Mathy Types Want Free Textbooks: Professional Publishers Do Not
March 25, 2022
The United States is home to many of the best universities in the world. Unfortunately higher education has become incredibly expensive. One of the biggest expenditures for students are textbooks. A single textbook can run hundreds of dollars and it could be for only one class! Many students, professors, universes, and organizations support open source and open access to textbooks.
Thew American Institute of Mathematics (AIM) supports free textbooks:
“The American Institute of Mathematics (AIM) seeks to encourage the adoption of open source and open access mathematics textbooks. The AIM Editorial Board has developed evaluation criteria to identify the books that are suitable for use in traditional university courses. The Editorial Board maintains a list of Approved Textbooks which have been judged to meet these criteria.
Approved Textbooks The list is organized by courses ranging from pre-calculus to upper division analysis and algebra. Each book has a brief description of its important features and information about how to get it.
Evaluation Criteria There are a number of features that the Editorial Board considers in evaluating textbooks.
Guide for Authors Here is some advice on questions facing open textbook authors.
Editorial Board The AIM Editorial Board develops the criteria for acceptance and reviews open textbooks.
Open access curriculum material for inquiry based learning courses can be found at
The Journal for Inquiry Based Learning in Mathematics.”
Authors and publishers of textbooks should be published for their work, but students do not need to pay hundreds of dollars for a single book they may not use. Professional publishers are likely to interpret the free textbook idea as evidence of lunacy which is difficult to convert to a function that yields revenue.
Whitney Grace, March 25, 2022
Uber Plays Algorithm Roulette With Driver Pay
March 25, 2022
A fuel surcharge which is in the $0.50 range may not keep Uber drivers in the chips. Uber remains a major player in the gig economy. Some of their drivers love the flexibility, while others are fed up with how the company treats them. Uber is a revolutionary company that flipped the transportation industry on its head. The drive share company is about to do it again, reports the Markup in, “Secretive Algorithm Will Determine Uber Pay In Many Cities.”
Uber released a new feature called “Upfront Fares” that allows user to pay an upfront fee for rides. It replaces fees that are based on trips’ time and distance. An algorithm relies on several factors to determine the upfront fare. Uber explains it offers drivers more transparency, because it allows them to see the fare, drop-off, and pick-up locations. Drivers have asked for the this information, especially since locations are not revealed until they accept a job.
Since the change, drivers say they have seen lower earnings. Before the new feature, drivers could calculate fares. It appears that Uber is shaving more off the top from drivers. Other gig economy companies like Instacart, DoorDash, and Shipt instituted pay algorithms and their pay has steadily declined. Gig economy companies could purposely be doing this to confuse workers and take more money:
“The more opaque the fare calculations, the more drivers, regulators, and the public have a hard time holding the gig companies accountable to fair and transparent pay standards, said Amos Toh, a senior researcher for Human Rights Watch who studies the effects of artificial intelligence and algorithms on gig work.”
The gig economy is beneficial to many, but it has a downside. Workers can easily be exploited and based on their contracts they have little recourse. No matter the company, workers should be paid a decent wage with transparency on how it is determined.
Whitney Grace, March 25, 2022
Quick Question: Fabricated or Synthetic Data?
March 24, 2022
I read “Evidence of Fabricated Data in a Vitamin C trial by Paul E Marik et al in CHEST.” Non-reproducibility appears to be a function of modern statistical methods. Okay. The angle in this article is:
… within about 5 minutes of reading the study it became overwhelmingly clear that it is indeed research fraud and the data is (sic) fabricated.
Synthetic data are fabricated. Some big outfits are into using machine generated data sort of related to real life data to save money.
Here’s my question:
What’s the difference between fabricated data and synthetic data?
I am leaning to “not much.” One might argues that the motives in a research paper is tenure. In other applications, maybe the goal is just efficiency and its close friend money. My larger concern is that embedding fabricated and / or synthetic data into applications may lead to some unexpected consequences. Hey, how about that targeting of a kinetic? Screwy ad targeting is one thing, but less benign situations can be easily conceptualized; for example, “We’re sorry. That smart car self driving module did not detect your mom in the crosswalk.”
Stephen E Arnold, March 24, 2022
Google: Managing with Flair
March 24, 2022
I had forgotten there was a Google employee survey. I read “Googlegeist Survey Reveals That Google Workers Are Increasingly Unhappy about Compensation, Promotion, and More.” Unhappy employees suggest that the Google zeitgeist is out of joint if the information in the write up is accurate.
I noted this passage:
In the latest Googlegeist or the annual Google survey, the company noticed that there was a growing trend of “increasingly unhappy” workers over compensation and other key issues.
How could those admitted to the Walt Disney Wonderland of technology and doing good be unhappy? How could the senior managers craft an artificial environment at odds with the needs of humanoids?
Is there a silver lining to the clouds hanging over the Google? Yes. I learned:
The survey which took place two months ago, yielded the most desirable results when it comes to advertisements, cloud, and searches. Moreover, the highest score came from the values and mission of the company. However, it should be noted that the lowest remark tackled the context of execution and compensation on the part of the labor force.
And how did the management of the firm respond? According to the write up:
Addressing the survey results is considered to be “one of the most important ways” for evaluation, as CEO Sundar Pichai said during an announcement via email. This would help the company assess the willingness and desirability of the workers to work inside the firm.
There you go. Management insight. Be happy or begone.
Stephen E Arnold, March 24, 2022
Google: Cheeseburgers, Fried Rice, and Gluten Free Pizza Cravings?
March 24, 2022
I have no idea if the write up in Ars Technica is accurate. The story is called “Google Hijacked Millions of Customers and Orders from Restaurants, Lawsuit Says.” The article does not use the word “predatory” or any other metaphorically rich language. The focus is that something called Left Field Holdings which operates Mexican restaurants has alleged that the Google is in the bait-and-switch game.
The idea is that Google allows an order online function. A restaurant creates a Google business profile and has the option to allow ordering from the Google page. But what if the restaurant doesn’t sign up. The lawsuit, based on the information in the article, activates the function.
Here’s the passage I find fascinating:
It’s not clear when The Ordering App or the “Order Online” button changed tack or if it ever did—there’s very little information about the acquisition or the product that’s public—but the lawsuit alleges that at some point Google decided to market it to food delivery companies instead of restaurants.
Gee, I wonder if a developer implemented a feature in order to get a bonus or qualify for a position upgrade?
Here’s another interesting passage in the write up:
f restaurants haven’t completed the setup, Google appears to create a page anyway. It’s unclear how that happens, though it’s possible that a restaurant’s appearance in a delivery app is what triggers it. That isn’t always a sign of a business relationship between the restaurant and food delivery company, though. Many food delivery companies have been sued for adding restaurants without their consent.
Like Google’s new buy a car or other click here and Mother Google will make your life easier functions, is it possible that years of zero regulatory oversight and a “hey, we’re Google and we can do anything, even solve death” mentality is at work.
We love the Google and know that none of its management team, with skills honed in high school science clubs, would play fast and loose, get commissions, and abuse outfits which don’t spend big bucks for Google advertising.
Our ethically minded Google could not behave in this manner. We are believers in the one true way for online behavior. Aren’t you? Obviously the owners of the Mexican restaurants are unlikely to be deemed Googley.
And if you are not Googley, exactly what are you? Do you even exist?
Stephen E Arnold, March 24, 2022
TikTok: Shaped for Propaganda?
March 24, 2022
TikTok has some unique characteristics. Mostly they enable lighthearted fun. Other times they can lead to the spread of dangerous falsehoods. Fast Company warns, “On Ukrainian War TikTok, Even Experts Struggle to Distinguish Truth from Hoaxes.” But surely smart software can do the work, right? If only. The article cites a new report from Harvard’s Shorenstein Center that details the reasons TikTok makes such a good a misinformation superspreader.
The researchers began documenting Ukraine-related TikToks the day Russia invaded (February 24) and, by March 9, clocked more than 26.8 billion views of content tagged #ukraine. That might be a good thing if all the posts could be trusted. But built-in tools encourage users to manipulate their videos, including the addition of repurposed audio. Not only that, but it is very difficult to track the original source of either video or audio and posters are practically anonymous. And though TikTok has cut off users based in Russia, pro-Russian groups from outside the country are still active on the platform. One can even find propaganda direct from the accounts of state-controlled media like RT. Reporter Mark Sullivan points out what makes this problem so dangerous:
“The reason this is all so worrisome is not that misleading TikToks often get wide exposure. But because both misinformation (in which users unwittingly publish falsehoods) and disinformation (in which operatives post falsehoods to manipulate public opinion) make it hard for the public to differentiate between true and legitimate and false and misleading narratives about an event, such as an invasion. As the weeks go by, people grow tired of trying to dismiss the lies and find the truth. Exhausted and confused, they become politically neutralized. Propagandists don’t have to prove a point or win over majorities, they simply have to spread a critical mass of doubt. As the researchers put it: ‘[T]hese videos continue to go viral on TikTok, raking in millions of views. This results in a ‘muddying of the waters,’ meaning it creates a digital atmosphere in which it is difficult—even for seasoned journalists and researchers—to discern truth from rumor, parody, and fabrication.'”
The piece notes Facebook is also facing a Ukraine-related kerfuffle. It seems the Zuck thought it wise to allow users in Ukraine to post death threats against Russian soldiers. While we understand the impulse, it does not seem like a good business decision. Unsurprisingly, Russia has labeled Facebook’s now-parent company Meta an “extremist organization” in response. Certainly the propagandists on TikTok and elsewhere must be enjoying that little morsel.
Cynthia Murrell, March 24, 2022
Google and Microsoft: Are Your Wizards Really Innovating Again?
March 23, 2022
I scanned my headlines this morning and noted two different companies which have revealed their latest innovations. These are big outfits, and one expects each company to come up with big plays. Little plays won’t move the revenue needle, and money is important to these estimable enterprises.
What’s Google’s most recent innovation? I think it is ad supported video streaming of 4,000 old TV shows and about 1,500 old movies. “YouTube Makes Thousands of TV Show Episodes Available to Stream for Free” reports:
For the first time, YouTube is letting users in the US stream thousands of free, ad-supported TV shows like Hell’s Kitchen, Heartland and Unsolved Mysteries, it announced. That will put it into competition with OTA (over-the-air) TV and streaming services with ad tiers including Peacock, the Roku Channel, Tubi and others.
To me, Google’s “play” is a me too, not a “first time.”
What’s Microsoft’s most recent Eureka! moment? “Microsoft Looks Poised to Dominate the Quantum Computing Industry” states:
Microsoft Azure recently announced that its quantum computing research teams had invented “a new kind of qubit” based on elusive, never-before-demonstrated properties of physics. According to the Redmond company, this will allow it to build scalable quantum computers capable of solving the hardest problems facing humanity.
Hopefully Microsoft’s quantum efforts have not pulled resources from the company’s security initiatives.
For me, the Google announcement is another step in a long, somewhat confused video journey. The channeling of Peacock and Roku is interesting. Instead of confronting TikTok, Google wants to take on incumbents recycling old content. YouTube’s new content initiatives did not achieve orbital velocity in my opinion. There’s content on YouTube, but it is non directed. TikTok takes a different approach. Old TV shows are not a response to a competitive challenge.
The Microsoft quantum play is another attempt to demonstrate that Microsoft has something really big up its sleeve. Years ago, Microsoft was into search and contact lenses that worked like Google Glass. Now the future is quantum computing, and it is like general artificial intelligence going to be the next big thing after Teams I suppose.
Stepping back, these two “innovations” illustrate the me-too approach to generating excitement, appeasing stakeholders, and capturing mindshare. Am I quivering with excitement yet? Nope. Marketing and PR are bummers for me.
Stephen E Arnold, March 23, 2022
Nudge, Nudge: Internet of Things Leads to the Internet of Behavior
March 23, 2022
By now most of us are aware that our search and social-media histories are used to fine-tune the targeted marketing that comes our way. But did you know the Internet of Things also contributes marketing intel? ReadWrite examines “The Developing Internet of Behavior Technology and its Applications.” Yes, the IoT has led to the IoB because of course it did. Writer Dronacharya Dave reports:
“A device such as a smartphone can easily track and note a user’s movements and obtain their real-time geographical positions. With the help of advanced technologies, companies can connect smartphones to devices like cameras, laptops, and voice assistants. Today, smartphones can even record the text and voice of the users. In addition, brands can get information about the users with the help of IoB, such as likes, dislikes, and interests. … Internet of Things (IoT) and Internet of Behavior (IoB) together can provide a lot of important information to the companies for making better decisions related to their marketing and branding efforts.”
One might be surprised by the data that can be garnered from connected gadgets. Naturally there is personal data, like name, gender, IP address, and browser cookies. Engagement data answers whether a user favors communication through texting, email, mobile apps, or social media. Behavioral data includes purchase history, product usage information, and qualitative data like mouse movements. Finally, attitudinal data reports factors like consumer satisfaction, product desirability, and purchase criteria. This seems like a lot of information to surrender for the ability to count steps or preheat one’s oven on the ride home. The write-up tells us how companies get their hands on this data:
“The data and information from the consumers are collected from different websites, sensors, telematics, beacons, social media platforms, health monitors (like Fitbit), and others. Each of these collects additional data from consumers while indulging in doing online activities. Everything is captured by the IoB technology, from the time spent online to all that a user searches for. For example, with the application of IoB, websites can capture the information on the amount of time spent by the customers while searching the website. This data can be highly profitable for the marketing and advertising activities if analyzed accurately.”
The post examines ways marketing departments can make the most of this data and supplies a couple of examples. It also gives an obligatory nod to the risk involved—that bad actors could get their hands on this trove of user data if companies’ security measures are at all lacking. But surely every company is on top of cybersecurity best practices, right?
Cynthia Murrell, March 23, 2022
Google Management: Fame and the F1 Crowd
March 23, 2022
With a grip on online advertising, what better way to cement exciting weekends than hanging with the in crowd at chi chi F1 venues. Will the happy Google colors find their way on the next McLaren road rocket? Are those McLaren confections climate friendly?
What does the Google team contribute to McLaren? “McLaren Racing Announces Multi-Year Partnership with Google” says:
McLaren will use 5G-enabled Android devices and Chrome browser across its operations during practice sessions, qualifying and races to support the drivers and team, with the goal of improving on-track performance.
According to the write up, a McLaren wheel will feature a Google logo. Perfect for the Google store or the ultimate booth give-away.
But those parties? The gear heads? Will Google executives abandon their daily drivers for a McLaren?
Nope, this is a high school science club interest which has been observed at Northern Light and Autonomy years ago.
Stephen E Arnold, March 23, 2022
California: Knee Jerk Reflex Decades After the Knee Cap Whack
March 23, 2022
Talk about reflexes. I read “California Bill Would Let Parents Sue Social Media Companies for Addicting Kids.” [You will have to pay to read the original and wordy write up.] The main idea is that an attentive parent with an ambulance chaser or oodles of cash can sue outfits like the estimable Meta Zuck thing, the China-linked TikTok, or the “we do good” YouTube and other social media entities. (No, I don’t want to get into definitions. I will leave that to the legal eagles.) The write up states:
Assembly Bill 2408, or the Social Media Platform Duty to Children Act, was introduced by Republican Jordan Cunningham of Paso Robles and Democrat Buffy Wicks of Oakland with support from the University of San Diego School of Law Children’s Advocacy Institute. It’s the latest in a string of legislative and political efforts to crack down on social media platforms’ exploitation of their youngest users.
I like the idea that commercial enterprises should not addict child users. I want to point out that the phrasing is ambiguous. I assume the real news outfit means content consumers under a certain age, not the less positive meaning of the phrase.
I think the legislation is a baby step in a helpful direction. But it has taken decades for the toddler to figure out how to find the digital choo choo train. The reflex reaction seems to lag as well. Whack. And years later a foot moves forward.
Stephen E Arnold, March 23, 2022
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