Topic 11 Questions

Topic 11 Web 2.0

Exercise - select five applications that you have not heard of before from Popular URL's Web 2.0 awards or the webware awards and describe on your blog page how they could be useful to a business.

1.    Yelp.com: Yelp is an online reviews service for local eateries and attractions. Users can leave reviews for any business they've been to, including photos and personal anecdotes. Yelp then gives the establishment a 1-5 star rating based on the total number of user ratings, which makes it easy to find out whether or not a restaurant is worth going to

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13546_109-10237738-29.html#ixzz1NW7HZUWF

2.    YouSendIt.com: YouSendIt is a file-sharing service. It allows receivers to get files by clicking standard URL links. Since YouSendIt stores files on its own servers, you have to upload what you want to share, but then you don't have to leave your PC on to allow people to pick it up. The hosted transfer model isn't as flexible as peer-to-peer sharing, but it is easier to use for both senders and receivers.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13546_109-10237779-29.html#ixzz1NW7YRM6V

3.    OpenTable.com: OpenTable is an online reservation service. It lets people find reservations at local restaurants and book them from their computer or mobile phone; all the while, not having to use the traditional system of calling or visiting the restaurants in person.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13546_109-10237740-29.html#ixzz1NW7l0Wob

4.    EventBrite.com: Eventbrite is an events management service. If you're having an event and want to manage the entire thing online, Eventbrite lets you set up a customized destination page where attendees can register and buy tickets. It can also take the event you created and send it out to other events services in order to promote it.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13546_109-10237666-29.html#ixzz1NW7yfDBm

5.    Etsy.com: Etsy is an online marketplace for buying and selling handmade goods. Users can create their own virtual shopfronts to sell almost anything they'd want. Etsy has an integrated search tool that lets anyone search the site for goods and services out of a centralized directory. Users can also get into the nitty-gritty and design the specific look and feel of their own shops.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13546_109-10237640-29.html#ixzz1NW88iFgB

Topic 10 Questions

Topic 10: Trust

1.    What is meant by the following statements?

i.              Trust is not associative

Trust is not symmetric when buying or selling products on the internet, this is because a seller will only has to wait for a buy to place the money in there account before sending out the goods and because of this there is no trust in the relationship, the seller could not send the product.

ii.             Trust is not transitive

This means that you can refer customers to people whom you trust but it does not necessarily mean that they themselves will trust that person.

iii.            Trust is always between exactly two parties

This makes a point of trust being between 2 parties as a whole rather than trust being between individuals. This allows an individual party to trust a collection of individuals in a party.
                                                           

iv.           Trust will involve either direct trust or recommended trust

This means

2.    a) Have a look at the following websites. What are some of the elements that have been incorporated to increase your trust in the sites? If there are also some aspects which decrease your level of trust, describe them as well.

i.              http://www.eBay.com.au

You have to be registered before you can sell any goods. They also allow ratings for each seller so a potential customer can see all the reviews based on that seller.

ii.             http://www.anz.com.au

The bank provides a lot of precautious such as;

-          constant reminder to change passwords regularly

-          security and privacy statements

-          the use and disclosure of information

-          Record of IP addresses

(ANZ, 2010)

iii.            http://thinkgeek.com

Thinkgeek.com uses the following forms of security that users can implement and are more willing to trust them:

· 128-bit encryption to and from the servers and web browser.

· Credit card numbers are not stored in our database. We keep on file only the last 5 digits in cases where we need to verify the card that was used.

· Once the information is transmitted to our servers for processing, we use even stronger encryption in the back end to transmit the request to our payment processor to verify the credit card and place an authorization for the order total.

· If the authorization, address verification and risk assessment all clear, the order is accepted and a one-time unique ID is associated with the order for purposes of billing the previous authorization. This ID cannot be used to place further authorizations or bill more than the original auth. It contains no identifiable link to the credit card number.

· Once that ID has been used to bill the order (which happens only once the order begins shipping), it is no longer valid and cannot be used to authorize or bill again

iv.           http://paypal.com.au

b) Find a website yourself that you think looks untrustworthy

www.mcrosoft.com

Topic 8 Questions

Topic 8: Online Auctions Questions

1.       eBay is one of the only major internet “pure plays” to consistently make a profit from its inception. What is eBay’s business model? Why has it been so successful?

eBay’s business model is the brokerage model. It is so successful because it allows customers to purchase items that are no longer in stores or not in stores close to their region. They can also purchase items at a cheaper price than stores and customers tend to have a better experience as they have control of the situation – i.e. they provide feedback about the seller for future customers.

2.       Other major websites like Amazon.com and Yahoo! have entered the auction marketplace with far less success than eBay. How has eBay been able to maintain its dominating position?

eBay has been able to maintain this success by the way it is operated.  eBay has a larger range of stock compared to Amazon.com and for the most part tends to be cheaper than retail stores. eBay also allows customers to bid for an item, the highest bidder winning the auction and this effectively taps into people’s competitive nature.

3.       What method does eBay use to reduce the potential for fraud among traders on its site? What kinds of fraud, if any, are eBay’s users most susceptible?

eBay produces security information on their website for customers to be aware of security risks when purchasing items online.  They also provide feedback and complaint areas where customers can complain if they feel they have been cheated in any way. Some examples from their website include; only using safe payment methods such as PayPal, to never trade outside the eBay site as items purchased outside the site are not eligible for buyer protection, to never use western union, MoneyGram or other instant wire transfer services and if an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. eBay’s users are most susceptible to identity thief, seller’s fraud, buyer’s fraud and fraudulent emails.

4.       eBay makes every effort to conceptualize its users as a community (as opposed to, say “customers” or “clients”). What is the purpose of this conceptual twist and how does eBay gain something by doing it?

eBay does this to make everyone feel equal and not be put pressure on them. eBay wants customers to return to their website so they interact as a ‘community’ to let people have a good experience and feel welcomed.

5.       eBay has long been a marketplace for used goods and collectables. Today, it is an increasingly a place where major businesses come to auction their wares. Why would a brand name vendor set-up shop on eBay?

Brand name vendors may choose to set up an online presence as well as a real world presence. This may be part of a marketing strategy where it allows customers to be aware of multiple locations where the brand is located, compared to just one store in one region. This allows customers to have access to the brand 24/7 from whatever location they may be from. This may also let customers bid on the brand, in the hopes of purchasing the brands at a cheaper price than what they would have compared to retailed prices.

6.       I have a few businesses, and I have used eBay for about 12 years on and off. Currently I have about 600 books listed. I stopped selling on eBay for a few years but they changed the rules this July and it is viable again (for me). What do you think changed?

This was caused by changes from the introduction of a new policy in July 2010. eBay overhauled the ‘Accepted Payments Policy”. This meant that it gave the option to offer a number of trusted payment options, allowing customers to recognise safer and protected methods of payments. This also allows a certain amount of insurance and intervention on behalf of eBay if they were to be a corrupt transaction.