluetooth.

Amazon Web Services for Research

2008-10-13T22:34:00.000+01:00

It's been a while, but there's a new post at dis-order.net.

I'm hoping to get a cell phone with a camera soon, and when I do, I'll be posting photos on here regularly. Can't wait!

What's Up With Wojo? (Freshers' Week Edition)

2008-10-10T02:09:00.000+01:00

I was talking with Emma, a fellow scholar from Canada tonight, and realized that I've been away from home for almost two weeks now. Long time to be away, and it's still the beginning... The idea of being in a new place and making new goals has been with me for a while, but I haven't thought much about goals, aspirations, or similar things, yet. Sure, I thought about how I should make some new goals, but that's as far as it's gone.

"Why is that?" you ask? Well, there's a number of reasons, and all of them have to do with the events of the last few weeks. This is what I've been up to.

Orientations

So far, I'm being inducted into everything from the University of Oxford to various clubs. There's lots of this, and a lot of it is ceremonial. I'm looking forward to getting to work, soon, rather than attending these events. They're nice, but work is also nice.

Socializing

Wine and cheese events, pubs, guest speakers, and afternoon tea. Welcome to Oxford, this is what daily life is like.

Research?

I'm still working on a number of papers, along with my business idea... I'm using the business' prototype to do my own blog reading, and am enjoying it quite a bit. We'll see where it goes!

Generally...

... there's a lack of time for everything. I hear that life gets much busier once courses start, and this scares me a bit. I'm sure I'll be fine -- at the least, I won't be giving up the project I'm running now!

At Oxford

2008-10-02T16:11:00.000+01:00

I arrived at Oxford last Monday, and haven't been posting much because I wanted to take some photos and let those speak for themselves first. Simply put, Oxford is a beautiful place. It's old but warm, and the people working at the university are wonderful.

But I don't want to write too much in this post. So without further ado, here's where I live...

That's my apartment on the top floor. It's got two rooms -- a study and a bedroom -- so I'm quite happy with the setup.

When I exit my staircase, here's the path I take.

Trinity College itself is beautiful, though the grass is a bit dead this time of year. Here's the front yard.

And for good measure, here's Rhodes House (across the street from Trinity College).

The main entrance to Trinity College is actually on the side of the College... The entrance is almost in the centre of town, and surrounded by many gorgeous and terribly old buildings, like the Sheldonian Theatre, below.

And here's some more random shots of the street I'm on...

So there you have it! A very different place from New York or Toronto, but I think I could get used to it.

My Parents' Garden

2008-09-24T08:16:00.000+01:00

Our home in Thornhill (Ontario) is not very big, but for three people, it's sufficient. I've got less than three days here, so I thought I'd share with everyone what I'll be missing. My parents have a great garden, and I definitely don't spend enough time there as it is...

Data Visualization in Development

2008-09-23T23:15:00.001+01:00

... a new post at dis-order.net.

Toronto in Writing

2008-09-20T08:19:00.000+01:00

Back in May 2006, I started working at a social science lab on College & Spadina. Located on the south-west corner of the University of Toronto campus and north-east corner of Chinatown, the lab not only let me study the city, but experience it first-hand. It was great.

Just two months later, I was at a conference in Brazil and ran into a fellow Torontonian named Cory Doctorow. "Cool guy," I thought, and promptly bought his book, "Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town", which actually takes place very close to the lab I worked at. Soon I could connect the restaurants and coffee shops he talks about with my own lunchtime wanderings. A great feeling, to say the least.

In my mission to learn more about the city and experience it in new ways, I bought Toronto Noir, a short story anthology with all stories taking place in various parts of Toronto... And on a side note, the publisher's description of Toronto is absolutely hilarious:

Toronto is located on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario and has a population of 2,503,281 (or about 3,113,149 U.S.). Comprised of wetlands, concrete parts, and futon stores, the city is home to some of Canada's most notorious criminals. Broken Social Scene and Anne Murray live here.

Anyway, there's something wonderful when you read about the place you live in a fictional book. People from bigger cities (hear that, citizens of New York, London, and Tokyo) might take this from granted, but Toronto is still small enough to be overlooked by most authors.

And if you're in Toronto and have yet to read a book that takes place in the city, read Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. It's free and CC-licensed, for crying out loud!

Note: click photo for credits.

Manpuku and Ramen

2008-09-17T08:16:00.000+01:00

One of the things I miss dearly about Japan and New York are the ramen bars. While these are native to Japan and have been imported to New York City, it's definitely hard to tell them apart. You get inside the restaurant. It's extremely packed, with a few cooks standing at the bar and serving people who are sitting down.

And of course, all you really want to get is a big bowl of ramen and maybe dumplings on the side. What's so great about this? Ah, the atmosphere! You're close to the cooks and can easily chat them up (if they speak English!)... You're close with your friends, sitting together and sharing the dumplings. The smell of ingredients cooking is strong, and it feels like you've stepped into another world.

I've been on the lookout for a seedy, crowded, aromatic ramen joint in Toronto, but have yet to find one... I guess I'll have to save this mission for another trip.

On the bright side, though, the search made me run into Manpuku on 105 McCaul Street, right by the Art Gallery of Ontario. Tucked away in a food court, this Japanese restaurant provides the cheapest and best-tasting Japanese fast food I've had in Canada. So I guess I can't complain!

Note: click photos for credits.

The Cyberpunk Culture

2008-09-12T06:00:00.000+01:00

As I continue to open my mind to new forms of art, music, and writing, I've decided to delve into the "cyberpunk". If you've watched The Matrix, you probably have a bit of an idea about what I'm talking about. Cyberpunk is a technology-focused subculture interested in a future, and believing (accepting?) that the future is going to be a dystopian mix of technocracy, anarchy, and scientific advancement.

By using "dystopian" I might be too harsh, but a "dark" future is definitely expected. Bladerunner is a great example of this, where Los Angeles is a grim and polluted place.

There are numerous cyberpunk books, with Neuromancer seen as the novel that started this sci-fi genre. A world where hackers are glorified and artificial intelligence exists, with the main character starting off in a dark and dangerous city in Japan. The book reminds me of Haruki Murakami's Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, also written in the mid-1980s. In this case, the "hacker" is a government agent whose subconscious is used as a key in an encryption algorithm for data. Cyberpunk anime also exists, and includes Akira, The Animatrix, and Cowboy Bebop.

As with "regular" punk, much of the subculture focuses on music as well... The Opera House (in Toronto) recently hosted a rave, Tokyo Cybermonster (some photos), that featured costumes, bands, and dancing. Some of the music played is available on MySpace.

Of course, defining anything as "cyberpunk" is difficult... But those interested can visit The Cyberpunk Project, a Russian site devoted to cataloging cyberpunk culture, and what it means.

What is most fascinating about cyberpunk is its focus on the future of society. Like the broader punk movement, which has roots in politics and social discontent, cyberpunk tries to make a statement about the future of social norms, ethics, politics, and even economics. What I find striking is that while punk music often rebels against the status quo and present political conditions, cyberpunk works sometimes glorify the seemingly unavoidable technological dystopia. Think about Bladerunner -- while the plot and scenery are both dark, the viewer is still drawn to a future of humanoid robots, flying cars, space colonies, and advertisements.

Finally, this whole "cyberpunk dystopia" is not as far-off and incredible as one may initially think. While true artificial intelligence may never be achieved, the Internet connects the entire world, cyberwars and infowars take place, and our actions are being logged continuously. Maybe the cyberpunks are just one step ahead?

Note: click photos for credits.

Multilevel Models (in R)

2008-09-06T00:11:00.000+01:00

... another post at dis-order.net.

Human Rights and Network Analysis

2008-09-02T01:55:00.000+01:00

Another post at dis-order.net. Enjoy!

A Big Hard Sun

2008-08-31T20:27:00.001+01:00

One of the first movies that I saw in New York City was "Into the Wild". The movie was pretty, and I loved the soundtrack. I went with a friend I met online because I had yet to make any friends outside of work at any events, galleries, or coffee shops I ended up frequenting.

For the movie's soundtrack, Eddie Vedder remade "A Big Hard Sun" (original, remake). I've developed an association between this song and my first few months in New York -- a period of insecurity, confusion, exploration, and yes, research.

I bring this up today because as I am now into my last few weeks in Toronto, I keep wondering about who to see, what to do next, and what I'll miss most. Vanessa recently arrived in Afghanistan, Ray I haven't seen in months now, I don't attend social network meetings at IBM, and there's a few people I met back in October or November who I have never seen again. The perfect example is having American Thanksgiving with four Asian girls studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in downtown Manhattan.

"I study merchandising, what about you?"

"Oh, I'm a mathematician. I do social network analysis, looking at marketing trends."

"... I see..."

Needless to say, I never saw those four again.

And yet with all the people I miss, I have reconnected with old friends like Marcin, Alie, and Rawi... I'm with my parents every day, and I visit my sister's grave. I even started a new software project, programming it at the Starbucks on Yonge and Bloor -- a coffee shop that has now seen me develop three major software projects over the last three years.

I've been very reflective these last few weeks. One of my high school buddies recently asked me, "What makes someone successful?"

I'm thinking about what this question even means. One thing I've learned over the years is that "success", however you define it, often entails a lot of sacrifice. When I was in high school, I would have defined "success" as "traveling the world for work"... Now that I think about my current situation, where I started by living in Toronto, then Nairobi, then New York, and now moving to Oxford, I can see that even though I've managed to reach my goal of residing in a lot of neat places, I've had to say goodbye to a great many friends, join -- and leave -- social circles, and then spend my Sundays reflecting on my life while listening to MGMT.

Do I have any regrets? Definitely not, but I sure would like to bring everyone with me when I move. We can turn that Yonge-Bloor Starbucks into a big ship and live on it while travelling the world. At least the bathrooms will be nice.

dorkbot Toronto

2008-08-29T06:31:00.000+01:00

Today I finally attended another dorkbot event, a few months after my first. Before I go into details of the event, I want to say it was a complete pleasure doing this in Toronto. In NYC, you get used to events like these, while I've been having trouble finding them in Toronto. My only criticism is that even after promoting the event to a dozen people, no one wanted to go.

But this isn't for everyone, I guess...

Anyway, dorkbot-Toronto is much more artistic (in terms of "pure art") than what I've seen in the past, but I can't complain. I showed up to be challenged and immersed, and so I was. Three artists presented, including Kelly Jazvac and Atom Deguire. Kelly focused on her work with vinyl, while Atom showed photos from his work around Europe, where he'd use tape and physical objects to modify benches, walls, and galleries. Visit his site, as I don't want to misrepresent his views here... All I can say is that it reminds me of a more abstract and arguably less political Banksy.

The first presenter, and one which I want to focus on the most, is Kristen Peterson, who also runs Drawing Research. I can talk most about her work because in some ways it's the most mathematical. Illusions aren't new, but I really like her approach... I left the meeting wondering if there's some sort of mathematical order behind what she does. The illusions depend a number of drawings / illustrations. At the right angle, they merge together and convince you that they're actual objects, and this is a wonderful way to challenge your senses. Even Kristen brought up the intersection of planes in her presentation -- the illusions really freak you out because two dimensional objects obtain a three dimensional quality to them.

... But then I couldn't help and think about how you can potentially "encrypt" information this way. For example, go to kristenpeterson.ca and click on Artwork and then on YYZ. You'll automatically see the illusion, where the bars seem to go into and beyond the wall. Very impressive, very Escher-esque, very cool!

Now here's what I'm all excited about. Say that instead of evenly-spaced bars, Kristen actually created a bar-code scheme that travels into the distance. Could a barcode reading pick up this information? It technically wouldn't work anywhere except when looking at the illusion correctly... Maybe this is impossible for traditional barcode scanners, but newer ones (such as the type you can install in an iPhone) should be able to do something similar.

All of a sudden, you have an illusion that actually gives you information... Say a website URL, or a secret message.

Anyway, my point is: this was a lot of fun. Everyone in Toronto should go to a dorkbot meeting.

Anime!

2008-08-27T18:06:00.001+01:00

One of the things I've tried to do these last few months is get into anime. It's cool, and I like it, but I generally don't watch a lot of movies. Back in New York I got into a habit of putting movies on while I worked on other stuff. In some ways, it's a great strategy to pick out good movies, as you only stop working and watch the movie if it's grabbing your attention.

... The down side is you miss a lot of nuances and details.

Anyway, I digress. This week I watched Cowboy Bebop and Princess Mononoke. I also tried to watch Metropolis for the second time in my life... That is to say, both times I failed miserably: I rent the movie and end up falling asleep. The movie is cool and the Art Deco feel reminds me of both Bioshock and Atlas Shrugged. The problem is I rent it at inopportune times, and end up passing out from being too tired.

... And now it's onto manga. There's a copy of Zombie Loan waiting for me two meters away. Yes, I read manga for teens -- but how else am I to practice Japanese?

Tikhonov Regularization (in Graph Theory)

2008-08-27T17:59:00.000+01:00

... post at dis-order.net/. Implementing algorithms is fun, usually... Not always, though. :) This time it was great, and what's even better, the work is completely useful for my research!

Skydiving!

2008-08-25T02:30:00.000+01:00

Back when I was 14 years old, I decided I wanted to go skydiving, but was too young. At 16, I was technically old enough but for some reason I didn't go. 18... 20... The years went by. Finally, the day arrived today, and what a sweet ride!

First, some context is useful. Alie (who took all the pretty photos below) and Marcin (who's in some of those photos) have been dating for... Uhh... A number of years (Six? Seven?). Alie decided to surprise Marcin with a gift of skydiving. Some might say that asking your significant other to jump out of a plane at 13,500 feet on your anniversary isn't sending the right message, but hey, we like to think it's Love, with a capital "L". And plus, it's way cooler than a gift certificate.

Skydiving is an interesting experience... Unfortunately, it's extremely difficult to describe the emotions. While some people are afraid, Marcin and I (or other hardy Polish people like us :) ) felt a bit indifferent. Or maybe we were so scared we were numb... Nah, we think we were just extremely brave. We wouldn't back down from the jump, so thinking of fear wasn't really an option.

The day sarted off a bit cloudy and we waited a while before it was clear enough to jump. The little plane we were in was packed with a dozen people, and was constantly climbing at about 45 degrees -- well, I didn't bring my protractor on this flight, but it was steeper than any other climb I've ever done. At 6,000 feet a few guys jumped out, making faces as they left. Clearly this wasn't their first jump. A few hundred more feet and we were in the cloud cover, unable to see a thing.

... And then we broke the ceiling. Err, the cloud ceiling, that is. Now we were maybe 9,000 feet above Ontario, staring at clouds in all directions. This is a typical view out of a jumbo jet, with rolling clouds any direction you look. Only difference this time was that we knew we'd be falling through them. I wish I had pictures, as this was one of the most beautiful feelings I've had (in a plane, and in general!), knowing you won't only be seeing a beautiful, artistic, natural formation -- but you'll be falling through it and screaming your butt off at over 150 km per hour, as well.

Yes, our first jump was such that we actually fell through the clouds. Though, you're falling so fast the clouds just zoom past as you try to breathe and look around you. And how does freefall actually feel? Somehow, it feels like nothing at all. The initial "hop" off the plane is the slowest and fastest thing I've ever experienced -- you think very little, and it's over in about a second... This is when your speed is slowest (think back to high school physics and it makes perfect sense), and you're just floating there, weightless and confused at the fact that you're completely alone (or with an instructor named Kevin) 4 kilometers up in the sky.

Before you know it, you're hurtling towards the ground and Kevin is tapping you. Ah, you can now spread your arms and breathe. The realization that you're falling has hit you, but you're still senselessly dumbfounded at the horror and glory of freefall. You can move your arms around to twist and turn in the air, taking in the beauty of the ground below you and clouds coming right at you.

Another tap on the back, and you know the parachute is about to open. Slam, rip, zoop, and now your speed has been reduced significantly. You expect your body to keep falling, and in fact, your mind does keep going -- this part almost feels like an out-of-body experience for me, where my brain keeps falling and look back up at the rest of my body. Those harnesses work, dude!

And so you float to the ground in your parachute. While this doesn't quite compare to the surprising and confusing experience of freefall, looking around at the ground, at the clouds, at the horizon, and anything else you can discern is still a surreal experience.

Plop! and you're on the ground, butt-first, muddied pants and all. It's over, less than ten minutes later... And you want to get right back in the plane and do it all over again.

What's Up With Wojo?

2008-08-18T21:09:00.001+01:00

A number of people have reminded me that I haven't posted much here in August, so it's time to write an update. For better or worse, there's not much news to report... Japan was a great trip, and Vanessa and I hung out until last the middle of last week. I'm now getting into the swing of things.

So, for those of you curious about my life, here's what I'm up to...

Research

I decided to take August and September off and work on my own projects and explore my own interests. I'm working on a number of papers with old friends from Toronto and elsewhere. Nice, fun research... No major deadlines yet! The work is both qualitative (international development and sociology) as well as quite mathematical (algorithms and statistics). I'll post here if anything major happens.

Business Ideas

Yes... I've been ranting about business for a few weeks now, and finally have taken the first step to doing something. I'm looking into revolutionizing e-mail. I won't say much more yet. But e-mail me if you want to chat about some ideas.

Revisioning FMM

FMM is still moving forward. I presented on the site in Japan, we've launched a book recently, and are now looking for more partners and volunteers. I'm exploring what we'll be up to next, and will be attempting to do that "next thing" before I leave for England.

Culture (and Comics)

Reading lots of comic books... And regular books, too! Just finished reading The Watchmen and Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, and am now reading The Dharma Bums. Also brought back a dozen issues of manga from Japan, which I need to start reading (in Japanese!).

While not as serious as my reading, I'm also exploring my music tastes and art galleries in Toronto. Will be writing about this soon, too.

Sports!

So Michael Phelps is doing well in the Olympics. Did you know I wanted to be an Olympic swimmer when I was 12? Well, maybe it's a good thing I didn't pursue that career option... :) But I am getting back into sports. I'm hoping to run a 10K race in the next few weeks -- definitely before I leave Toronto. I was going to start swimming today, too, but showing up at the community centre was a bit of a downer: I was the only one under 70 years of age, and well, 70 year-old swimmers are sloooow. I promptly left and bought a membership at a gym, and am going to start swimming there tomorrow.

Catching Up, Socially

Finally, I'm just hanging out in Toronto and visiting friends and family. You know, before I leave forever... Well, until December 21, anyway, which is when I'm coming home for the holidays!

So that's what I'm up to...

iCommons Summit '08

2008-08-03T06:42:00.000+01:00

Faithful readers of my blog are likely aware that I am currently in Japan. I spent last week in Sapporo at the iCommons Summit '08. Like every year, the summit attracted lots of entrepreneurs, activists, and researchers.

It was a fun time -- I won't go into details on Japan until I return, but if anyone is interested in the conference, there was a summit blog. Just for archival purposes (I like to keep all my work on one site), two articles: one on multilingualism online and another on open government.

Update: more material, this time as a final overview.

Why I Love Linux

2008-07-24T06:43:00.000+01:00

... ever since I got my Macbook and have been using OS X, my life feels a little different. Just last week, I had to pay for software, and this made me feel a bit uncomfortable. No, I don't steal software licenses -- I've been using Linux for the past two years and got used to just downloading free and open source software.

I won't try and convince you that Linux is something you should try. I've had many of these discussions and the fact that we promote it through Five Minutes to Midnight is enough for me.

Instead, I'll just say this: setting up an FTP server on Ubuntu is so easy it makes me smile. In fact, I set up two today, just for kicks. Thank you, ProFTPd, for making my file transferring easier today.

Linux Journal - August 2008

2008-07-23T06:16:00.000+01:00

For the past year, I've been subscribing to the Linux Journal, and the August 2008 issue is one of the best I've seen for any magazine. This issue is devoted to "cool projects" (on Linux).

This is a pretty big deal to me, someone who isn't very focused on hardware development but loves programming. Why? First, this issue provides information on how to use the Wiimote as an input device. This isn't anything majorly new, but it's nice to have a step-by-step guide.

Secondly, there's an overview of Bug Labs' Linux computer, which is a basic cellphone-sized computer which you can attach other modules to, allowing you to build new gadgets and even swap them as the software is running. If you have a few hundred dollars to spend, this is a great way to start fooling around with gadgets -- or so I read.

A more familiar face in the magazine is gumstix, which provides very small computers with various components, such as Bluetooth, wifi, USB connections, and so on. This is very similar to Bug Labs, and in fact the costs are about the same, too.

Finally, there's E-Ink, which one can use for low-power displays. This is very promising, though the prototyping set costs $3000, which I imagine is a bit steep for most

The great thing about these tools is how it may be possible to use them and build completely new gadgets. For someone like me, who isn't well-versed in hardware development, this is a great opportunity to get involved in actual prototype development rather than just making graphics and writing code on my laptop.

Even better is the fact that companies like Bug Labs are starting to really promote and focus on the idea of open hardware. I'm curious to see how long it takes for people to start playing around with this. Hopefully I'll get into it too, sometime soon.

Note: click on image for credits.

Scanning the Web for Diseases

2008-07-23T06:12:00.000+01:00

From www.dis-order.net.

Let's start with two over-simplifications. There's a lot of information on the Web... And, it's hard to analyze it. Indeed, regardless of which field of study you work in, the Web probably applies to you -- whether you're an economist studying auction systems, a computer scientist looking at technical infrastructure, or pretty much anything in between.

One very relevant application that tries to solve this problem for health practitioners is HealthMap. Funded by Google, it's a perfect example of the intersection between data mining and public policy.

HealthMap: An Overview

HealthMap scans various health sites and news directories, constantly looking for news related to health and diseases. It does this by scanning the actual text of the articles and, using a text classifier, tries to categorize every article into (1) a specific disease, and (2) a specific region. This is much harder than it sounds, as the software needs to know the difference between a team of American doctors studying a new outbreak in England, and a team of English doctors studying a new outbreak in America. While this is easy for humans to do, computers are often quite terrible at telling the difference.

Once this information is collected and synthesized, the site displays information on outbreaks as a Google Maps mashup, making it easy to check where outbreaks are happening and what is going on in specific regions.

An overview of the technology is provided in a recent paper in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.

The great thing about this is that using open source web crawling tools like Nutch, WVTool for text analysis, and Weka for model generation, you can build prototypes of HealthMap-like tools in several weeks. Of course, the accuracy of your classifiers and mapping articles to specific regions and diseases is often the hardest (and most important!) part.

The Challenge of Unstructured Data

HealthMap is a great response to the deluge of data that people and organizations have to deal with on the Web. Collecting data, analyzing it, and making it accessible is a major challenge in almost every field of study. Another example of a response to this is Issue Crawler, which allows one to explore political discussions online.

The main difference between these approaches and tools like Wikipedia and Who Is Sick? is that the latter use distributed networks of people to collect and organize information. I imagine that one great opportunity in the next few years will be combining the use of such "people power" with machine learning to build web services that help us deal with all this information and data.

Data Inaccuracies in Polls and Surveys

2008-07-22T05:27:00.001+01:00

From www.dis-order.net.

Salon.com published an interesting article yesterday by Paul Maslin and Jonathan Brown, discussing an inaccuracy in the standard approach to political polling. They say that phone surveys only focus on landlines, which ignore people who only have cell phones. They have a fairly detailed discussion on why this is the case, and how much this can affect polls -- essentially, as the number of people who only use cell phones increases, polls can become less and less accurate. This is especially true since a specific type of demographic owns cell phones and avoids land lines (younger, more technical people), meaning the polls can become quite biased (and thus inaccurate).

Alternatives to Political Polling

So the first question that comes up is, "Are there alternatives to phone calls?" Even with the rise of the Internet, political polling is still very dependent on random phone calls. The basic problem is getting a random sample -- you can't do that with e-mails or site visits. So never trust those CNN or Fox News polls.

One alternative is using a prediction market. These act just like stock markets, but people buy and sell shares in a specific event -- you then make a profit if the event takes place, and lose money if it does not.

What is exciting about prediction markets is that, with enough people participating, they aggregate individuals' knowledge and can provide a reasonably accurate probability around a specific event. In fact, markets have been known to provide better predictions than those of experts. A lot of major companies, such as Google, HP, Best Buy, and many others, are using these now, and one can get a good overview by exploring Google's work, and Wolfers' and Zitzewitz's paper.

So how accurate are these markets for the upcoming elections? Well, the Iowa Electronic Market pretty much shows a 50-50 split on the 2008 Presidential race, while Intrade.com gives Obama a 2-to-1 lead. Of course, not everyone participates in these markets, and I'm sure it is easy to argue that Obama supporters (read: younger, more technology-friendly people) are more likely to use sites like this.

Is This Cell Phone Problem An Isolated One?

When reading newspapers or magazines, people often feel more comfortable with numbers than they do with qualitative or subjective discussions. This is a major problem -- yes, numbers do not lie, but the definitions used to get those numbers can often be misleading. The way surveys are designed, and the way "random" samples are chosen, can often bias results quite a bit.

One area where this is a very big problem is poverty measurements. Poverty is often defined with regards to how much of a family's income is spent on food and shelter. International comparisons, however, are murky -- the way you define baskets of goods (e.g. nutritional requirements, staple foods, etc.) can change quite a bit between countries. One of the biggest criticisms of surveys focusing on poverty has been that they are household surveys -- people without homes are often missed. Indeed, finding such people can be very tricky in the first place.

Oftentimes, running surveys and collecting data is extremely difficult. A great overview of this, in an international development context, is Martin Ravallion's "How Well Can Method Substitute for Data? Five Experiments in Poverty Analysis". Statisticians, mathematics, and other researchers are constantly trying to find new analytical tools to make models and analysis more accurate, but bad data can rarely be fixed after it has been collected.

In general the important thing is to critically analyze the definitions and methods used in surveys and polls. The best piece of advice I ever got on this issue was that numbers and methodologies tell stories just like words do, and it is important to read between the lines.

YouTube, Viacom, and Data Concerns

2008-07-22T05:25:00.000+01:00

I recently started another blog on data analysis at www.dis-order.net. I'm going to post those articles here too, so I can keep everything in one place. Sorry if there's anyone out there who reads both!

Over the last few days, Viacom and Google have been in the news quite a bit due to their trial. Viacom is suing Google for $1 billion due to the amount of copyrighted material being posted on YouTube (which Google owns).

The Associated Press reports, "U.S. District Judge Louis L. Stanton authorized full access to the YouTube logs after Viacom Inc. and other copyright holders argued that they needed the data to show whether their copyright-protected videos are more heavily watched than amateur clips."

The EFF has statements from both sides.

While such legal issues aren't my specialty, I wanted to write about it because of the political ramifications of such a release of data. Also, the limitations behind data anonymisation are concerning here, even though Viacom says this data will be "anonymised" and not used to target specific individuals or users.

As far as I understand, Google will be handing over approximately 12 terabytes of data, in a database that includes when a video is played, each viewer's user name, and also their IP address. At this point, both sides have argued that a user's IP address cannot lead to identification of a specific person.

IP Addresses and User Names

If nothing is changed within the database, Viacom's lawyers will be able to see individual user names that watched videos. I imagine it will be easy for them to also find out who posted the videos, either by simply visiting the site or making a few basic assumptions about the data (e.g. "The first person to watch a video is likely to be the one who posted it.") that can be empirically tested.

While this process will not compromise everyone's privacy, there will be users who can be tracked down through the information above. There are a number of ways to do this:

People with obvious user names. Some users use their real names, while others are building brands around their user names. For example, if you knew what videos lonelygirl15 watched, you can probably guess who watched them. The same is true for many other YouTube users. Furthermore, a great deal of users also post personal videos, and made accounts without ever expecting to have their viewing patterns analyzed by lawyers. Now if I see that User123 watches Colbert Report videos on YouTube, I can check if he or she posted personal videos (say, from a trip to Costa Rica or playing beer pong) and easily track that person down.

IP address contain geographic information. In sparsely populated areas, your IP address can't be connected to you specifically, but can narrow the list of potential people by quite a bit. If you live in New York City, you might be okay.

Usage patterns. Remember when AOL released "anonymised" search queries of a few hundred thousand users? Based on the terms that were put into the search engine, a news agency was able to track down specific users based on this data. A similar issue occurred when researchers de-anonymised Netflix data by comparisons to publicly available information on IMDB. The same can be done on YouTube. What's worse, one can easily use social networks based on comments, favourites, feeds, etc. to build a community-level view. Using this information, you can find clusters of users who are sharing or watching illegal content.

In my final year of university, I did a project focusing on community identification on YouTube and was able to build a basic crawler that found communities of users that would share anime clips. These were communities that were not formally organized, but could be found by analyzing comment patterns under each YouTube video. I won't go into the math, but it's very easy to do. This method might not find a specific individual, but can definitely find groups of friends (say, from your local high school) or fan clubs... Viacom could easily use a similar approach to track down groups of people who regularly view illegally uploaded content.

The Anonymity Myth

Suppose Google modified its database so that: (1) user names became a set of random characters, (2) so did IP addresses. This is often what people do when releasing data -- it's what AOL and Netflix did, for example.

Unfortunately, the last two methods above can still be used to track individuals down, because they depend on the underlying social network of the website, and the video content as well.

To really anonymise the data, one would need to randomize the underlying network structure as well. This would get rid of community structure and make it harder to track down groups of people with similar interests or backgrounds. Since Viacom is allegedly not interested in such information (and by the judge's ruling, is not allowed to search for it even if it wants to), getting rid of links and scrambling the network structure is fair game.

Modifying the video content would be trickier. Viacom is trying to make the argument that illegally posted videos are more popular on YouTube than legal videos. To label a video as "legal" or "illegal", one would need to watch the content, and there is no technology that exists to do this automatically (if there was, then Google should just use that and get this lawsuit over with).

To get over the problem of content comprising users' privacy, one option is to have Viacom submit a list of videos they feel contain illegal content. Google can then scramble all the video IDs and return a list showing which scrambled IDs represent illegal content, as judged by Viacom. This will ensure that Viacom cannot visit YouTube and track down who posted those videos or connect their data with other databases (say, check if users posting videos are also commenting elsewhere, or participating in other sites). While this process may sound tedious, Viacom will need to label data in such a way for the company / team / group / lawyers they hire to actually analyze the data.

In the End, Does It Matter?

What bothers me most about all of this, however, is that if Viacom simply wants to prove that illegal content is more popular than legal content, can't they use simple view statistics, or have Google calculate the number of unique viewers per video? I imagine that's more than enough information to draw such a conclusion.

Clearly, there's more behind this than meets the eye. Viacom initially wanted to see YouTube's source code, arguing that YouTube might be treating illegal content in a different way than legal content. Luckily the judge didn't feel that the company's source code was as relevant in this discussion.

We'll see what happens with this data, and how it is analyzed...

1, 2, 3, 4...

2008-07-17T01:37:00.000+01:00

What's better than a famous Canadian singer?

... A famous Canadian singer singing a remake of her song on Sesame Street!

And what's better than a Canadian singer singing a remake of her song on Sesame Street?

... A famous Canadian singer singing a remake of her song on Sesame Street and teaching children about the number four. Yes, that's two squared!

I love it.

And here's the original.

... And I promise, my next post won't consist of YouTube videos!

The Day the Earth Stood Still

2008-07-05T21:23:00.001+01:00

Ooh, a remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Here's the original:

And here's thew new one:

I must say, I'm excited!

Goodbye New York, Hello Toronto

2008-06-30T06:35:00.000+01:00

And so today we finally arrived in Toronto... Back home. On Sunday, when The Edge plays retro music until 2 am (something I've listened to since early high school)... Two days before Canada Day (and my birthday)... Oh, so many memories!

But I leave New York with lots of new memories as well. I won't be cheesy. No, I can't do that. I'm feeling nostalgic, but that's all I will say.

I'll definitely write a reflective piece on New York, but hope to do that once I actually finish working at IBM (July 25 -- yay for telecommuting). Thanks to this whole Internet thing, I get to be in two places at once!

As a way to end my time in New York, I visited a few more sushi places. These are: Sushi Yasuda, Ginger (3rd Avenue), Kami Sushi (2nd Avenue), Monster Sushi (23rd Street), and Yakinuku (around Astor Place). All I have to say is: Sushi Yasuda was the best sushi I have ever had... In my life. Period. No question about it.

Note: click images for credits.

What I Write (and Read)

2008-06-24T21:11:00.001+01:00

I'm having a lot of fun with Wordle right now. Put in some text and it'll map it out for you. Aesthetically pleasing, and a little informative.

So here's what I've been blogging about this year...

And here's what my del.icio.us account says about me...

Brooklyn Bridge

2008-06-22T01:30:00.000+01:00

Rockefeller Center

2008-06-20T21:25:00.000+01:00

Friends!

2008-06-20T20:03:00.000+01:00

Visiting in New York.

Research Wrap-Up

2008-06-16T19:50:00.000+01:00

The Networks in Political Science conference, which took place this past week, was probably my last major deadline before moving back to Toronto. I'll be doing that in two weeks, though first will be entertaining a few guests before that happens!

The conference was a nice interdisciplinary get-together, with political scientists, computer scientists, sociologists, statisticians, and other types of researchers showing up. There were workshops on dynamic networks and statistical models for graphs, and presentations on everything from data collection to theoretical models of human behaviour.

What makes me happy about the conference is that I finally have a detailed overview of what I do, and it's publicly available! Thanks to a 35-minute talk I gave called "Mining Political Blog Networks", you can see my slides either as a PowerPoint Presentation or a PDF.

Another interesting note with regards to my work is that I wrote an article for iCommons, focusing on data visualization using collaborative and open source tools.

And this coming week? Hopefully taking it a bit slower!

In Boston...

2008-06-12T00:44:00.000+01:00

Learning Japanese

2008-06-09T06:22:00.000+01:00

I'm heading to Japan in late July for the iCommons iSummit conference, and then hanging out in Tokyo for a bit. In order to prepare, I'll be trying to learn some Japanese.

I remember blogging in Spanish, Polish, and French a few years back, as a way to reinforce those languages. Unfortunately, Spanish was never really something that caught on, but the other two are doing fine. Now it's time to try and add Japanese to the list, and I'll document my progress on here.

To start, I bought Japanese Demystified. While books from stores aren't necessary (I love the idea of learning a language for free), I often find myself in coffee shops or trains, and it's good to have something in print.

Aside from that, I'm all up for trying free resources. I'll finally test out the Live Mocha Japanese lessons. Also, I'm looking forward to listening to a few podcasts. Doing a search yielded the following results:

In addition to the above, there are free dictionaries and Wikibooks.

I'm also curious about LingQ, but not sure how much of their content is free.

Edit: my friend Sacha posted a follow-up post on her blog with more resources. Thanks, Sacha!

Note: click on photo for credits.

One Crazy Week Down...

2008-06-07T07:45:00.000+01:00

... and one more to go. Thank goodness for the weekend! Three paper deadlines passed this week at work, two for CIKM 2008 and one for NIPS 2008. Next week is the Networks in Political Science (a different NIPS), and I'll be working on a presentation for this during the next few days.

What's on my mind?

2008-06-02T04:07:00.000+01:00

I've fallen behind in my blog reading, so I spent about two hours today catching up on everything. Unfortunately, two hours isn't enough time but it's all I can really afford at this stage. There's a couple of themes that are really speaking out to me, both from these posts and just in general over the last few weeks, and I wanted to document them. Note that there's no particular order to the themes below. Notice any major themes? :)

The economy. First, inflation and the general state of the economy. I'm not too worried yet, but the trends are pretty interesting. The discussions on an oil bubble. More focused discussions on food prices, the Consumer Price Index, and related topics have been coming up quite frequently in the blogs and newspapers I read. I think there's quite a bit of sensationalist stuff, but we'll see what happens. Not stockpiling any food, yet!

Web 2.0, business, and charity. Again, discussions on problems with monetizing web 2.0. No opinion from me at this time, but the non-profit initiatives are really cool. A cool tag for some business models and ideas in this realm: cognitive surplus.

Technology, Politics, and Public Policy. Both in terms of new fields like nanotechnology, but also 'traditional' technologies like the internet... Network neutrality in Canada is becoming a big deal. A related issue is hacktivism (sort of!) and emerging threats.

... Lots to think about!

Note: click photos for credits.

Late Night in New York

2008-06-01T06:14:00.000+01:00

Hiking at Bear Mountain

2008-05-26T07:06:00.000+01:00

This Saturday, I finally got a chance to explore the more natural side of New York State. Specifically, Vanessa and I went hiking at Bear Mountain State Park. I remember driving down through Peekskill with my parents when we first came to Westchester, and the rolling hills were quite a sight. It was nice to actually go out and explore them!

Of course, we got lost along the hike... Eventually we ran into someone, who pointed us to the nearest road. We walked for about 30 minutes and decided to hitch hike, but only one car came our way: a two-seater sports car, with the guy not sure where the park was. So we kept walking along the road, and another thirty minutes later we came into the rear of a parking lot, with my car in plain sight. Lucky us!

Anyway, great hike, great time. Here are some photos:

And the best part is that even though we're about 1.5 hours north of New York City, looking closely still lets you see the cityscape.

And on a separate note, two more sushi places to add to the list... First, Hane Sushi at 581 3rd Ave. (interesting fusion place!) and Sushi Mambo at 255 Bleecker Street (spicy apple rolls!).

Fallout Shelter

2008-05-26T06:06:00.000+01:00

... in Greenwich Village.

At the Guggenheim...

2008-05-25T21:13:00.000+01:00

Indiana Jones...

2008-05-23T18:10:00.000+01:00

Warning: if you haven't seen it and want to avoid spoilers, don't read this post.

I've been meaning to write a quick post about Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull for a few days now, as I had a chance to see a pre-release screening on Tuesday night.

... And wow, was I ever disappointed! The movie starts off in 1957 and even features a nuclear explosion. This got me all excited, as I saw my love for the Fallout franchise blend with Indiana Jones into an amazing movie that had everything I could ever want. But then the aliens appeared... First a brief mention of extraterrestrials, which made me uncomfortable but I forgave the movie. "Must be a slight slip-up, nothing serious," I thought.

Then we saw the alien skulls... And then we saw the aliens come to life... And finally, we saw the spaceship leave Earth! The cool 1950's atmosphere was long-gone by then, as was any real reference to the old Indiana Jones trilogy.

If that wasn't bad enough, there's tons of plot holes, too, it seems. Sitting at home and reflecting (weeping) about the state of the movie, I thought back to the beginning, where the FBI decided to investigate Indiana Jones for colluding with Russians -- they even harass him in an interview room. And then we never hear about them again.

The Globe and Mail has a good negative review on the movie.

Work as Play

2008-05-16T07:19:00.001+01:00

I was going through my blog reader today and came across a post from 0x000000. While I normally don't cite specific posts, this was linking to a vide of Alan Watts. While it's a three-part series, the first part is the most relevant. Here it is.

So why I posting this? Well, I've recently had many discussions with people about why I "work" so much. 15-hour days don't scare me, and I enjoy stressing myself out or drowing in "tasks" for "work".

Why are those words in quotations? Well, Alan Watts discusses the idea that we should treat work as play, and that this will lead to a more fulfilling life. I fully agree. To me, "work" encompasses: (1) Five Minutes to Midnight, (2) mathematical sociology / social networks / data mining, (3) my involvement in governance (i.e. Canadian Commission for UNESCO). The last example, the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, has already been discussed and is a perfect example of the interdependence of work and play in my life.

Essentially, my research helps me see the world in a new way. By studying social patterns and (hopefully!) making discoveries, I understand humanity in a new way. It is both a job, and a humanistic and spiritual journey. My political and social involvement is similar -- by participating in such activities, I also explore culture, youth, and life.

Should everyone live this way? Of course not -- do what you enjoy and do it in a way that supports you and your life. The example that Watts gives of the bus driver is perfect in this case... He says that a bus driver can see his job as stressful (due to harassment and annoying passengers) along with boring (traffic jams), or that bus driver can approach his driving as a form of dance.

Is this optimistic? Maybe... I can only speak for myself, and I've never driven a bus. However, I also do a lot of math and programming (for about 10 hours a day), and what keeps me going is not math for math's sake, but rather the underlying social and humanistic aspects to my work. That's my form of bus driving, and my form of dance.

Canada and UNESCO

2008-05-13T07:14:00.000+01:00

This last week I had the fortune of going to Saskatoon, where I attended the Canadian Commission for UNESCO's annual general meeting (AGM). As a member of their Youth Advisory Group, I've been to quite a few meetings now, and must say I enjoy participating quite a bit. While the amount of work can grow quite large at times, the focus on Canadian culture has really opened up by eyes to the diversity and creativity of Canada. It's only appropriate that after writing a rant about Toronto being a great city, I write about Canada being a great country.

I remember the first AGM I attended two years ago in Montreal, where I first heard Inuit throat singers -- something completely different from any previous musical experiences, and really beautiful. This year, we visited a Biosphere Reserve, with two photos below.

Talking to participants made me realize there are still a number of things I have yet to experience, either in Canada or in general:

The Aurora Borealis
Hearing the ice cracking on a lake
The Arctic
British Columbia's forests
The Bay of Fundy (or anywhere in the Maritimes, for that matter)
First Nations reserve / healing ceremony / fasting / anything
Solitude in the wilderness

Okay, that last one is pretty intense, but maybe one day...

On my flight back, the sky wasn't cloudy and I got to see some beautiful views of Canada... And some of that cracking ice I want to hear.

No Matter...

2008-05-07T15:51:00.000+01:00

... how hard I try, it seems that on travel days I always (1) get 4 or less hours of sleep, and (2) can't be productive on the road. Anyone have any tips?

Too Many Conferences

2008-05-07T07:35:00.000+01:00

I remember back in high school, my co-op teacher told me to "network!" But boy, am I networked out... Podcamp NYC 2.0, UN Meets Web 2.0, IBM's Web 2.0 Conference, Dorkbot, and more... It's been a nice ride, but at one point last week I sat down and said to myself, "I spend more time talking to people about what they're doing and what I'm doing, than I actually spend time doing."

Will I stop? As I start packing for the Canadian Commission for UNESCO annual general meeting (in Saskatoon!), begin looking forward to an NYU conference on social media and prepare a paper for the Harvard Networks in Political Science conference, I'd be a liar if I said "yes".

So, "no."

But I'm trying to slow this down a bit, or at least become more productive in the time between conferences, and on the way to those conferences. Do I have any secrets to share? No, but giving up the things you are addicted to (like instant messengers) is hard and potentially necessary.

Initially I wanted to write about those conferences, but I have nothing to really say. The great side effect about going into the city so much is I try more sushi, though it's not the only time I enjoy raw fish. So to add to the list: (1) Yorktown Heights lab cafeteria sushi, (2) Daruma Japanese Cuisine in Brooklyn, (3) Sharaku at Astor Place, and (4) Kicho (near Mount Kisco!).

Toronto vs. New York City

2008-05-06T05:42:00.000+01:00

I grew up in Toronto, and while I don't live in New York City, I've gone out of my way to really experience the city while living in Westchester. Thanks to Pidgin, I've kept in touch with quite a few friends back home, and also had a bunch visit me... Yes, a lot of the discussions focused on New York City and what a cool place it is, and some led to comparisons between Toronto and New York.

It's impossible to objectively rank cities, but I've noticed quite a few people saying "NYC is better than Toronto" as if that was a commonly held belief. This bugs me. Why is Toronto so bad? Or... Why is New York City so much better?

Before I go into a rant on why Toronto isn't bad, I want to say that I'm not saying one city is better than the other. All I'm saying is that Toronto has more to offer than some people realize... Do I have a preference? To be honest, not really. I can see myself settling down in New York City, but also like Toronto and would be happy there. Regardless, I'll be in England for two years, and things might change quite a bit.

So, for those faint-of-heart when it comes to Toronto... Do you read blogTO or Torontoist? Have you been to the Linux Cafe, or hung out at Kensington Market? Have you had a classy evening at the Panorama (at the Manulife Centre), or taken a date to the distillery district? Have you had a slice of Massimo's famous pizza, or gone to the wrong Green Mango on Yonge & Bloor when meeting a friend?

"Ah," Toronto detractors may say, "These are all locations. What about people?"

What baffles me about New York City is the amount of people that eat alone at restaurants (I've written about this before), and the large proportion of single women in the city... But forget this, let's not bash NYC but rather let's continue looking at the positives of Toronto. So, fellow detractors, what's your poison? (Does that date me?) People come in different groups and forms. Investment bankers and founders of start-ups? Head down to the regular investors' meetings on King Street, or start reading the Canadian startup blogs that discuss the Mesh Conference, MARS, StartupCamp, and so on... Do you prefer parties? SummerCamp, NewLoveMindspace... Wear your underwear on the train, have a pillow fight, and freeze yourself (okay, okay, so much of this is based on New York events, but at least we have them too!). Hang out with the punks at the Kathedral, if you're feeling on the wild side, or pop in at the Centre for Social Innovation and learn a thing or two about non-profits... And that's in Chinatown, so while you're at it, buy some dumplings or head on over to the smallish (now) Polish area nearby, where you can buy pierogi instead.

I will admit that what Toronto lacks is size -- whereas New York City will have about a dozen technology events every week and a few dozen parties, Toronto has a lot less. But who goes to all those events anyway? There's enough to have fun, and if you talk to anyone outside of the city, you'll probably hear that Torontonians are just as self-centered as New Yorkers. :)

I believe that growing up in only one city is both a blessing and a curse... A blessing because you get to know parts of the city intimately, but a curse because it's easy to fall into complacency... "I've been here all my life, I know this place better than anyone," you may think. And this is true. But if you don't keep up with mailing lists, grassroots groups, and local artists, you're bound to miss a lot more than you realize.

This is why I'm glad I've spent so much time away from Toronto, and am grateful that I'll be back for at least two solid months... Ironically, I've learned more about the inner cultural workings of Toronto while in NYC than I realized, by reading blogs, following Toronto-based startups, and missing my friends.

As T.S. Eliot said, "We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."

Of course, this isn't the first time I've realized how great the city is... If you haven't read Cory Doctorow's Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, then read it right now. Based mainly in Toronto, you actually read about the city, and sometimes, having someone else describe the place you live in with affectionate and creative terms is all you need to fall in love with it (or fall in love with it again).

Note: click on images for credits.

Random Photo

2008-05-03T21:07:00.000+01:00

The photo was taken by Vanessa, who demands a photo credit. I won't get into any intellectual property rants tonight. :)

PodCamp NYC 2.0

2008-04-25T17:52:00.000+01:00

...in Brooklyn.

Another Free Textbook

2008-04-23T21:33:00.000+01:00

Graph Theory. Now, you can read this, along with the others from my older post, and be an expert in genetic algorithms, information retrieval, and graph theory. Quite a specialized niche, I'd say.

Sushi Update

2008-04-20T06:12:00.000+01:00

I haven't updated this blog with my latest sushi explorations, so it's time to do so. We'll start with a cool dessert place I visited today with Vanessa. The photo of the various desserts we got is above, and while it's not sushi, it's great. It's called Mamakura Minamoto Kitchoan at 608 Fifth Avenue.

In addition, a quick list of sushi places: Sushi Lounge (132 St. Mark's Place), Shiki (135 First Avenue), and Pasta Wafu (141 First Avenue).

General note: Pasta Wafu is very good.

Post-Apocalyptic Fiction

2008-04-17T05:36:00.000+01:00

A few months ago I heard of Freebird Books, a small book store in Brooklyn. what makes them special is there monthly reading group, where they discuss a book and watch a movie, always focused on post-apocalyptic literature and movies. I have yet to attend a meeting, but always check out what they're reading and watching, as this interests me quite a bit.

It all started with Fallout, a post-nuclear roleplaying game (RPG). I miss those days, when RPGs were more engrossing, though Fallout 3 is set to come out late this year or in early 2009.

That being said, it's movies that seem to be on my mind now. Of course, I've watched and enjoyed movies like Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. The ones that interest me more, however, focus on life after the bomb... Think of Mad Max, though others that come up as my favourites include On the Beach, The Day After, and A Boy and His Dog. A more recent example is Right at Your Door, though it focuses on the use of a dirty bomb rather than nuclear war. There's something to be said about watching hypothetical reactions to such things.

Housing Works Cafe

2008-04-12T23:37:00.000+01:00

Tal and I at Housing Works Cafe, an awesome little cafe/bookstore charity.

Jogging in Westchester

2008-04-09T05:25:00.001+01:00

Software Testing...

2008-04-08T21:47:00.000+01:00

... can be extremely painful. The crawler I'm building has to be tested for many things. As such, here are two links which I am testing on. I won't go into details unless you want me to!

So, link 1 and link 2.

Research Through Open Source and Access

2008-04-08T20:43:00.000+01:00

I'm on a few dozen mailing lists and today was informed of a newly released book that provides an overview of genetic algorithms. Called A Field Guide to Genetic Programming, it's available to purchase for about $15 or download for free... And that's what I love about it.

In the last few years, I've become extremely focused and active in social network analysis, and am now hanging out at IBM and learning about data mining as well. What amazes me is the amount of open source tools available for doing this work at virtually no cost. This includes projects like R for statistics, Weka for machine learning, Egotistics for social networks (sorry for the shameless self-promotion - also check out Network Workbench), and many others.

Similarly, books and papers are becoming more freely accessible as well. One of my all-time favourites is Introduction to Information Retrieval, but many others exist. I wish I knew about a few more.

So now you have the theory and the software... Need data? That's not a problem either... I can think of 1, 2, 3 sources off the top of my head... And besides, crawling the World Wide Web for data isn't impossibly difficult, especially if you use the currently available open source offerings, like Nutch.

Now, back to my research I go.

Technology as a Window to the Human Soul

2008-04-04T19:59:00.000+01:00

This past Wednesday I finally attended a dorkbot meeting... Motivated by my growing interest in human-computer interaction and robotics, I wanted to see what others are up to, and I was incredibly impressed.

There were two presentations that stood out, one of which was Eric Siu's work. To sum up his work in one sentence: using digital cameras and small LCD screens, Eric creates two sets of stereoscopic eyes attached two your hands, giving you a whole new ability to move your "eyes". The experience is extremely disorienting at first, it's possible to eventually learn how to "live" with these eyes (though the longest he's used them is 30 minutes). This reminds me of a Wired article which describes visual technologies that stimulate other body parties (i.e. your tongue) to allow blind people to eventually learn to see.

The brain is amazingly versatile, and such technologies are not only potentially useful and interesting art projects, they also help a great deal in allowing us to understand how we work.

Now, let's jump into the realm of video games. The second presentation that really spoke to me was Adam Parrish's Frotzophone. In his own words, The Frotzophone is an interface for making music with interactive fiction. The topography simulated in the game is used to generate sound, as is the player's path through the game.

Initially, I was skeptical of this idea, mainly because aside from listening to the Beatles at work or some younger bands at home, I don't read music, nor can I keep a steady rhythm in any form. What was surprising and amazing is that his presentation, which consisted of him playing a text adventure with the music playing and moprhing, was very engrossing. The music helped a great deal, even if it was related to a more abstract object / graph structure of the game rather than the storyline.

And this is what I've been thinking about for the last few days. I'm still trying to figure out how the "perfect game" would work for me. I can't help but think of Bioshock again -- it's artistic and more importantly, its original story line (related closely to Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged) really helps one ask some key questions about human societies. Specifically, the player is confronted with some ethical (and controversial!) issues, but on the broader scale, the game shows how greed, ambition, and a free market can actually lead to a dystopia.

I'm not sure where this post is leading, aside from another rant about video games. No, must avoid that! I'd say, though, that I think the beauty of the examples above are that they all help us learn about ourselves, or about the bigger issues confronting "our" societies. Amazing.

Note: click on photos for credits.

Grand Central Station

2008-04-03T03:59:00.000+01:00

Every time I come in from Westchester. :)

Hard Drive Crash!

2008-03-28T04:53:00.000Z

Whenever one of my computers breaks, it's a painful experience. I usually back up quite often, so it's never an event full of panic, but I still prefer keeping my most recent data and documents, so I spend a considerable amount of time trying to fix things.

Unfortunately, no luck last night. At one point, my NTFS partition (the one that stores Windows) decided to think it has been formatted. Luckily I also run Ubuntu and could play around with different options, but nothing worked to convince the hard drive otherwise. Stubborn thing!

Five hours later, I even tried to use Ddrescue and NTFS Undelete... Both failed in helping me recover my experiments (I won't get into details), but definitely showed me some interesting, long-forgotten (and long-deleted!) files... Half the stuff I didn't even recognize!

So if you have time, play around with those tools. I'm sure there's Windows equivalents as well, but seriously... Use Ubuntu.

Updates!

2008-03-26T03:38:00.000Z

I figure it's time I wrote something here... It's been so long! I've been doing the lazy thing and sending photos instead, though I'm quite happy with how they're turning out.

Okay, I'll post one more photo. This one is from Toronto, taken by my mom -- look at how much snow there was! Nothing like in New York. My dad's been doing the shoveling, so lucky him... :)

What else is new? Quick things -- finally visited the Met mid-March, and I have two sushi places to add to the list: Ruby Foo's around Time Square (very good!) and Tatanya (1400 2nd Ave. -- also very good!).

Now, back to work, I have a lot of writing to do on here on various topics, so will be posting soon.

Meeting...

2008-03-25T16:59:00.000Z

...at the UN today.

Scientology Protest Near the Met

2008-03-15T19:13:00.000Z

Today, now, at the Scientology Celebrity Centre.

Random Photo

2008-03-15T17:37:00.000Z

To those who read my shared links...

2008-03-12T21:19:00.000Z

Thank you!

I share a lot of stuff on Google Reader, and when I see others share stuff I've shared, it makes my day.

Design and the Elastic Mind

2008-03-09T07:01:00.000Z

Ahh, a week late, but time to jot down a few notes about the Museum of Modern Art's Design and the Elastic Mind exhibit. Since I'm too lazy to share thoughts (especially this late at night), I just want to write some things down which I still remember, and which others might find interesting.

Three things, actually. First, ARK-INC, or as they say, design solution for post-crash civilization. Need I say more? Secondly, Demetrie Tyler's Hypothetical Drawings About the End of the World. Hmm... Notice a theme here?

And finally, the Million Dollar Blocks project.