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The Paradox of Transgression in Games (Routledge Advances in Game Studies)
by Kristine Jørgensen Torill Elvira MortensenThe Paradox of Transgression in Games looks at transgressive games as an aesthetic experience, tackling how players respond to game content that shocks, disturbs, and distresses, and how contemporary video games can evoke intense emotional reactions. The book delves into the commercial success of many controversial videogames: although such games may appear shocking for the observing bystander, playing them is experienced as deeply rewarding for the player. Drawing on qualitative player studies and approaches from media aesthetics theory, the book challenges the perception of games as innocent entertainment, and examines the range of emotional, moral, and intellectual experiences of players. As they explore what players consider transgressive, the authors ask whether there is something about the gameplay situation that works to mitigate the sense of transgression, stressing gameplay as an aesthetic experience. Anchoring the aesthetic game experience both in play studies as well as in aesthetic theory, this book will be an essential resource for scholars and students of game studies, aesthetics, media studies, philosophy of art, and emotions.
The Paradoxes of Network Neutralities (Information Policy)
by Russell A. NewmanAn argument that the movement for network neutrality was of a piece with its neoliberal environment, solidifying the continued existence of a commercially driven internet.Media reform activists rejoiced in 2015 when the FCC codified network neutrality, approving a set of Open Internet rules that prohibitedproviders from favoring some content and applications over others—only to have their hopes dashed two years later when the agency reversed itself. In this book, Russell Newman offers a unique perspective on these events, arguing that the movement for network neutrality was of a piece with its neoliberal environment rather than counter to it; perversely, it served to solidify the continued existence of a commercially dominant internet and even emergent modes of surveillance and platform capitalism. Going beyond the usual policy narrative of open versus closed networks, or public interest versus corporate power, Newman uses network neutrality as a lens through which to examine the ways that neoliberalism renews and reconstitutes itself, the limits of particular forms of activism, and the shaping of future regulatory processes and policies.Newman explores the debate's roots in the 1990s movement for open access, the transition to network neutrality battles in the 2000s, and the terms in which these battles were fought. By 2017, the debate had become unmoored from its own origins, and an emerging struggle against “neoliberal sincerity” points to a need to rethink activism surrounding media policy reform itself.
The Participatory Condition in the Digital Age (Electronic Mediations #51)
by Christine Ross Jonathan Sterne Darin Barney Gabriella Coleman Tamar TembeckJust what is the &“participatory condition&”? It is the situation in which taking part in something with others has become both environmental and normative. The fact that we have always participated does not mean we have always lived under the participatory condition. What is distinctive about the present is the extent to which the everyday social, economic, cultural, and political activities that comprise simply being in the world have been thematized and organized around the priority of participation. Structured along four axes investigating the relations between participation and politics, surveillance, openness, and aesthetics, The Participatory Condition in the Digital Age comprises fifteen essays that explore the promises, possibilities, and failures of contemporary participatory media practices as related to power, Occupy Wall Street, the Arab Spring uprisings, worker-owned cooperatives for the post-Internet age; paradoxes of participation, media activism, open source projects; participatory civic life; commercial surveillance; contemporary art and design; and education. This book represents the most comprehensive and transdisciplinary endeavor to date to examine the nature, place, and value of participation in the digital age. Just as in 1979, when Jean-François Lyotard proposed that &“the postmodern condition&” was characterized by the questioning of historical grand narratives, The Participatory Condition in the Digital Age investigates how participation has become a central preoccupation of our time. Contributors: Mark Andrejevic, Pomona College; Bart Cammaerts, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE); Nico Carpentier, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB – Free University of Brussels) and Charles University in Prague; Julie E. Cohen, Georgetown University; Kate Crawford, MIT; Alessandro Delfanti, University of Toronto; Christina Dunbar-Hester, University of Southern California; Rudolf Frieling, California College of Arts and the San Francisco Art Institute; Salvatore Iaconesi, La Sapienza University of Rome and ISIA Design Florence; Jason Edward Lewis, Concordia University; Rafael Lozano-Hemmer; Graham Pullin, University of Dundee; Trebor Scholz, The New School in New York City; Cayley Sorochan, McGill University; Bernard Stiegler, Institute for Research and Innovation in Paris; Krzysztof Wodiczko, Harvard Graduate School of Design; Jillian C. York.
The Passage: The original post-apocalyptic virus thriller: chosen as Time Magazine's one of the best books to read during self-isolation in the Coronavirus outbreak (The Passage Trilogy #1)
by Justin CroninAmy Harper Bellafonte is six years old and her mother thinks she's the most important person in the whole world.She is.Anthony Carter doesn't think he could ever be in a worse place than Death Row.He's wrong.FBI agent Brad Wolgast thinks something beyond imagination is coming.It is.THE PASSAGE.(p) 2010 Penguin Random House LLC
The Passage: The original post-apocalyptic virus thriller: chosen as Time Magazine’s one of the best books to read during self-isolation in the Coronavirus outbreak
by Justin CroninNOW A MAJOR TV SERIES!'THE STAND meets THE ROAD' Entertainment Weekly'Enthralling ... richly imagined. Above all, Amy is a superb creation, believably human yet beguilingly enigmatic' Sunday TimesAmy Harper Bellafonte is six years old and her mother thinks she's the most important person in the whole world.She is.Anthony Carter doesn't think he could ever be in a worse place than Death Row.He's wrong.FBI agent Brad Wolgast thinks something beyond imagination is coming.It is.'Read 15 pages, and you will find yourself captivated; read 30 and you will find yourself taken prisoner and reading late into the night. It had the vividness that only epic works of fantasy and imagination can achieve. What else can I say? This: read this book and the ordinary world disappears' Stephen King
The Passionate Photographer 2nd Ed: Ten Steps Towards Becoming Great: the Remastered Edition of the Bestselling Classic Work for All Photographers
by Steve SimonTake your passion for photography and close the gap between what you hope to achieve and what you do, following one of the world's most highly regarded photographers. This book will help you think about your photography and find a visual voice. It follows a clear structure which will make it useful for any reader, and is fully illustrated with Simon's own inspiring photography and some work from the historical greats. Simon's understanding of photography makes for a book filled with tips you can immediately fold into your own shooting, quickly establishing your own vision, learning what to concentrate on in a shot, and pushing you beyond your comfort zone. It also includes "lessons learned" from Steve's experience, so you can neatly side-step some problems even the pros have had to endure.
The Passionate Programmer: Creating a Remarkable Career in Software Development
by Chad FowlerSuccess in today's IT environment requires you to view your career as a business endeavor. In this book, you'll learn how to become an entrepreneur, driving your career in the direction of your choosing. You'll learn how to build your software development career step by step, following the same path that you would follow if you were building, marketing, and selling a product. After all, your skills themselves are a product.The choices you make about which technologies to focus on and which business domains to master have at least as much impact on your success as your technical knowledge itself--don't let those choices be accidental. We'll walk through all aspects of the decision-making process, so you can ensure that you're investing your time and energy in the right areas.You'll develop a structured plan for keeping your mind engaged and your skills fresh. You'll learn how to assess your skills in terms of where they fit on the value chain, driving you away from commodity skills and toward those that are in high demand. Through a mix of high-level, thought-provoking essays and tactical "Act on It" sections, you will come away with concrete plans you can put into action immediately. You'll also get a chance to read the perspectives of several highly successful members of our industry from a variety of career paths.As with any product or service, if nobody knows what you're selling, nobody will buy. We'll walk through the often-neglected world of marketing, and you'll create a plan to market yourself both inside your company and to the industry in general.Above all, you'll see how you can set the direction of your career, leading to a more fulfilling and remarkable professional life.
The Past, Present, and Future of JavaScript
by Axel RauschmayerWhat’s next for JavaScript? Its phenomenal rise from a simple client-side scripting tool to a versatile and flexible programming language exceeded everyone’s expectations. Now, hopes and expectations for JavaScript’s future are considerable.In this insightful report, Dr. Axel Rauschmayer explains how the combination of several technologies and opportunities in the past 15 years turned JavaScript’s fortunes. With that as a backdrop, he provides a detailed look at proposed new features and fixes in the next version, ECMAScript.next, and then presents his own JavaScript wish list—such as an integrated IDE.Understand the key role that XMLHttpRequest, JSON, jQuery, V8, Node.js, and other advances playedExamine proposed fixes for ECMAScript.next through code examplesDiscover how JavaScript is becoming a better target for compilersExplore the technologies that will help JavaScript provide support for concurrencyLearn how HTML5 is a compelling platform for JavaScript in web, mobile, and desktop applicationsDr. Rauschmayer is a consultant and trainer for JavaScript, web technologies, and information management.
The Path of Speech Technologies in Computer Assisted Language Learning: From Research Toward Practice (Routledge Studies in Computer Assisted Language Learning #Vol. 4)
by V. Melissa Holland F. Pete FisherThis collection examines the promise and limitations for computer-assisted language learning of emerging speech technologies: speech recognition, text-to-speech synthesis, and acoustic visualization. Using pioneering research from contributors based in the US and Europe, this volume illustrates the uses of each technology for learning languages, the problems entailed in their use, and the solutions evolving in both technology and instructional design. To illuminate where these technologies stand on the path from research toward practice, the book chapters are organized to reflect five stages in the maturation of learning technologies: basic research, analysis of learners’ needs, adaptation of technologies to meet needs, development of prototypes to incorporate adapted technologies, and evaluation of prototypes. The volume demonstrates the progress in employing each class of speech technology while pointing up the effort that remains for effective, reliable application to language learning.
The Path to an Intelligent Enterprise: The Art and Practice of Business Intelligence Strategy (Future of Business and Finance)
by Reinhold Exner Alexander ZunicBusiness Intelligence (BI) and data-driven decision-making have long been atop the priority list for companies. However, many companies continue to struggle to keep up. The collision between rising management expectations, rapid technological advancements, and organizational rigidity, along with traditional ways of working, often hampers progress. This book aims to contextualize innovations like Big Data, the Internet of Things, and Artificial Intelligence, which have predominantly been discussed from a technology-centric standpoint, within a business framework. It presents compelling evidence that companies without a well-organized and leveraged business intelligence strategy are prone to squandering money and resources on hasty and improvised BI initiatives. The book delves into effective business intelligence application, equipping practitioners with a solid understanding of successful practices and how to implement them. Practical tips and accelerators, including a template for documenting a BI strategy for organizations, are provided. The book is intended for business professionals and decision-makers responsible for strategic BI initiatives, as well as practitioners and users of business intelligence systems.
The Patient Revolution
by Krisa TailorIn The Patient Revolution, author Krisa Tailor--a noted expert in health care innovation and management--explores, through the lens of design thinking, how information technology will take health care into the experience economy. In the experience economy, patients will shift to being empowered consumers who are active participants in their own care. Tailor explores this shift by creating a vision for a newly designed health care system that's focused on both sickness and wellness, and is driven by data and analytics. The new system seamlessly integrates health into our daily lives, and delivers care so uniquely personalized that no two people are provided identical treatments. Connected through data, everyone across the health care ecosystem, including clinicians, insurers, and researchers, will be able to meet individuals wherever they are in their health journey to reach the ultimate goal of keeping people healthy. The patient revolution has just begun and an exciting journey awaits us. Praise for the patient revolution "A full 50% of the US population has at least one chronic disease that requires ongoing monitoring and treatment. Our current health care system is woefully inadequate in providing these individuals with the treatment and support they need. This disparity can only be addressed through empowering patients to better care for themselves and giving providers better tools to care for their patients. Both of those solutions will require the development and application of novel technologies. In Krisa Tailor's book The Patient Revolution, a blueprint is articulated for how this could be achieved, culminating in a vision for a learning health system within 10 years." --Ricky Bloomfield, MD, Director, Mobile Technology Strategy; Assistant Professor, Duke Medicine "In The Patient Revolution, Krisa Tailor astutely points out that 80% of health is impacted by factors outside of the health care system. Amazon unfortunately knows more about our patients than we do. The prescriptive analytics she describes will allow health care providers to use big data to optimize interventions at the level of the individual patient. The use of analytics will allow providers to improve quality, shape care coordination, and contain costs. Advanced analytics will lead to personalized care and ultimately empowered patients!" --Linda Butler, MD, Vice President of Medical Affairs/Chief Medical Officer/Chief Medical Information Officer, Rex Healthcare "The Patient Revolution provides a practical roadmap on how the industry can capture value by making health and care more personalized, anticipatory, and intuitive to patient needs." --Ash Damle, CEO, Lumiata "Excellent read. For me, health care represents a unique economy--one focused on technology, but requiring a deep understanding of humanity. Ms. Tailor begins the exploration of how we provide care via the concepts of design thinking, asking how we might redesign care with an eye toward changing the experience. She does an excellent job deconstructing this from the patient experience. I look forward to a hopeful follow-up directed at changing the provider culture." --Alan Pitt, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Avizia "Whether you're a health care provider looking to gain an understanding of the health care landscape, a health data scientist, or a seasoned business pro, you'll come away with a deeper, nuanced understanding of today's evolving health care system with this book. Krisa Tailor ties together--in a comprehensive, unique way--the worlds of health care administration, clinical practice, design thinking, and business strategy and innovation." --Steven Chan, MD, MBA, University of California, Davis
The Pattern On The Stone: The Simple Ideas That Make Computers Work
by W. Daniel HillisMost people are baffled by how computers work and assume that they will never understand them. What they don’t realize--and what Daniel Hillis’s short book brilliantly demonstrates--is that computers’ seemingly complex operations can be broken down into a few simple parts that perform the same simple procedures over and over again. Computer wizard Hillis offers an easy-to-follow explanation of how data is processed that makes the operations of a computer seem as straightforward as those of a bicycle. Avoiding technobabble or discussions of advanced hardware, the lucid explanations and colorful anecdotes in The Pattern on the Stone go straight to the heart of what computers really do. Hillis proceeds from an outline of basic logic to clear descriptions of programming languages, algorithms, and memory. He then takes readers in simple steps up to the most exciting developments in computing today--quantum computing, parallel computing, neural networks, and self-organizing systems. Written clearly and succinctly by one of the world’s leading computer scientists, The Pattern on the Stone is an indispensable guide to understanding the workings of that most ubiquitous and important of machines: the computer.
The Pattern On The Stone: The Simple Ideas That Make Computers Work (SCIENCE MASTERS)
by Daniel HillisWill computers become thinking machines? A scientist at the cutting-edge of current research gives his provocative analysis.The world was shocked when a computer, Deep Blue defeated Gary Kasparov, arguably the greatest human chess player ever to have lived. This remarkable victory, and other, more day-to-day innovations, beg serious questions: what are the limits of what computers can do? Can they think? Do they learn?Discussions of these questions tend to get muddled because most people have only the vaguest idea of how computers actually work. This book explains the inner workings of computers in a way that does not require a profound knowledge of mathematics nor an understanding of electrical engineering. Starting with an account of how computers are built and why they work, W. Daniel Hillis describes what they can and cannot do - at the present time - before explaining how a computer can surpass its programmer and, finally, where humanity has reached in its quest for a true Thinking Machine.
The PayTech Book: The Payment Technology Handbook for Investors, Entrepreneurs, and FinTech Visionaries
by Susanne Chishti Markos Zachariadis Tony Craddock Robert CourtneidgeThe only globally-crowdsourced book on the future of payments (“PayTech”), offering comprehensive understanding of a rapidly evolving industry at the centre of global commerce The movement of money between individuals, organisations and governments is crucial to the world economy. The payments industry has undergone immense transformation – new regulations, technologies and consumer demands have prompted significant changes to the tools, products and use cases in payments, as well as presented lucrative opportunities for entrepreneurs and FinTech professionals. As payment technologies become faster and more efficient, companies and investors are increasingly favouring PayTech innovation due to better customer experience, increased revenues and manageable risks. The PAYTECH Book brings together a diverse collection of industry experts to provide entrepreneurs, financial services professionals and investors with the answers they need to capitalise on the highly profitable PayTech market. Written by leaders in the global FinTech and payment sectors, this informative volume explains key industry developments and presents valuable first-hand insights from prominent industry practitioners. Contributors include advisors and consultants to the payments and financial services industry, entrepreneurs and business owners utilising cutting-edge PayTech capabilities, academic researchers exploring the social-political-economic impact of PayTech and many others. Detailed chapters cover essential topics such as cybersecurity, regulation and compliance, wholesale payments and how payment systems currently work and how PayTech can improve them. This book: Defines PayTech and identifies its key players Discusses how PayTech can transform developed markets and accelerate growth in emerging economies Describes how PayTech fits into the larger FinTech ecosystem Explores the future of PayTech and its potential as an agent of social change and financial inclusion Provides diverse perspectives on investment in PayTech and what consolidation and expansion will look like The PAYTECH Book: The Payment Technology Handbook for Investors, Entrepreneurs and FinTech Visionaries is an indispensable source of information for FinTech investors and entrepreneurs, managers from payments companies and financial services firms and executives responsible for payments in government, corporations, public sector organisations, retailers and users of payments.
The Peep Diaries
by Hal Niedzviecki"Take a peek at The Peep Diaries, an erudite (but not too erudite) look at the culture that Facebook, Twitter, et al. have spawned."--Real Simple "It's a great read; it mixes frank interviews with people pushing the boundaries of voyeurism and exhibitionism, alongside a bracing critique of the social context that got us into peep culture and the forces that now exploit our participation in it."--The Globe and Mail We have entered the age of "peep culture": a tell-all, show-all, know-all digital phenomenon that is dramatically altering notions of privacy, individuality, security, and even humanity. Peep culture is reality TV, YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, over-the-counter spy gear, blogs, chat rooms, amateur porn, surveillance technology, Dr. Phil, Borat, cell phone photos of your drunk friend making out with her ex-boyfriend, and more. In the age of peep, core values and rights we once took for granted are rapidly being renegotiated, often without our even noticing. With hilarious, exasperated acuity, social critic Hal Niedzviecki dives into peep, starting his own video blog, joining every social network that will have him, monitoring the movements of his toddler, selling his secrets on Craigslist, hiring a private detective to investigate him, spying on his neighbors, trying out for reality TV shows, and stripping for the pleasure of a web audience he isn't even sure exists. Part travelogue, part diary, part meditation and social history, The Peep Diaries explores a rapidly emerging digital phenomenon that is radically changing not just the entertainment landscape, but also the firmaments of our culture and society. The Peep Diaries introduces the arrival of the age of peep culture and explores its implications for entertainment, society, sex, politics, and everyday life. Mixing first-rate reporting with sociological observations culled from the latest research, this book captures the shift from pop to peep and the way technology is turning gossip into documentary and Peeping Toms into entertainment journalists. Packed with stranger-than-fiction true-life characters and scenarios, The Peep Diaries reflects the aspirations and confusions of the growing number of people willing to trade the details of their private lives for catharsis, attention, and notoriety. Hal Niedzviecki is the editor of Broken Pencil magazine and has published numerous works of social commentary and fiction, including Hello I'm Special: How Individuality Became the New Conformity.
The Pentester BluePrint: Starting a Career as an Ethical Hacker
by Phillip L. Wylie Kim CrawleyJUMPSTART YOUR NEW AND EXCITING CAREER AS A PENETRATION TESTER The Pentester BluePrint: Your Guide to Being a Pentester offers readers a chance to delve deeply into the world of the ethical, or "white-hat" hacker. Accomplished pentester and author Phillip L. Wylie and cybersecurity researcher Kim Crawley walk you through the basic and advanced topics necessary to understand how to make a career out of finding vulnerabilities in systems, networks, and applications. You'll learn about the role of a penetration tester, what a pentest involves, and the prerequisite knowledge you'll need to start the educational journey of becoming a pentester. Discover how to develop a plan by assessing your current skillset and finding a starting place to begin growing your knowledge and skills. Finally, find out how to become employed as a pentester by using social media, networking strategies, and community involvement. Perfect for IT workers and entry-level information security professionals, The Pentester BluePrint also belongs on the bookshelves of anyone seeking to transition to the exciting and in-demand field of penetration testing. Written in a highly approachable and accessible style, The Pentester BluePrint avoids unnecessarily technical lingo in favor of concrete advice and practical strategies to help you get your start in pentesting. This book will teach you: The foundations of pentesting, including basic IT skills like operating systems, networking, and security systems The development of hacking skills and a hacker mindset Where to find educational options, including college and university classes, security training providers, volunteer work, and self-study Which certifications and degrees are most useful for gaining employment as a pentester How to get experience in the pentesting field, including labs, CTFs, and bug bounties
The People Vs Tech: How the Internet Is Killing Democracy (and How We Save It)
by Jamie BartlettIn the ongoing waves of the Facebook scandal, this is the book that explains all the dangers of the digital revolution, and how our mountains of personal cyberdata are being mined by everyone from our own governments and political parties to big business to exploit our trust and threaten our freedom.The internet was meant to set us free. But have we unwittingly handed too much away to shadowy powers behind a wall of code, all manipulated by a handful of Silicon Valley utopians, ad men, and venture capitalists? And, in light of recent data breach scandals around companies like Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, what does that mean for democracy, our delicately balanced system of government that was created long before big data, total information, and artificial intelligence? In this urgent polemic, Jamie Bartlett argues that through our unquestioning embrace of big tech, the building blocks of democracy are slowly being removed. The middle class is being eroded, sovereign authority and civil society is weakened, and we citizens are losing our critical faculties, maybe even our free will.The People Vs Tech is an enthralling account of how our fragile political system is being threatened by the digital revolution. Bartlett explains that by upholding six key pillars of democracy, we can save it before it is too late. We need to become active citizens, uphold a shared democratic culture, protect free elections, promote equality, safeguard competitive and civic freedoms, and trust in a sovereign authority. This essential book shows that the stakes couldn't be higher and that, unless we radically alter our course, democracy will join feudalism, supreme monarchies and communism as just another political experiment that quietly disappeared.
The People's Platform
by Astra TaylorFrom a cutting-edge cultural commentator and documentary filmmaker, a bold and brilliant challenge to cherished notions of the Internet as the great democratizing force of our age. The Internet has been hailed as a place where all can be heard and everyone can participate equally. But how true is this claim? In a seminal dismantling of techno-utopian visions, The People's Platform argues that for all that we "tweet" and "like" and "share," the Internet in fact reflects and amplifies real-world inequities at least as much as it ameliorates them. Online, just as off-line, attention and influence largely accrue to those who already have plenty of both. What we have seen in the virtual world so far, Astra Taylor says, has been not a revolution but a rearrangement. Although Silicon Valley tycoons have eclipsed Hollywood moguls, a handful of giants like Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook still dominate our lives. And the worst habits of the old media model--the pressure to be quick and sensational, to seek easy celebrity, to appeal to the broadest possible public--have proliferated online, where every click can be measured and where "aggregating" the work of others is the surest way to attract eyeballs and ad revenue. In a world where culture is "free," creative work has diminishing value, and advertising fuels the system, the new order looks suspiciously just like the old one. We can do better, Taylor insists. The online world does offer an unprecedented opportunity, but a democratic culture that supports diverse voices, work of lasting value, and equitable business practices will not appear as a consequence of technology alone. If we want the Internet to truly be a people's platform, we will have to make it so.
The People's Platform: Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age
by Astra Taylor“An invaluable primer for anyone seeking to understand why our networked world isn’t all that it is cracked up to be.” —The GuardianThe Internet has been hailed as an unprecedented democratizing force, a place where everyone can be heard and all can participate equally. But how true is this claim? In a seminal dismantling of techno-utopian visions, The People’s Platform argues that for all that we “tweet” and “like” and “share,” the Internet in fact reflects and amplifies real-world inequities at least as much as it ameliorates them. Online, just as off-line, attention and influence largely accrue to those who already have plenty of both.What we have seen so far, Astra Taylor says, has been not a revolution but a rearrangement. Although Silicon Valley tycoons have eclipsed Hollywood moguls, a handful of giants like Amazon, Apple, Google, and Facebook remain the gatekeepers. And the worst habits of the old media model—the pressure to seek easy celebrity, to be quick and sensational above all—have proliferated on the web, where “aggregating” the work of others is the surest way to attract eyeballs and ad revenue. When culture is “free,” creative work has diminishing value and advertising fuels the system. The new order looks suspiciously like the old one.We can do better, Taylor insists. The online world does offer a unique opportunity, but a democratic culture that supports diverse voices and work of lasting value will not spring up from technology alone. If we want the Internet to truly be a people’s platform, we will have to make it so.“Beautifully written and highly recommended.” —David Byrne, musician and author
The People’s Web Meets NLP
by Iryna Gurevych Jungi Kim Nicoletta CalzolariCollaboratively Constructed Language Resources (CCLRs) such as Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Linked Open Data, and various resources developed using crowdsourcing techniques such as Games with a Purpose and Mechanical Turk have substantially contributed to the research in natural language processing (NLP). Various NLP tasks utilize such resources to substitute for or supplement conventional lexical semantic resources and linguistically annotated corpora. These resources also provide an extensive body of texts from which valuable knowledge is mined. There are an increasing number of community efforts to link and maintain multiple linguistic resources. This book aims offers comprehensive coverage of CCLR-related topics, including their construction, utilization in NLP tasks, and interlinkage and management. Various Bachelor/Master/Ph.D. programs in natural language processing, computational linguistics, and knowledge discovery can use this book both as the main text and as a supplementary reading. The book also provides a valuable reference guide for researchers and professionals for the above topics.
The People’s Web Meets NLP: Collaboratively Constructed Language Resources (Theory and Applications of Natural Language Processing)
by Iryna Gurevych Jungi KimCollaboratively Constructed Language Resources (CCLRs) such as Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Linked Open Data, and various resources developed using crowdsourcing techniques such as Games with a Purpose and Mechanical Turk have substantially contributed to the research in natural language processing (NLP). Various NLP tasks utilize such resources to substitute for or supplement conventional lexical semantic resources and linguistically annotated corpora. These resources also provide an extensive body of texts from which valuable knowledge is mined. There are an increasing number of community efforts to link and maintain multiple linguistic resources. This book aims offers comprehensive coverage of CCLR-related topics, including their construction, utilization in NLP tasks, and interlinkage and management. Various Bachelor/Master/Ph.D. programs in natural language processing, computational linguistics, and knowledge discovery can use this book both as the main text and as a supplementary reading. The book also provides a valuable reference guide for researchers and professionals for the above topics.
The Perfect Bet: How Science and Math Are Taking the Luck Out of Gambling
by Adam KucharskiThere is one thing about gambling that everyone knows: the house always wins. Lotteries are set up to guarantee profits, to the state. A craps game is a sure thing, but only if you own the table. Sometimes, however, everyone is wrong. After all, the reason that casinos ban card counters is that counting cards works. Indeed, for the past 500 years, gamblers-led by mathematicians and scientists-have been trying to figure out how to turn the tables on the house and pull the rug out from under Lady Luck. In The Perfect Bet, mathematician and award-winning writer Adam Kucharski tells the astonishing story of how the experts have done it, revolutionizing mathematics and science in the process. From Galileo to Alan Turing, betting has been scientists' playground for ideas: dice games in sixteenth-century bars gave birth to the theory of probability, and poker to game theory (mathematician John von Neumann wanted to improve his game) and to much of artificial intelligence. Kucharski gives us a collection of rogues, geniuses, and mavericks who are equally at home in a casino in Monte Carlo as investigating how to build an atomic bomb for the Manhattan Project. They include the mathematician who flipped a coin 25,000 times to see if it was fair; the college kids who gamed the Massachusetts lottery to yield millions of dollars in profit; and the horse-betting syndicates of Hong Kong's Happy Valley, who turned a wager on ponies into a multi-billion-dollar industry. With mathematical rigor and narrative flair, Adam Kucharski reveals the tangled history of betting and science. The house can seem unbeatable. In this book, Kucharski shows us just why it isn't. Even better, he shows us how the search for the perfect bet has been crucial for the scientific pursuit of a better world
The Perfect Photo
by Elin Rantakrans Tobias Hagberg"Perfect" is a purely subjective term when it comes to art. A journey toward the perfect photo is a journey without a defined destination. There are photographs that are technically perfect and others that stand out because of their message or composition. Although the perfect photo remains a matter of taste, it is still something every photographer strives for. With this volume, Elin Rantakrans and Tobias Hagberg provide the beginning to intermediate photographer a wide range of practical tips that cover capture, composition, and editing--all with the aim of helping you achieve better photos. Each concept is illustrated with beautiful, inspiring images. Our promise: Use 7 of these 70 tips and you will be a 10% better photographer. Try it!
The Perfect Weapon: War, Sabotage, and Fear in the Cyber Age
by David E. SangerNOW AN HBO® DOCUMENTARY FROM AWARD-WINNING DIRECTOR JOHN MAGGIO • &“An important—and deeply sobering—new book about cyberwarfare&” (Nicholas Kristof, New York Times), now updated with a new chapter.The Perfect Weapon is the startling inside story of how the rise of cyberweapons transformed geopolitics like nothing since the invention of the atomic bomb. Cheap to acquire, easy to deny, and usable for a variety of malicious purposes, cyber is now the weapon of choice for democracies, dictators, and terrorists. Two presidents—Bush and Obama—drew first blood with Operation Olympic Games, which used malicious code to blow up Iran&’s nuclear centrifuges, and yet America proved remarkably unprepared when its own weapons were stolen from its arsenal and, during President Trump&’s first year, turned back on the United States and its allies. And if Obama would begin his presidency by helping to launch the new era of cyberwar, he would end it struggling unsuccessfully to defend the 2016 U.S. election from interference by Russia, with Vladimir Putin drawing on the same playbook he used to destabilize Ukraine. Moving from the White House Situation Room to the dens of Chinese government hackers to the boardrooms of Silicon Valley, New York Times national security correspondent David Sanger reveals a world coming face-to-face with the perils of technological revolution, where everyone is a target.&“Timely and bracing . . . With the deep knowledge and bright clarity that have long characterized his work, Sanger recounts the cunning and dangerous development of cyberspace into the global battlefield of the twenty-first century.&”—Washington Post
The Performative Presidency
by Jason L. MastThe Performative Presidency brings together literatures describing presidential leadership strategies, public understandings of citizenship, and news production and media technologies between the presidencies of Theodore Roosevelt and Bill Clinton, and details how the relations between these spheres have changed over time. Jason L. Mast demonstrates how interactions between leaders, publics, and media are organized in a theatrical way, and argues that mass mediated plot formation and character development play an increasing role in structuring the political arena. He shows politics as a process of ongoing performances staged by motivated political actors, mediated by critics, and interpreted by audiences, in the context of a deeply rooted, widely shared system of collective representations. The interdisciplinary framework of this book brings together a semiotic theory of culture with concepts from the burgeoning field of performance studies.