Social Networks Solve Complex Problems

IBM wants to create a scalable solution to language translation. The project, n.Fluent, taps into IBM's 400,000+ workforce through crowdsourcing and advanced linguistic techniques. Crowdsourcing uses the strength of social networks and Web 2.0 orientations to solve complex problems. Social networks allow complex problems to be broken into hundreds or thousands of smaller sections, each manageable by a single individual, to be distributed and then solved collectively.

The problem of language translation is complex because of the many nuances in language. Children can easily learn language and figure out what words or phrases sound correct. According to Stephen Pinker (Stuff of Thought, 2006) children do not learn every correct phrase, they simply learn the best rule, or heuristic, and then manage by exception. Linguists call these contradictions positive exceptions. Language plays a large role in helping to define the way we think. Because we think using sentences a lot, language also shapes how we conceive reality.

Google also has an approach to the translation problem that you can try out right now. Though using an algorithmic approach rather than crowdsourcing, it is a vast improvement over previous options. What is remarkable about Google's solution is that you can add it to your homepage or use it in conjunction with your Gmail.

Translation becomes an increasingly important problem as the internet continues to unite people across different cultures, countries and languages. The age of ubiquity will likely begin to rely upon the power of social networks to develope enterprise level crowdsourced solutions such as those brought to us by IBM and Google.

Microsoft Confuses Consumer on Updrade to Windows 7

This week is devoted to Windows 7, especially the upgrade to 7 from Vista. Suffered with Vista long enough? Ready to finally upgrade to a 21st-century operating system?

The long-anticipated release of Windows 7 has finally come and not without great fanfare, publicity and marketing campaigns across the web. The "launch-party" meme a well known viral web meme that has been circulating the internet the past couple weeks. The launch-part turned out being more humorous than successful for Microsoft. Users, confronted with the upgrade deployment, didn't take long to realize there was a huge problem with Windows 7.

There are two options for instillation of Windows 7: Clean-Install -or- In-Place Upgrade. If you are like most people, you want to upgrade to avoid wiping your hard drive and losing ALL of your programs! It appears as though the ability to upgrade to Windows 7 depends upon which version of Vista you had and which version of 7 you have.

What's worse? It appears that the upgrade paths are a deliberate attempt to require a certain action on behalf of users. Does this sound like a marketing gimmick to anyone else? This problem has been talked about before, here, here (by Techspot) and here by Microsoft.

Still don't believe me, take a look at this Chart showing all of the 66 possible upgrade options. This is a usability nightmare. It looks like Microsoft was too focused upon fixing the problems with Vista to see the problems they were creating with the deployment of Windows 7. Lesson learned: deployment is a significant aspect of usability.