In a previous publication, Traffic Gridlock: The Real Deal or a Pile of Nonsense?, I reported on a study which applied several research procedures to examine media stories and Google search items containing the terms “traffic gridlock” or “gridlock” implying traffic gridlock. The objective was to ascertain whether the media stories and Google items establish that traffic gridlock is a real deal matter, or whether the stories and items contribute to a pile of nonsense. The finding was that 99% of the stories and items belong in the nonsense pile.
And therein lies a puzzle: How is it that “traffic gridlock” enjoys considerable media and Google popularity, but little to no evidence demonstrating the occurrence of “traffic gridlock” accompanies the vast majority of stories and Google entries? In this report I explore one possible explanation, and the associated implication for public policy. That is, traffic gridlock” is a bad, mis-leading metaphor which has been accepted and promulgated by some parties as a truth for which no proof exists and none is needed. And, the associated cause-effect relationship that I comment on is that a bad, mis-leading metaphor is a bad, mis-directed basis for setting public policy.
To support this explanation I introduce the good metaphor “traffic blockage”, and use it as a means to discredit and dismiss the traffic gridlock metaphor which I believe erroneously distorts understanding the role of motor vehicle congestion in urban places, and obscures/confounds the appropriate ways and means of considering and addressing urban motor vehicle congestion. And, as per the initial paper, an invitation is extended to anyone who has traffic gridlock evidence: please call it to my attention at the earliest so that I can adjust my thinking and revise my papers.
Workload-bound Ranking of Alerts for Emergency Operation Centers - Web Intell...Hemant Purohit
This research presents a novel problem and a model to quantify the relationship between the performance metrics of automated ranking systems (e.g., recall, NDCG) and the bounds on the human performance (e.g., cognitive workload) in emergency services. We synthesize an alert-based ranking system that enforces these bounds to avoid overwhelming end-users for achieving the Human-AI collaboration.
Citation:
Purohit, H., Castillo, C., Imran, M., & Pandey, R. (2018). Ranking of Social Media Alerts with Workload Bounds in Emergency Operation Centers. IEEE/WIC/ACM Web-Intelligence. ArXiv preprint: https://arxiv.org/abs/1809.08489
User Classification of Organization and Organization Affiliated Users during ...Hemant Purohit
This document discusses classifying user types on social media to inform crisis response coordination. It proposes classifying users into three types: organizations, organization-affiliated individuals, and non-affiliated individuals. It describes collecting Twitter data from two 2016 disasters and manually annotating over 1500 users. Automated classification experiments using basic user metadata achieved up to 75% accuracy. Analysis found organizations disseminate trusted content while organization-affiliated users more actively engage. Future work is needed to improve classification and analyze interactions between user types.
Kickoff presentation for the Development and Mapping Summit at the State Department on Oct. 27, 2010. Includes a number of slides from the vision presentation for Kanect.net, connecting open sources of data to help enable entrepreneurs working to impact local and global problems.
GIS AS A FACTOR IN STANDARD OF CARE DECISIONSBarry Wellar
Governments and businesses have duty of care and standard of care obligations. Failure to satisfy those obligations may result in complaints from citizens, clients, and shareholders, and actions involving civil or criminal litigation for negligence. This presentation outlines the materials presented during a session designed for Geographic Information System Professionals (GISPs) and other professionals responsible for: a) identifying and recommending the information contained in public and corporate documents; and b) obtaining and providing the information needed by governments and businesses to achieve duty of care and standard of care obligations contained in official documents, including charters, constitutions, by-laws, plans, ordinances, manuals, maps, surveys, and reports. The presentation was given in a special session at the 2010 GIS-PRO Conference, Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (urisa.org).
READING LIST: USING A RETROSPECTIVE APPROACH TO MINE THE LITERATURE FOR GIS A...Barry Wellar
Four bodies of pertinent readings are identified for the purposes of the Applied Research Seminar, Mining U.S. Federal Agency Materials for GIS Nuggets, 2016 Esri Federal User Conference, February 24-26, Washington, DC
First and foremost are the papers prepared for AutoCarto Six Retrospective (section A), which set out many of the concepts, ideas, needs, challenges and opportunities, as well as principles and practices that underlie the evolution of GIS technology and GIScience methodology.
The second body of publications is the papers and slide presentations prepared for the Colloquium on Using the Retrospective Approach to Mine for GIS Nuggets (section B1 and section B2, respectively), and the third body (section C) consists of the articles about GIS retrospective project activities published in the International Journal of Geospatial Research (IJAGR).
Finally, a preliminary list of publications (section D) from various academic, government, professional organization, and other sources has been compiled to supplement the AutoCarto Six Retrospective papers, and the colloquium productions. More references will be identified in the coming months, and the current reading list dated August 31, 2015 will be amended accordingly.
The intention is to suggest readings which could be instructive for a wide range of attendees. Our approach at this stage in view of resource constraints, as well as uncertainty about the backgrounds of seminar attendees, is to be indicative and illustrative rather than comprehensive and directive.
80+ HOCKEY HALL of FAME/TEMPLE de la RENOMMÉE du HOCKEY 80+ PRESENTED TO ROTA...Barry Wellar
80+ HOCKEY HALL of FAME/TEMPLE de la RENOMMÉE du HOCKEY 80+
PRESENTED TO ROTARY CLUB OF WEST OTTAWA, JUNE 16, 2015
BARRY WELLAR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
80+ HOCKEY HALL of FAME/TEMPLE de la RENOMMÉE du HOCKEY 80+
wellarb@uottawa.ca
The document discusses various topics related to astronomy including:
- Buzz Aldrin's nickname originating from his sister's inability to say "brother"
- How the area code 321 was given to Brevard County, FL home to Cape Canaveral
- Johannes Kepler's 442nd birthday
- The Firefox nebula and goldilocks zone concepts
- Halley's comet sparking fears in 1910
Workload-bound Ranking of Alerts for Emergency Operation Centers - Web Intell...Hemant Purohit
This research presents a novel problem and a model to quantify the relationship between the performance metrics of automated ranking systems (e.g., recall, NDCG) and the bounds on the human performance (e.g., cognitive workload) in emergency services. We synthesize an alert-based ranking system that enforces these bounds to avoid overwhelming end-users for achieving the Human-AI collaboration.
Citation:
Purohit, H., Castillo, C., Imran, M., & Pandey, R. (2018). Ranking of Social Media Alerts with Workload Bounds in Emergency Operation Centers. IEEE/WIC/ACM Web-Intelligence. ArXiv preprint: https://arxiv.org/abs/1809.08489
User Classification of Organization and Organization Affiliated Users during ...Hemant Purohit
This document discusses classifying user types on social media to inform crisis response coordination. It proposes classifying users into three types: organizations, organization-affiliated individuals, and non-affiliated individuals. It describes collecting Twitter data from two 2016 disasters and manually annotating over 1500 users. Automated classification experiments using basic user metadata achieved up to 75% accuracy. Analysis found organizations disseminate trusted content while organization-affiliated users more actively engage. Future work is needed to improve classification and analyze interactions between user types.
Kickoff presentation for the Development and Mapping Summit at the State Department on Oct. 27, 2010. Includes a number of slides from the vision presentation for Kanect.net, connecting open sources of data to help enable entrepreneurs working to impact local and global problems.
GIS AS A FACTOR IN STANDARD OF CARE DECISIONSBarry Wellar
Governments and businesses have duty of care and standard of care obligations. Failure to satisfy those obligations may result in complaints from citizens, clients, and shareholders, and actions involving civil or criminal litigation for negligence. This presentation outlines the materials presented during a session designed for Geographic Information System Professionals (GISPs) and other professionals responsible for: a) identifying and recommending the information contained in public and corporate documents; and b) obtaining and providing the information needed by governments and businesses to achieve duty of care and standard of care obligations contained in official documents, including charters, constitutions, by-laws, plans, ordinances, manuals, maps, surveys, and reports. The presentation was given in a special session at the 2010 GIS-PRO Conference, Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (urisa.org).
READING LIST: USING A RETROSPECTIVE APPROACH TO MINE THE LITERATURE FOR GIS A...Barry Wellar
Four bodies of pertinent readings are identified for the purposes of the Applied Research Seminar, Mining U.S. Federal Agency Materials for GIS Nuggets, 2016 Esri Federal User Conference, February 24-26, Washington, DC
First and foremost are the papers prepared for AutoCarto Six Retrospective (section A), which set out many of the concepts, ideas, needs, challenges and opportunities, as well as principles and practices that underlie the evolution of GIS technology and GIScience methodology.
The second body of publications is the papers and slide presentations prepared for the Colloquium on Using the Retrospective Approach to Mine for GIS Nuggets (section B1 and section B2, respectively), and the third body (section C) consists of the articles about GIS retrospective project activities published in the International Journal of Geospatial Research (IJAGR).
Finally, a preliminary list of publications (section D) from various academic, government, professional organization, and other sources has been compiled to supplement the AutoCarto Six Retrospective papers, and the colloquium productions. More references will be identified in the coming months, and the current reading list dated August 31, 2015 will be amended accordingly.
The intention is to suggest readings which could be instructive for a wide range of attendees. Our approach at this stage in view of resource constraints, as well as uncertainty about the backgrounds of seminar attendees, is to be indicative and illustrative rather than comprehensive and directive.
80+ HOCKEY HALL of FAME/TEMPLE de la RENOMMÉE du HOCKEY 80+ PRESENTED TO ROTA...Barry Wellar
80+ HOCKEY HALL of FAME/TEMPLE de la RENOMMÉE du HOCKEY 80+
PRESENTED TO ROTARY CLUB OF WEST OTTAWA, JUNE 16, 2015
BARRY WELLAR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
80+ HOCKEY HALL of FAME/TEMPLE de la RENOMMÉE du HOCKEY 80+
wellarb@uottawa.ca
The document discusses various topics related to astronomy including:
- Buzz Aldrin's nickname originating from his sister's inability to say "brother"
- How the area code 321 was given to Brevard County, FL home to Cape Canaveral
- Johannes Kepler's 442nd birthday
- The Firefox nebula and goldilocks zone concepts
- Halley's comet sparking fears in 1910
Traffic Gridlock: The Real Deal or a Pile of Nonsense?Barry Wellar
This document discusses the term "traffic gridlock" and whether it represents a real problem or is overused. It provides examples of statements about gridlock from media sources and notes they lack methodological backing. The document aims to determine if concerns about gridlock are valid or just assertions by examining if they can pass "real deal tests" involving questions about evidence, impacts, and solutions. It seeks to inform a discussion on sustainability and transportation by addressing this concept that often comes up in debates.
What's behind the nonsense about traffic gridlockBarry Wellar
Based on available evidence, there has never been a significant traffic gridlock event in Canada. However, the term is commonly used in media and political discussions to argue for expanding roads and highways. The article examines possible motives for using this term, such as influencing outcomes to maintain primacy of private vehicles and benefit motor vehicle, road, and development industries. In reality, some congestion is natural in urban areas. The article advocates rejecting the "nonsense" of gridlock and focusing more on understanding both positive and negative aspects of real traffic congestion issues.
ASSIGNMENT 2AReview Question 6 the below question and select o.docxrock73
ASSIGNMENT 2A
Review Question 6 the below question and select one of the ill-structured problems taken from the journal Policy Analysis (now the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management Under the title “Department of Unintended Consequences”. Analyze the problem; then, provide an example on how classification analysis, hierarchy analysis, and synectics might be used to structure the problem you selected. Identify the problem you selected in your discussion with one of the following key phrases: (a) Egyptian agriculture, (b) ecologists and field mice, (c) San Francisco’s North Beach parking.
The ill-structured problems that follow are taken from illustrations published in the journal Policy Analysis (now the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management) under the title “Department of Unintended Consequences.”
For several thousand years, Egyptian agriculture depended on the fertilizing sediment deposited by the flood of the Nile. No longer, however. Due to expensive modern technology intended to improve the age-old lot of the peasant, Egypt’s fields must be artificially fertilized. John Gall, writing in the New York Times Magazine (December 26, 1976), reports that the Nile sediment is now deposited in the Aswan Dam’s Lake Nasser. Much of the dam’s electrical output is used to supply enormous amounts of electricity to new fertilizer plants made necessary by the construction of the dam.
University of Illinois ecologists can explain how certain harmful field mice spread from their native regions into areas where they had never before been found. They are using the new, limited-access, cross-country highways, which turn out to be easy escape routes with few barriers. Older highways and roads, as well as railroad rights-of-way, run into towns and villages every few miles and effectively deter mice migration. The Illinois group found that before interstate highways ran through central Illinois, one type of mouse was limited to a single county. But in six years of superhighways the four-inch-long creatures have spread sixty miles south through the center of the state. The ecologists are concerned lest the mice, a species that loves to chew on trees, become a threat in central and southern counties where apple orchards abound (Wall Street Journal, December 1, 1977).
Edward J. Moody … argues persuasively that worship of Satan has the effect of normalizing abnormal people. Thus, to “keep secret” from ordinary people their satanic power and existence, such persons are urged to behave as straight as possible. The effect, of course, is more effective social relations—the goal for which Satan’s name has been invoked in the first place! (P. E. Hammond, “Review of Religious Movements in Contemporary America,” Science, May 2, 1975, p. 442).
Residents of San Francisco’s North Beach areas must now pay $10 for the privilege of parking in their own neighborhood. A residential parking plan was recently implemented to prevent commuters from using the area as a dayti ...
This document discusses two new methodological innovations - SenseMaker and structural topic modelling - that could help bridge the gap between grassroots experiences and development research. It reviews literature on bottom-up development and traditional qualitative techniques. The document then outlines how SenseMaker and structural topic modelling were used in a research project in Kyrgyzstan to derive a development agenda from participant voices. Insights from each method are analyzed and their complementarity discussed.
Add a section to the paper you submittedIt is based on the paper (.docxdaniahendric
Add a section to the paper you submittedIt is based on the paper ( 4th Sept 2019) check it out. The new section should address the following:
Identify and describe at least two competing needs impacting your selected healthcare issue/stressor.
Describe a relevant policy or practice in your organization that may influence your selected healthcare issue/stressor.
Critique the policy for ethical considerations, and explain the policy’s strengths and challenges in promoting ethics.
Recommend one or more policy or practice changes designed to balance the competing needs of resources, workers, and patients, while addressing any ethical shortcomings of the existing policies. Be specific and provide examples.
Cite evidence that informs the healthcare issue/stressor and/or the policies, and provide two scholarly resources in support of your policy or practice recommendations.
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 | V O L . 6 0 | N O . 9 | C O M M U N I C AT I O N S O F T H E A C M 65
W H I L E T H E I N T E R N E T has the potential to give people
ready access to relevant and factual information,
social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have made
filtering and assessing online content increasingly
difficult due to its rapid flow and enormous volume.
In fact, 49% of social media users in the U.S. in 2012
received false breaking news through
social media.8 Likewise, a survey by
Silverman11 suggested in 2015 that
false rumors and misinformation
disseminated further and faster than
ever before due to social media. Polit-
ical analysts continue to discuss mis-
information and fake news in social
media and its effect on the 2016 U.S.
presidential election.
Such misinformation challenges
the credibility of the Internet as a
venue for authentic public informa-
tion and debate. In response, over the
past five years, a proliferation of out-
lets has provided fact checking and
debunking of online content. Fact-
checking services, say Kriplean et al.,6
provide “… evaluation of verifiable
claims made in public statements
through investigation of primary and
secondary sources.” An international
Trust and
Distrust
in Online
Fact-Checking
Services
D O I : 1 0 . 1 1 4 5 / 3 1 2 2 8 0 3
Even when checked by fact checkers, facts are
often still open to preexisting bias and doubt.
BY PETTER BAE BRANDTZAEG AND ASBJØRN FØLSTAD
key insights
˽ Though fact-checking services play
an important role countering online
disinformation, little is known about whether
users actually trust or distrust them.
˽ The data we collected from social media
discussions—on Facebook, Twitter, blogs,
forums, and discussion threads in online
newspapers—reflects users’ opinions
about fact-checking services.
˽ To strengthen trust, fact-checking services
should strive to increase transparency
in their processes, as well as in their
organizations, and funding sources.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3122803
66 C O ...
Insights of Engineering Technology and Organizational Leadership on Human Tra...Pablo Villa-Martinez
This document discusses using an interdisciplinary approach to address the complex issue of human trafficking. It proposes examining the problem through the lenses of engineering technology and organizational leadership. Engineering technology could play a role in decreasing the number of people targeted through technology solutions. Organizational leadership is important to ensure citizen safety from the acts, means and purposes of trafficking. The focus question is: how can engineering technology provide an affordable solution, while upholding ethics, to combat traffickers? An interdisciplinary approach is justified as the issue is too broad for a single discipline.
Experiments on Crowdsourcing Policy Assessment - Oxford IPP 2014Araz Taeihagh
This document summarizes an experiment that tested whether non-expert crowds can assess policy measures as well as experts. Researchers conducted two experiments using crowdsourced labor markets: one with Dutch participants and one with global participants. Both crowds evaluated 96 climate change adaptation policy measures on criteria like importance and urgency. The measures were previously assessed by Dutch experts. Results were analyzed to see how non-expert crowd assessments compared to expert assessments and whether geography impacted non-expert performance. The goal was to determine if crowds could be useful for policy design by evaluating policy alternatives.
This document summarizes a research paper that examined how electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) influences online consumers' purchasing decisions. It developed an information adoption model to understand what factors encourage consumers to accept and adopt online consumer reviews. The model was tested using data from users of the online customer community Openrice.com. The research found that comprehensiveness and relevance of the information were the most influential components of argument quality, making them key drivers of information adoption. Only 46% of variance in adoption was explained however, indicating there may be additional motivational factors beyond information usefulness alone.
http://gatekeeper.fontbonne.edu:2059/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d349a2b3-69c4-4a90-9f22-c1b26187abf2%40sessionmgr110&vid=1&hid=117
uestion 1
According to the article ANALYZING DATA IN SOCIAL NETWORKS-AN ETHICAL DILEMMA?, this law requires “accuracy and fairness of credit reporting”….and an “ ‘elaborate mechanism’ ” developed for investigating and evaluating credit worthiness.”
Stored Communications Act
Fair Credit Reporting Act
Federal Trade Commission Act
USA Patriot Act of 2001
Question 2
In the article ANALYZING DATA IN SOCIAL NETWORKS-AN ETHICAL DILEMMA?, the authors define data mining as
1- collecting and organizing large amounts of user data for promotion in the social web.
2- aggregating large amounts of personal information about users to identify and establish demographic groups and discover patterns in preferences and navigation.
3-analyzing large amounts of data through the use of sets of calculations computer algorithms (a predetermined calculation) in order to find meaningful correlations, patterns and trends.
Question 3
In the article ANALYZING DATA IN SOCIAL NETWORKS-AN ETHICAL DILEMMA?, the expressed purpose includes all of the following except
1- to determine if there is enough regulation to protect users in social networks.
2-to determine if social network users value rights of privacy more than censorship of the Internet.
3-to analyze whether current methods of data mining in social networks is ethical.
4-to analyze how and why social network data mining is performed.
Question 4
According to the article ANALYZING DATA IN SOCIAL NETWORKS-AN ETHICAL DILEMMA?, this law “prohibits deceptive acts or practices in or affect commerce and banking.”
1- Stored Communications Act
2-Fair Credit Reporting Act
3-Federal Trade Commission Act
4-USA Patriot Act of 2001
After reading the article, ANALYZING DATA IN SOCIAL NETWORKS-AN ETHICAL DILEMMA?, list three things Facebook claims it does to comply with the Federal Trade Commission Act.
Question 6
Match each article citation with the type of publication that best describes it.
Krishnamurthi, M., & Chu, A. (2013). ANALYZING DATA IN SOCIAL NETWORKS-AN ETHICAL DILEMMA? Journal Of International Management Studies, 13(1), 61-64.
Read Answer Items for Question 6
Tufekci, Zeynep. “After the Protest.” New York Times, March 19, 2014.
Read Answer Items for Question 6
Rayman, Noah. ADVERTISEMENTS STARRING ... YOU. Time. 10/28/2013, Vol. 182 Issue 18, p16.
Read Answer Items for Question 6
Answer
A.
Academic Journal
B.
Popular Magazine
C.
Newspaper
Question 7
According to the website, Network Neutrality http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~raylin/, the current state of net neutrality
1- is not a law, but has been generally followed to maintain free and open access to the Internet.
2-is a law that ma.
Owl Research - Fact Books Owl Theme Classroom, OwJenna Caldejon
This document summarizes the key points from 5 steps to get writing assistance from HelpWriting.net:
1. Create an account with a password and valid email.
2. Complete a 10-minute order form providing instructions, sources, deadline and sample work.
3. Review bids from writers and choose one based on qualifications and feedback. Place a deposit.
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1235 Street PlaceSeattle, WA 98105March 5, 2017Ms. Jane .docxmoggdede
1235 Street Place
Seattle, WA 98105
March 5, 2017
Ms. Jane Doe
Engineering Review Committee
Engineering Consulting Company
249 Avenue Way
Seattle, WA 98104
Dear Ms. Doe,
Attached is our report, Public-Private Partnerships in U.S. Infrastructure Construction. The report is intended to inform you and the committee about the ethical concerns with public-private partnerships for infrastructure construction. Public-private partnerships are a recent method of funding public construction projects. Because of their relative newness, it is important to understand the challenges and risks involved, and know how to take steps to mitigate ethical concerns.
This report will give a background of public-private partnerships, and how they are being used to solve funding challenges in US infrastructure construction. Then it will go over ethical concerns, and potential solutions. Finally, we will discuss a recommended course of action. From our research, we found that when developing contracts for public-private partnerships, it is important to pay attention to factors such as the concession period and the organization of the project. Doing so can help address ethical concerns with these projects, and make it overall more efficient.
We hope that you find the attached report informative. If you have any further questions or concerns, we can be reached at [phone number]
Sincerely,
Joseph ShinAnna Tsai
Sam TarafderRandy Wenan
Public-Private Partnerships in U.S. Infrastructure Construction
Team J.A.R.S.
ENGR 231 G
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….4
BACKGROUND……………………..5
ETHICAL CONCERNS6
RECOMMENDED COURSES OF ACTION7
Determining An Accurate Concession Period7
Establishing A Legitimate PPP Program Organization7
Developing Project Portfolios8
Other methods for receiving funds8
CONCLUSION9
REFERENCES10
INTRODUCTION
According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the U. S. infrastructure receives just “a single grade above failure” (Halsey, 2013). A report has even calculated a cost of “$661 million” to repair just one bridge in Washington, D. C. Another report has also indicated the U. S. interstate system celebrating its 60th anniversary just last year, leaving its people with “many roads and bridges (are) in need of repair or expansion” (Lieb, 2016). In addition to that, some cities have even considered private equity firms “to manage their waterworks” (Ivory, 2016). As a result, the U.S. government is desperately in need of funds to help repair its current infrastructure. One of the increasingly popular ways is utilizing public-private partnerships to help fund those projects. Therefore, we would like to inform you about the ethical issues presented as a result. This paper will give you a background about the issue, the ethical concerns, and recommended actions that could help eliminate those issues. BACKGROUND
American infrastructure including roadways, highways, and bridges, ...
A Framework for Policy Crowdsourcing - Oxford IPP 2014Araz Taeihagh
Can Crowdsourcing be used for policy? Previous work posits that the three types of Crowdsourcing have different levels of potential usefulness when applied to the various stages of the policy cycle. In this paper, we build upon this exploratory work by categorizing the extant research with respect to Crowdsourcing for the policy cycle. Premised upon our analysis, we thereafter discuss the trends, highlight the gaps, and suggest some approaches to empirically validate the application of Crowdsourcing to the policy cycle.
V Międzynarodowa Konferencja Naukowa Nauka o informacji (informacja naukowa) w okresie zmian Innowacyjne usługi informacyjne. Wydział Dziennikarstwa, Informacji i Bibliologii Katedra Informatologii, Uniwersytet Warszawski, Warszawa, 15 – 16 maja 2017
Essay Topics On Technology. technology essayFrances Armijo
Essay on Technology. 001 P1 Essay On Technology ~ Thatsnotus. Technology Essay - How to Choose a Topic for Your Technology Essay?. Write a short essay on technology. 010 Essay Example Technology Argumentative Topics Prompts About And .... Technology essay – Logan Square Auditorium. Technology Essay Example Technology Is Commonly Defined As The Use Of .... Technology Essay Topics We Advise You To Pick A Topic You Are .... Essay On Information And Communication Technology | PDF. Essay on Technology for Students & Children 600 Words in English. Digital technology essay. Technology Essay - How to write an essay about technology. College essay: Argumentative essay technology. Technological Development Essay 1543 Words | 7 Pages.. Technology Essay Irish Join Our Largest Peer Essay Sharing Community.. Essay about globalization and technology.
MODULARISM: THE MODES OF THE PROVISIONING OF SPECIFICITY-SURVEYS IN A COMPAR...Terence Morris
MODULAR IDEOLOGY EVOLVES INTELLECTUALLY AS PUBLIC-POLICY PROCESSES BEGIN TO AFFECT STIMULATED ATTITUDINAL CHANGES UNILATERALLY WHILE EMERGING IN PRIVATE-SECTOR ECONOMIES, BECAUSE OF THE NEED TO COMPETE FOR CONTENT PURCHASERS ASSET ALLOCATION DECISIONS. ALONG WITH ASSET ALLOCATION DECISIONS, “SPECIFICITY-SURVEY” SYSTEMS THEORY RECOGNIZES BOTH EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL INFLUENCES ON ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR. EXTERNAL FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE ORGANIZATION INCLUDE WORLD FINANCIAL CONDITIONS, GLOBAL COMPETITION FOR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES, AND POLITICAL AND GOVERNMENTAL REGULATIONS (BURKE, 1994).
This document discusses a study that investigates how online dating participants use uncertainty reduction strategies and self-disclosure. The study examines how privacy concerns, self-efficacy, and experience using the internet predict the use of uncertainty reduction strategies. It also looks at how uncertainty reduction strategies relate to the amount of self-disclosure. The findings provide insights into uncertainty reduction and self-disclosure processes in online contexts like online dating.
FREE 9+ College Essay Examples in PDF | Examples - How to write english .... Contoh Essay Pendek – Ilustrasi. College Essay Examples - 13+ in PDF | Examples. 004 Extended Essay Sample Example History ~ Thatsnotus. 013 Essay Example Art Assignments For High School Blick Descriptive .... Good Examples of College Essays. College Essay Examples - 9+ in PDF | Examples. How To Write An Essay Examples – Telegraph. Trending Argumentative Essay Examples College PNG - scholarship. Memoir Essay Examples sample, Bookwormlab. Sample Essay With Quotes. QuotesGram. Step-By-Step Guide to Essay Writing - ESL Buzz. 016 Essay Example Thesis Statement For Narrative An Of Examples .... 32 College Essay Format Templates & Examples - TemplateArchive. Essay Writing App - App That Writes Essays for You! - ∆ Apps that .... College Essay Format: Simple Steps to Be Followed. 9+ College Essay Examples - Free PDF Format Download | Examples .... Simple Essay Example – Amat. 022 Community Essay Sample Service Learning Example Ta Student Essays .... 020 Maxresdefault Mla Format Argumentative Essay ~ Thatsnotus. Definition Essay: Samples of argumentative essay writing. Essay Examples With Quotes. QuotesGram. The actual number of web pages is 1000 key phrases - Ali Estate .... 011 Personal Narrative Essay Example High School Examples And Forms .... Sample Essay. The Example of Essay | PDF. 24 Greatest College Essay Examples – RedlineSP. Expository essay: English essay examples. Examples Of An Essay In Quotes. QuotesGram. Proper Essay Format Example – Lukisan. Essay Topic Example – Sketsa. Essay sample. ESSAY EXAMPLES - alisen berde Examples Of An Essay
Best Compare And Contrast Essay Topics.pdfDebbie White
The document discusses how Gianni Versace changed the world through his expensive clothing line and fashion designs, making him deserving of a commemorative postage stamp. It notes that Versace was inspired from a young age and strongly influenced by Greek ancient history. The document also provides brief biographical details about Versace, including where he was born and educated.
Speed Limits and Road Safety: Examples of Questions to Ask to Ensure the Safe...Barry Wellar
The topic of speed limits and road safety has been around since the advent of the automobile and the topic still brings heated debate, usually along the lines of increasing speed limits to accommodate private motor vehicle operators. In these remarks for a panel discussion at the Ottawa Centre Community Summit on Speed Limits and Road Safety, I present a total of 20 questions which I believe provide a considerable amount of thought for citizens, community associations, advocacy groups, public interest groups, elected and appointed government officials, lawyers, academics, and others who seek actionable suggestions on how to ensure that whatever decisions are made about speed limits and road safety, those decisions have all due regard for the safety of pedestrians, and especially children, persons with disabilities, and seniors, who are among the most vulnerable of road users.
The Walking Security Index (WSI) project was approved in 1994 as an element of the Transportation Environment Action Plan (TEAP) of the Region of Ottawa-Carleton (changed to City of Ottawa in 2000) and the Walking Security Index (Final Report) was published in 1998. The Walking Security Index Pilot Study project was launched in 2000 and completed in 2002 One of the goals of TEAP was to encourage more trips by walking, and the primary mission of the WSI project was to design indexes which measure the levels of safety, comfort and convenience expected and experienced by pedestrians at intersections. The thesis of the WSI research was that indexes could be designed that provide scores on the performance of intersections from the perspective of safety, comfort, and convenience of pedestrians, and the scores could be arranged in rank order. Then, for public safety, quality of life, engineering, traffic, enforcement, maintenance, modification, health, or other purposes, the scores could be used to identify needed corrective actions at intersections rated from best to worst, o
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This document discusses the term "traffic gridlock" and whether it represents a real problem or is overused. It provides examples of statements about gridlock from media sources and notes they lack methodological backing. The document aims to determine if concerns about gridlock are valid or just assertions by examining if they can pass "real deal tests" involving questions about evidence, impacts, and solutions. It seeks to inform a discussion on sustainability and transportation by addressing this concept that often comes up in debates.
What's behind the nonsense about traffic gridlockBarry Wellar
Based on available evidence, there has never been a significant traffic gridlock event in Canada. However, the term is commonly used in media and political discussions to argue for expanding roads and highways. The article examines possible motives for using this term, such as influencing outcomes to maintain primacy of private vehicles and benefit motor vehicle, road, and development industries. In reality, some congestion is natural in urban areas. The article advocates rejecting the "nonsense" of gridlock and focusing more on understanding both positive and negative aspects of real traffic congestion issues.
ASSIGNMENT 2AReview Question 6 the below question and select o.docxrock73
ASSIGNMENT 2A
Review Question 6 the below question and select one of the ill-structured problems taken from the journal Policy Analysis (now the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management Under the title “Department of Unintended Consequences”. Analyze the problem; then, provide an example on how classification analysis, hierarchy analysis, and synectics might be used to structure the problem you selected. Identify the problem you selected in your discussion with one of the following key phrases: (a) Egyptian agriculture, (b) ecologists and field mice, (c) San Francisco’s North Beach parking.
The ill-structured problems that follow are taken from illustrations published in the journal Policy Analysis (now the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management) under the title “Department of Unintended Consequences.”
For several thousand years, Egyptian agriculture depended on the fertilizing sediment deposited by the flood of the Nile. No longer, however. Due to expensive modern technology intended to improve the age-old lot of the peasant, Egypt’s fields must be artificially fertilized. John Gall, writing in the New York Times Magazine (December 26, 1976), reports that the Nile sediment is now deposited in the Aswan Dam’s Lake Nasser. Much of the dam’s electrical output is used to supply enormous amounts of electricity to new fertilizer plants made necessary by the construction of the dam.
University of Illinois ecologists can explain how certain harmful field mice spread from their native regions into areas where they had never before been found. They are using the new, limited-access, cross-country highways, which turn out to be easy escape routes with few barriers. Older highways and roads, as well as railroad rights-of-way, run into towns and villages every few miles and effectively deter mice migration. The Illinois group found that before interstate highways ran through central Illinois, one type of mouse was limited to a single county. But in six years of superhighways the four-inch-long creatures have spread sixty miles south through the center of the state. The ecologists are concerned lest the mice, a species that loves to chew on trees, become a threat in central and southern counties where apple orchards abound (Wall Street Journal, December 1, 1977).
Edward J. Moody … argues persuasively that worship of Satan has the effect of normalizing abnormal people. Thus, to “keep secret” from ordinary people their satanic power and existence, such persons are urged to behave as straight as possible. The effect, of course, is more effective social relations—the goal for which Satan’s name has been invoked in the first place! (P. E. Hammond, “Review of Religious Movements in Contemporary America,” Science, May 2, 1975, p. 442).
Residents of San Francisco’s North Beach areas must now pay $10 for the privilege of parking in their own neighborhood. A residential parking plan was recently implemented to prevent commuters from using the area as a dayti ...
This document discusses two new methodological innovations - SenseMaker and structural topic modelling - that could help bridge the gap between grassroots experiences and development research. It reviews literature on bottom-up development and traditional qualitative techniques. The document then outlines how SenseMaker and structural topic modelling were used in a research project in Kyrgyzstan to derive a development agenda from participant voices. Insights from each method are analyzed and their complementarity discussed.
Add a section to the paper you submittedIt is based on the paper (.docxdaniahendric
Add a section to the paper you submittedIt is based on the paper ( 4th Sept 2019) check it out. The new section should address the following:
Identify and describe at least two competing needs impacting your selected healthcare issue/stressor.
Describe a relevant policy or practice in your organization that may influence your selected healthcare issue/stressor.
Critique the policy for ethical considerations, and explain the policy’s strengths and challenges in promoting ethics.
Recommend one or more policy or practice changes designed to balance the competing needs of resources, workers, and patients, while addressing any ethical shortcomings of the existing policies. Be specific and provide examples.
Cite evidence that informs the healthcare issue/stressor and/or the policies, and provide two scholarly resources in support of your policy or practice recommendations.
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 | V O L . 6 0 | N O . 9 | C O M M U N I C AT I O N S O F T H E A C M 65
W H I L E T H E I N T E R N E T has the potential to give people
ready access to relevant and factual information,
social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have made
filtering and assessing online content increasingly
difficult due to its rapid flow and enormous volume.
In fact, 49% of social media users in the U.S. in 2012
received false breaking news through
social media.8 Likewise, a survey by
Silverman11 suggested in 2015 that
false rumors and misinformation
disseminated further and faster than
ever before due to social media. Polit-
ical analysts continue to discuss mis-
information and fake news in social
media and its effect on the 2016 U.S.
presidential election.
Such misinformation challenges
the credibility of the Internet as a
venue for authentic public informa-
tion and debate. In response, over the
past five years, a proliferation of out-
lets has provided fact checking and
debunking of online content. Fact-
checking services, say Kriplean et al.,6
provide “… evaluation of verifiable
claims made in public statements
through investigation of primary and
secondary sources.” An international
Trust and
Distrust
in Online
Fact-Checking
Services
D O I : 1 0 . 1 1 4 5 / 3 1 2 2 8 0 3
Even when checked by fact checkers, facts are
often still open to preexisting bias and doubt.
BY PETTER BAE BRANDTZAEG AND ASBJØRN FØLSTAD
key insights
˽ Though fact-checking services play
an important role countering online
disinformation, little is known about whether
users actually trust or distrust them.
˽ The data we collected from social media
discussions—on Facebook, Twitter, blogs,
forums, and discussion threads in online
newspapers—reflects users’ opinions
about fact-checking services.
˽ To strengthen trust, fact-checking services
should strive to increase transparency
in their processes, as well as in their
organizations, and funding sources.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3122803
66 C O ...
Insights of Engineering Technology and Organizational Leadership on Human Tra...Pablo Villa-Martinez
This document discusses using an interdisciplinary approach to address the complex issue of human trafficking. It proposes examining the problem through the lenses of engineering technology and organizational leadership. Engineering technology could play a role in decreasing the number of people targeted through technology solutions. Organizational leadership is important to ensure citizen safety from the acts, means and purposes of trafficking. The focus question is: how can engineering technology provide an affordable solution, while upholding ethics, to combat traffickers? An interdisciplinary approach is justified as the issue is too broad for a single discipline.
Experiments on Crowdsourcing Policy Assessment - Oxford IPP 2014Araz Taeihagh
This document summarizes an experiment that tested whether non-expert crowds can assess policy measures as well as experts. Researchers conducted two experiments using crowdsourced labor markets: one with Dutch participants and one with global participants. Both crowds evaluated 96 climate change adaptation policy measures on criteria like importance and urgency. The measures were previously assessed by Dutch experts. Results were analyzed to see how non-expert crowd assessments compared to expert assessments and whether geography impacted non-expert performance. The goal was to determine if crowds could be useful for policy design by evaluating policy alternatives.
This document summarizes a research paper that examined how electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) influences online consumers' purchasing decisions. It developed an information adoption model to understand what factors encourage consumers to accept and adopt online consumer reviews. The model was tested using data from users of the online customer community Openrice.com. The research found that comprehensiveness and relevance of the information were the most influential components of argument quality, making them key drivers of information adoption. Only 46% of variance in adoption was explained however, indicating there may be additional motivational factors beyond information usefulness alone.
http://gatekeeper.fontbonne.edu:2059/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d349a2b3-69c4-4a90-9f22-c1b26187abf2%40sessionmgr110&vid=1&hid=117
uestion 1
According to the article ANALYZING DATA IN SOCIAL NETWORKS-AN ETHICAL DILEMMA?, this law requires “accuracy and fairness of credit reporting”….and an “ ‘elaborate mechanism’ ” developed for investigating and evaluating credit worthiness.”
Stored Communications Act
Fair Credit Reporting Act
Federal Trade Commission Act
USA Patriot Act of 2001
Question 2
In the article ANALYZING DATA IN SOCIAL NETWORKS-AN ETHICAL DILEMMA?, the authors define data mining as
1- collecting and organizing large amounts of user data for promotion in the social web.
2- aggregating large amounts of personal information about users to identify and establish demographic groups and discover patterns in preferences and navigation.
3-analyzing large amounts of data through the use of sets of calculations computer algorithms (a predetermined calculation) in order to find meaningful correlations, patterns and trends.
Question 3
In the article ANALYZING DATA IN SOCIAL NETWORKS-AN ETHICAL DILEMMA?, the expressed purpose includes all of the following except
1- to determine if there is enough regulation to protect users in social networks.
2-to determine if social network users value rights of privacy more than censorship of the Internet.
3-to analyze whether current methods of data mining in social networks is ethical.
4-to analyze how and why social network data mining is performed.
Question 4
According to the article ANALYZING DATA IN SOCIAL NETWORKS-AN ETHICAL DILEMMA?, this law “prohibits deceptive acts or practices in or affect commerce and banking.”
1- Stored Communications Act
2-Fair Credit Reporting Act
3-Federal Trade Commission Act
4-USA Patriot Act of 2001
After reading the article, ANALYZING DATA IN SOCIAL NETWORKS-AN ETHICAL DILEMMA?, list three things Facebook claims it does to comply with the Federal Trade Commission Act.
Question 6
Match each article citation with the type of publication that best describes it.
Krishnamurthi, M., & Chu, A. (2013). ANALYZING DATA IN SOCIAL NETWORKS-AN ETHICAL DILEMMA? Journal Of International Management Studies, 13(1), 61-64.
Read Answer Items for Question 6
Tufekci, Zeynep. “After the Protest.” New York Times, March 19, 2014.
Read Answer Items for Question 6
Rayman, Noah. ADVERTISEMENTS STARRING ... YOU. Time. 10/28/2013, Vol. 182 Issue 18, p16.
Read Answer Items for Question 6
Answer
A.
Academic Journal
B.
Popular Magazine
C.
Newspaper
Question 7
According to the website, Network Neutrality http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~raylin/, the current state of net neutrality
1- is not a law, but has been generally followed to maintain free and open access to the Internet.
2-is a law that ma.
Owl Research - Fact Books Owl Theme Classroom, OwJenna Caldejon
This document summarizes the key points from 5 steps to get writing assistance from HelpWriting.net:
1. Create an account with a password and valid email.
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1235 Street PlaceSeattle, WA 98105March 5, 2017Ms. Jane .docxmoggdede
1235 Street Place
Seattle, WA 98105
March 5, 2017
Ms. Jane Doe
Engineering Review Committee
Engineering Consulting Company
249 Avenue Way
Seattle, WA 98104
Dear Ms. Doe,
Attached is our report, Public-Private Partnerships in U.S. Infrastructure Construction. The report is intended to inform you and the committee about the ethical concerns with public-private partnerships for infrastructure construction. Public-private partnerships are a recent method of funding public construction projects. Because of their relative newness, it is important to understand the challenges and risks involved, and know how to take steps to mitigate ethical concerns.
This report will give a background of public-private partnerships, and how they are being used to solve funding challenges in US infrastructure construction. Then it will go over ethical concerns, and potential solutions. Finally, we will discuss a recommended course of action. From our research, we found that when developing contracts for public-private partnerships, it is important to pay attention to factors such as the concession period and the organization of the project. Doing so can help address ethical concerns with these projects, and make it overall more efficient.
We hope that you find the attached report informative. If you have any further questions or concerns, we can be reached at [phone number]
Sincerely,
Joseph ShinAnna Tsai
Sam TarafderRandy Wenan
Public-Private Partnerships in U.S. Infrastructure Construction
Team J.A.R.S.
ENGR 231 G
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….4
BACKGROUND……………………..5
ETHICAL CONCERNS6
RECOMMENDED COURSES OF ACTION7
Determining An Accurate Concession Period7
Establishing A Legitimate PPP Program Organization7
Developing Project Portfolios8
Other methods for receiving funds8
CONCLUSION9
REFERENCES10
INTRODUCTION
According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the U. S. infrastructure receives just “a single grade above failure” (Halsey, 2013). A report has even calculated a cost of “$661 million” to repair just one bridge in Washington, D. C. Another report has also indicated the U. S. interstate system celebrating its 60th anniversary just last year, leaving its people with “many roads and bridges (are) in need of repair or expansion” (Lieb, 2016). In addition to that, some cities have even considered private equity firms “to manage their waterworks” (Ivory, 2016). As a result, the U.S. government is desperately in need of funds to help repair its current infrastructure. One of the increasingly popular ways is utilizing public-private partnerships to help fund those projects. Therefore, we would like to inform you about the ethical issues presented as a result. This paper will give you a background about the issue, the ethical concerns, and recommended actions that could help eliminate those issues. BACKGROUND
American infrastructure including roadways, highways, and bridges, ...
A Framework for Policy Crowdsourcing - Oxford IPP 2014Araz Taeihagh
Can Crowdsourcing be used for policy? Previous work posits that the three types of Crowdsourcing have different levels of potential usefulness when applied to the various stages of the policy cycle. In this paper, we build upon this exploratory work by categorizing the extant research with respect to Crowdsourcing for the policy cycle. Premised upon our analysis, we thereafter discuss the trends, highlight the gaps, and suggest some approaches to empirically validate the application of Crowdsourcing to the policy cycle.
V Międzynarodowa Konferencja Naukowa Nauka o informacji (informacja naukowa) w okresie zmian Innowacyjne usługi informacyjne. Wydział Dziennikarstwa, Informacji i Bibliologii Katedra Informatologii, Uniwersytet Warszawski, Warszawa, 15 – 16 maja 2017
Essay Topics On Technology. technology essayFrances Armijo
Essay on Technology. 001 P1 Essay On Technology ~ Thatsnotus. Technology Essay - How to Choose a Topic for Your Technology Essay?. Write a short essay on technology. 010 Essay Example Technology Argumentative Topics Prompts About And .... Technology essay – Logan Square Auditorium. Technology Essay Example Technology Is Commonly Defined As The Use Of .... Technology Essay Topics We Advise You To Pick A Topic You Are .... Essay On Information And Communication Technology | PDF. Essay on Technology for Students & Children 600 Words in English. Digital technology essay. Technology Essay - How to write an essay about technology. College essay: Argumentative essay technology. Technological Development Essay 1543 Words | 7 Pages.. Technology Essay Irish Join Our Largest Peer Essay Sharing Community.. Essay about globalization and technology.
MODULARISM: THE MODES OF THE PROVISIONING OF SPECIFICITY-SURVEYS IN A COMPAR...Terence Morris
MODULAR IDEOLOGY EVOLVES INTELLECTUALLY AS PUBLIC-POLICY PROCESSES BEGIN TO AFFECT STIMULATED ATTITUDINAL CHANGES UNILATERALLY WHILE EMERGING IN PRIVATE-SECTOR ECONOMIES, BECAUSE OF THE NEED TO COMPETE FOR CONTENT PURCHASERS ASSET ALLOCATION DECISIONS. ALONG WITH ASSET ALLOCATION DECISIONS, “SPECIFICITY-SURVEY” SYSTEMS THEORY RECOGNIZES BOTH EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL INFLUENCES ON ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR. EXTERNAL FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE ORGANIZATION INCLUDE WORLD FINANCIAL CONDITIONS, GLOBAL COMPETITION FOR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES, AND POLITICAL AND GOVERNMENTAL REGULATIONS (BURKE, 1994).
This document discusses a study that investigates how online dating participants use uncertainty reduction strategies and self-disclosure. The study examines how privacy concerns, self-efficacy, and experience using the internet predict the use of uncertainty reduction strategies. It also looks at how uncertainty reduction strategies relate to the amount of self-disclosure. The findings provide insights into uncertainty reduction and self-disclosure processes in online contexts like online dating.
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Best Compare And Contrast Essay Topics.pdfDebbie White
The document discusses how Gianni Versace changed the world through his expensive clothing line and fashion designs, making him deserving of a commemorative postage stamp. It notes that Versace was inspired from a young age and strongly influenced by Greek ancient history. The document also provides brief biographical details about Versace, including where he was born and educated.
Similar to Traffic Gridlock: A Bad, Mis-Leading Metaphor that Makes for Bad, Mis-Directed Public Policy (20)
Speed Limits and Road Safety: Examples of Questions to Ask to Ensure the Safe...Barry Wellar
The topic of speed limits and road safety has been around since the advent of the automobile and the topic still brings heated debate, usually along the lines of increasing speed limits to accommodate private motor vehicle operators. In these remarks for a panel discussion at the Ottawa Centre Community Summit on Speed Limits and Road Safety, I present a total of 20 questions which I believe provide a considerable amount of thought for citizens, community associations, advocacy groups, public interest groups, elected and appointed government officials, lawyers, academics, and others who seek actionable suggestions on how to ensure that whatever decisions are made about speed limits and road safety, those decisions have all due regard for the safety of pedestrians, and especially children, persons with disabilities, and seniors, who are among the most vulnerable of road users.
The Walking Security Index (WSI) project was approved in 1994 as an element of the Transportation Environment Action Plan (TEAP) of the Region of Ottawa-Carleton (changed to City of Ottawa in 2000) and the Walking Security Index (Final Report) was published in 1998. The Walking Security Index Pilot Study project was launched in 2000 and completed in 2002 One of the goals of TEAP was to encourage more trips by walking, and the primary mission of the WSI project was to design indexes which measure the levels of safety, comfort and convenience expected and experienced by pedestrians at intersections. The thesis of the WSI research was that indexes could be designed that provide scores on the performance of intersections from the perspective of safety, comfort, and convenience of pedestrians, and the scores could be arranged in rank order. Then, for public safety, quality of life, engineering, traffic, enforcement, maintenance, modification, health, or other purposes, the scores could be used to identify needed corrective actions at intersections rated from best to worst, o
GIS: Bringing Geography to the World & the World to Geography; Slide Presenta...Barry Wellar
The slide presentation for GIS: Bringing Geography to the World & the World to Geography, demonstrates the theme that GIS Day is a special occasion, whereby we express what we are thinking and doing in our GIS research, education, training, and applications activities. And, it is also is a time to set forth what we wish others would think about and do, such as providing answers to the question: “What contribution is Geography making to support and encourage the development and use of GIS technology and GIScience methods, techniques, and operations by governments, NGOs, business, researchers, academe, the media, and interest groups?” The impending Research Colloquium on Using the Retrospective Approach to Mine for GIS Nuggets is one such contribution by Geography to GIS. This GIS Day 2014 presentation includes a selection of figures and tables from several Colloquium papers which illustrate how Geography can contribute to both parts of the title, that is, GIS: Bringing Geography to the World and, GIS: Bringing the World to Geography.
Searching for GIS Nuggets: Mining Annual Reports by Canada’s Commissioner of ...Barry Wellar
The 2015 Retrospective Research Colloquium is designed in conjunction with plans for the follow-on 2016 Conference on Using the Retrospective Approach to Mine for GIS Nuggets. The focus of the Research Colloquium is on presentations which discuss why and how different kinds of literature and other sources could be mined for GIS nuggets serving one or more of the following missions: M1. Designing and developing geographic information systems technology; M2. Defining and elaborating geographic information science; and, M3. Using geographic information systems technology and/or geographic information science The Commissioner of Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD) is a Government of Canada oversight agency. CESD reviews and evaluates federal department and agency progress in developing and implementing strategies to serve and promote sustainable development (which applies to both the built and the natural environments); and, CESD also oversees the environmental petitions process involving citizens. This paper discusses CESD’s mandate, its annual Reports to Parliament, and the focus of the Reports on the importance of information which is to be collected and processed by federal departments and agencies, and then used to monitor and analyze environmental and sustainable situations and processes, as well as to direct and support policy, program, and strategy decisions, and to communicate with citizens on environmental and sustainable development challenges, opportunities, issues, options, and initiatives. The paper concludes that CESD Reports to Parliament are an important body of literature to be mined for GIS nuggets.
Abuse v. Care of Land, Water, and Air, 1990-2015: The Doomsday Map Concept a...Barry Wellar
This document discusses retrospectively mining popular literature from 1990-2015 for geographic information systems (GIS) insights using the concept of a "Doomsday Map". The Doomsday Map was proposed in the 1980s as a way to map and visualize the abuse of land, water, and air resources over time in order to persuade governments and businesses to change practices. The author argues that revisiting concepts like the Doomsday Map by analyzing how media discussed environmental issues can provide new ideas and uses for GIS technology. Newspapers are suggested as a good source since they were widely read. The goal is to identify insights that could help design GIS systems, advance GIS science, and apply GIS.
GIS: Bringing Geography to the World & the World to GeographyBarry Wellar
GIS Day is a special occasion, whereby we express what we are thinking and doing in our GIS research, education, training, and applications activities. And, it is also is a time to set forth what we wish others would think about and do, such as providing answers to the question: “What contribution is Geography making to support and encourage the development and use of GIS technology and GIScience methods, techniques, and operations by governments, NGOs, business, researchers, academe, the media, and interest groups?” The impending Research Colloquium on Using the Retrospective Approach to Mine for GIS Nuggets is one such contribution by Geography to GIS. This GIS Day 2014 presentation includes a selection of figures and tables from several Colloquium papers which illustrate how Geography can contribute to both parts of the title, that is, GIS: Bringing Geography to the World and, GIS: Bringing the World to Geography.
This document outlines five core questions on rail safety in Canada. It discusses the lack of readily available research and data on rail safety incidents which has hindered the ability to determine the causes of incidents and ways to prevent them. The document will develop five research questions aimed at improving the body of research and access to information on rail safety issues identified by various rail safety headlines. It establishes terms of reference from Transport Action Canada and Transport Canada documents to guide the design and content of the research questions.
The document is an introduction to a book titled "AutoCarto Six Retrospective" that commemorates the 1983 Sixth International Symposium on Automated Cartography. It provides details about the original symposium including that it was held in Ottawa, Canada from October 16-21, 1983 and included papers from various countries. It also describes the organization of papers from the original symposium into sections on keynote sessions, plenary sessions, general sessions, and special sessions. The introduction serves to provide background and context for the commemorative book that revisits papers from the original symposium 30 years later.
The document discusses the history and development of artificial intelligence over the past 70 years. It outlines some of the key milestones in AI research from the early work in the 1950s to modern advances in deep learning. While progress has been steady, fully general artificial intelligence that can match or exceed human levels of intelligence remains an ongoing challenge that researchers are still working to achieve.
Urisa 201STANDARD OF CARE AND E-DEMOCRACY INITIATIVES: Barry Wellar
This document summarizes Dr. Barry Wellar's presentation on how governments can meet their standard of care obligations through the use of geographic information systems (GIS) and e-democracy initiatives. It discusses how GIS can be applied to various government documents, data, and functions related to duty of care. It also provides examples of how failures to meet standard of care can impact government executives. The presentation aims to discuss policies and legislation around modernizing government processes with information technology, increasing expectations for GIS use, and integrating e-democracy practices.
STANDARD OF CARE AND E-DEMOCRACY INITIATIVES: LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY IMPACTSBarry Wellar
Barry Wellar’s presentation at the 2010 GIS-Pro Conference introduced the topic of governments using GIS to meet duty of care/standard of care obligations. During the 2011 GIS-Pro Conference, Sean McGrath reported on e-democracy activities designed to streamline the legislative process, reduce the paper burden, and significantly improve information exchanges between elected officials and citizens. This panel session builds on those foundations by discussing how information technology is modernizing the legislative process in different jurisdictions, how the availability of GIS is increasing the onus on governments to explicitly build GIS into their standard of care capabilities, and how e-democracy principles and practices are emerging as a core element of enterprise-wide computer-based communications systems in governments. This presentation summarizes the core arguments in the two standard of care papers given by Wellar (Wellar, 2010a, 2010b) at the 2010 URISA conference, and then discusses some of the policy and legislative impacts arising from and feeding into the fusion of GIS and e-democracy infrastructure and activities. The presentation should be of particular interest to: 1) elected and appointed members of the executive function responsible for incorporating standard of care obligations into the policies and legislative materials of local, provincial/state, and federal governments; and 2) managers and GISPs responsible for designing and implementing a GIS-based, e-democracy capability that achieves enterprise-wide inter-connectivity between duty of care and standard of care obligations and the modifications to policies or legislative documents and procedures that pertain to those care obligations.
Thoughts about a New Generation of U.S. Spatial Adjustments and the Implicati...Barry Wellar
The document discusses potential spatial adjustments in the United States and their implications. It outlines five themes: 1) Increased participation in more self-sustaining communities, 2) A demographic and economic shift from large cities to smaller towns, 3) Increases in rail freight and decreases in trucking, 4) Building an oil pipeline from Canada to the US, and 5) Limiting development in high-risk areas. For each theme, it provides more context and questions that arise. The overall document serves as an outline for a lecture on changes in US geography.
Transportation: Inspiring a Sustainability Action AgendaBarry Wellar
The slides in this presentation are for of a keynote address at the 2011 Sustainable Community Summit, Ottawa, Canada. My assignment is “To promote and guide discussion into the barriers and solutions associated with achieving the transportation element of a sustainable community.” As context for the discussion of barriers and solutions to achieving sustainable transport, I begin by explaining why I use “Inspire” in the title. I then list a dozen of my reports in which I examined various issues associated with sustainable transport, and another set of reports in which I previously discussed barriers and solutions to achieving sustainable transport in the City of Ottawa. The final context remark is to remind/inform attendees, and viewers of this presentation, of the ten reports from the project, Methodologies for Identifying and Ranking Sustainable Transport Practices in Urban Regions, which was undertaken for Transport Canada in 2008-2009. Emphasis then turns to two conditions which must be met in order to achieve the transportation component of a sustainable community. First, simultaneously reduce the number of trips made by private motor vehicles, and increase the number of trips made by walking, cycling, and transit. And second, actions are explicitly designed and methodologically implemented to increase transportation system flexibility. The presentation is concluded by a number of slides illustrating how the sustainability of a transportation system is determined by the combinations of transportation system outputs that are demanded by citizens, businesses, and government agencies, and the modes of transportation used by citizens, businesses, and governments to achieve those outputs. In the open forum to follow the presentation, Summit attendees will be asked for words of wisdom, guidance, and motivation to INSPIRE a sustainable transportation transformation across Ottawa, Ontario, and beyond.
Through policies, promises, pronouncements, agreements, advertisements, endorsements, pledges, and related statements, municipal governments endorse, support, exhort, encourage, promote, call for, and otherwise demonstrate a municipal “interest” in the use by pedestrians of such public transportation facilities as sidewalks, paths, bridges, roads, streets, highways, intersections, and crosswalks. However, during the course of using these facilities, pedestrians may be injured or even killed. The questions arise, therefore, as to: A) Whether failures by municipal governments to meet duty of care or standard of care obligations affecting pedestrians contributed to events causing the injuries or deaths; and B) Whether it may be appropriate to initiate legal action to seek redress. This presentation includes the following materials which may be instructive for pedestrians, pedestrians’ advocacy groups, and persons acting on behalf of pedestrians, who are giving consideration to playing the legal card: 1) An illustrative list of municipal and provincial documents with a legal aspect pertaining to pedestrians;2) Parameters of burden of care that
have been and are matters of political, social, methodological, and legal contention; 3) Municipal duty of care and standard of care materials and functions that have, could have, or should have implications for pedestrians; 4) Deaths, injuries, and other costs of burden of care failures that affect pedestrians – Results from newspaper searches done more than TEN years ago; 5) Basics of a duty of care/standard of care action? Simple arithmetic test; 6) Burden of care questions that are central to examination for discovery, expert witness reports, and evidence-in-chief and cross-examination activities: 7) Dealing with municipal failure to meet duty of care and standard of care obligations affecting pedestrians – Still want to play the legal card? The presentation is concluded by a selection of online materials dealing with various aspects of the duty of care and standard of care parameters examined during the Walking Security Index project, 1995-2002, and subsequent projects.
Geography Awareness Week 2010 and GIS Day 2010 CompetitionsBarry Wellar
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The document discusses how to excel in GIS. It states that excelling in GIS means running with the big dogs through expert advice, hands-on involvement, leading publications and conferences, advancing research, and taking GIS to new levels. It also emphasizes reading materials from URISA to further your knowledge in GIS.
GIS technology and applications are increasing the quality and quantity of spatial data available to governments, businesses, and institutions, and are also creating new opportunities and challenges to meet duty of care and standard of care obligations. This paper reports on the materials used in a special session designed for elected officials and managers who are responsible for: a) deciding the geographic information content of duty of care and standard of care documents (e.g., laws, by-laws, policies, plans, programs, budgets, manuals); b) directing professional and technical personnel who provide the information (e.g., data, studies, files, records, maps, surveys, and reports) needed to ensure that legal and other duty of care and standard of care obligations are achieved; and c) approving the budget and work program envelopes containing the GIS technology and applications capabilities. The presentation was given at the 2010 GIS-PRO Conference, Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (urisa.org).
Further Analysis of HOV Lane and Sustainable Transport Failures in Ontario: O...Barry Wellar
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Jane's Walk: Measures To Mitigate Intersections That Are Conflict Zones For P...Barry Wellar
Jane’s Walk is an international celebration of the life and work of urbanist Jane Jacobs. In her seminal book written 50 years ago, Death and Life of Great American Cities, Jacobs explored the roles of walking and sidewalks in shaping lives, neighbourhoods, communities, and cities. This panel presentation at Jane’s Walk 2010 in Ottawa (Canada) explores another feature of the pedestrians’ urban transportation surface, that is, crosswalks and intersections. The central issue of interest is: What are municipal governments doing to provide an appropriate standard of care for pedestrians using crosswalks and intersections? And, in particular: What measures have been implemented by municipal agencies such as police services, engineering, planning, public health, public works, and legal services to make sure that crosswalks and intersections are safety zones, comfort zones, and convenience zones rather than conflict zones for pedestrians? The ideas, questions, and suggestions in the panel presentation are based on lessons learned from the Walking Security Index project, which is outlined in a companion (background) report prepared for Jane’s Walk 2010.
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Test Automation with generative AI and Open AI.
UiPath integration with generative AI
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Traffic Gridlock: A Bad, Mis-Leading Metaphor that Makes for Bad, Mis-Directed Public Policy
1. Traffic Gridlock:
A Bad, MisLeading Metaphor that
Makes for Bad, MisDirected Public Policy
Dr. Barry Wellar, MCIP
Professor Emeritus
University of Ottawa,
Distinguished Research Fellow
Transport Action Canada,
Policy and Research Advisor
Federation of Urban Neighbourhoods,
Principal, Wellar Consulting Inc.
wellarb@uottawa.ca
wellarconsulting.com
November, 2011
2. Traffic Gridlock: A Bad, MisLeading Metaphor that Makes for Bad, MisDirected Public Policy
1. Context.
In a previous publication, Traffic Gridlock: The Real Deal or a Pile of Nonsense?, I
reported on a study which applied several research procedures to examine media
stories and Google search items containing the terms “traffic gridlock” or “gridlock”
implying traffic gridlock. The objective was to ascertain whether the media stories
and Google items establish that traffic gridlock is a real deal matter, or whether the
stories and items contribute to a pile of nonsense. The finding was that 99% of the
stories and items belong in the nonsense pile.
The design procedure for examining and classifying popular media stories was as
follows.
Table A. Popular Media Stories: Testing, Testing, Testing.
If a Popular Media Item Contains Substantive Answers to the
Following Kinds of Questions about Traffic Gridlock, then the
Item Is Likely to be in the Real Deal Camp: If it Does Not, then
the Item Is Likely to Be in the Pile of Nonsense Camp.
1. What is the meaning of traffic gridlock?
2. How is traffic gridlock defined?
3. How is traffic gridlock measured?
4. What is the process whereby traffic gridlock occurs?
5. What is the established process whereby traffic gridlock is mitigated, resolved, or
dissolved as the case may be?
6. What are the full environmental, economic, financial, social, energy, and multi-
modal transportation system benefits and costs of solving either chronic or
temporary manifestations of so-called traffic gridlock?
7. How do you methodologically measure the full environmental, economic, financial,
social, energy, and multi-modal transportation system benefits and costs of solving
either chronic or temporary manifestations of so-called traffic gridlock?
Source: Barry Wellar, 2011. Traffic Gridlock: The Real Deal or a Pile of Nonsense?
transport-action.ca.Table 2, p. 6.
With regard to the nature of the ”testing” represented by these questions, it seemed
reasonable to require that popular media stories about traffic gridlock provide
answers to questions of consequence in order to warrant being classified as real
deal
Based on my experience as university educator, senior civil servant, and consultant,
questions 1-7 range from very basic to sophisticated, but all are consequential
building blocks towards understanding the concept of traffic gridlock, the
implications of traffic gridlock, and the alternative remedies for dealing with traffic
gridlock.
2 |Barry Wellar
3. Traffic Gridlock: A Bad, MisLeading Metaphor that Makes for Bad, MisDirected Public Policy
Further, in the interests of fairness and/or flexibility, it was emphasized that the
questions asked were indicative of the kinds of questions that could be asked to
ascertain if a story should be rated as real deal.
That is, persons involved in media stories about traffic gridlock could have their own
ideas about questions that “…. are consequential building blocks towards
understanding the concept of traffic gridlock, the implications of traffic gridlock, and
the alternative remedies for dealing with traffic gridlock”, and the examination
process was totally open to encountering such questions in media stories.
However, traffic issues are serious matters in many cities, which to my mind means
that serious questions need asked in traffic gridlock media stories, and that standard
precludes “lob ball” questions which are easily danced around. Readers familiar with
setting exams that cut through bafflegab, smoke-and-mirrors, snow jobs, etc., will no
doubt readily understand what I have in mind for deciding whether media story
questions differing from those in Table A are of real deal or pile of nonsense calibre.
As for the Google searches, the same set of questions used to examine and classify
popular media stories was also used.
Table B. Items Obtained from Google Searches: Testing, Testing, Testing.
If a Google Search Item Contains Substantive Answers to the
Following Kinds of Questions about Traffic Gridlock, then the
Item Is Likely in the Real Deal Camp: If it Does Not, then the
Item Is Likely in the Pile of Nonsense Camp.
1. What is the meaning of traffic gridlock?
2. How is traffic gridlock defined?
3. How is gridlock measured?
4. What is the process whereby traffic gridlock occurs?
5. What is the established process whereby traffic gridlock is mitigated, resolved, or
dissolved as the case may be?
6. What are the full environmental, economic, financial, social, energy, and multi-
modal transportation system benefits and costs of solving either chronic or
temporary manifestations of so-called traffic gridlock?
7. How do you methodologically measure the full environmental, economic,
financial, social, energy, and multi-modal transportation system benefits and
costs of solving either chronic or temporary manifestations of so-called traffic
gridlock?
Source: Barry Wellar, 2011. Traffic Gridlock: The Real Deal or a Pile of Nonsense?
transport-action.ca.Table 3, p. 8.
The explanation for using the same questions to classify media stories and Google
search items was given on page 8 of the original report. It is repeated here for
completeness.
3 |Barry Wellar
4. Traffic Gridlock: A Bad, MisLeading Metaphor that Makes for Bad, MisDirected Public Policy
“Following standard research practice, and in particular having
regard for the consistency of research questions as a means of
achieving consistency and comparability of research answers, the
questions used to test popular media items are repeated in Table 3
as the means used to test items that appear as Google search
results.”
2. Overview of Background Study Findings
Many, many hundreds of popular news items from Canadian, U.S, and other
sources containing the term traffic gridlock were examined. As a general rule the
stories did not address question 1, much less questions 2-7. The conclusion drawn
was that in the absence of real deal evidence, it appears accurate to say that
references to traffic gridlock in this body of literature are little more than word-
dropping exercises, and invariably amount to a pile of nonsense.
Further, between this writing and early August, 2011 when Traffic Gridlock: The
Real Deal or a Pile of Nonsense? was posted on various websites, no
communications have been received in response to the request that I be informed of
any media story misrepresentation(s) or oversight(s). Further, direct
communications with media people such as journalists did not yield a single case of
evidence associated with a media story involving traffic gridlock.
It therefore appears to say that even though the term “traffic gridlock” continues to
be frequently used in media stories, it remains the case that minimal or no evidence
is presented in the stories to justify the use of the term, and questions 1-7 remain
unanswered.
As for the Google searches, a number of keywords were used to identify items that
might be related to “traffic gridlock”, and to then systematically filter the results to
assist in classifying the items as real deal or nonsense contributions to the literature
on “traffic gridlock”.
Again, and consistent with the examination of media stories, real deal contributions
are those which provide answers to questions 1-7 presented above, or to similar
kinds of analytical questions.
Several sets of keywords were used to structure the searches and organize the
results in Traffic Gridlock: The Real Deal or a Pile of Nonsense? As can be
discerned by brief inspection of the lists below, the keywords progress from singular
to combinatorial, separate to relational, descriptive to explanative, and in the
process become increasingly incisive in terms of identifying items that are likely to
make a real deal contribution to the literature on traffic gridlock.
• Keyword set 1. “grid”; “street grid”; “street grid plan”; “grid street
plan”; “street grid density”; “lock”; “lock in”; “freeze”; “confine”; lock
out”’ “imprison” (Table 4, p.9 );
4 |Barry Wellar
5. Traffic Gridlock: A Bad, MisLeading Metaphor that Makes for Bad, MisDirected Public Policy
• Keyword set 2. “gridlock”, “traffic gridlock”, “road gridlock”, “highway
gridlock”, “intersection gridlock”, “street grid density”, “vehicular
gridlock”, “intersection gridlock law”, “road network gridlock”, “highway
network gridlock”, “intersection network gridlock” (Table 5, p.14);
• Keyword set 3. “cause of gridlock”; “cause of traffic gridlock”;
“gridlock study”; “traffic gridlock study”; “measuring gridlock”;
“measuring traffic gridlock”; “evidence of gridlock”; “evidence of traffic
gridlock”; “evidence of intersection gridlock”; “evidence of vehicular
gridlock”; evidence of vehicle gridlock”; “evidence of road gridlock”;
“evidence of roadway gridlock”; “evidence of highway gridlock” (Table
6, p.15 ).
The results of the search from a real deal point of view were not pretty. Actually,
they were ugly given the number times the terms appears relative to its validity.
Table C. Contrasting the Results Obtained from Google Searches When
Research Modifiers Are Added to Assist
in Answering the Question,
Traffic Gridlock: The Real Deal or a Pile of Nonsense?
Initial Search Results Results Using a Research Modifier
“traffic gridlock” (326,000) “cause of traffic gridlock”(1,700)
“traffic gridlock study” (5)
“evidence of traffic gridlock” (2)
“measuring traffic gridlock” (0)
“road gridlock” (15, 800) “evidence of road gridlock” (0)
“highway gridlock” 11,100) “evidence of highway gridlock” (0)
“intersection gridlock” (3,250) “evidence of intersection gridlock”(2)
“street grid density” (1,170) “street grid density study” (0)
“vehicular gridlock” (874) “evidence of vehicular gridlock” (0)
“vehicular gridlock evidence” (0)
“road network gridlock” (8) “evidence of road gridlock” (2)
“road gridlock evidence” (0)
Source: Barry Wellar, 2011. Traffic Gridlock: The Real Deal or a Pile of Nonsense?
transport-action.ca.Table 7, p. 18.
Two comments from the original report are sufficient to summarize the contributions
which media stories and items identified in Google searches made to the question,
“Traffic gridlock: the real deal or a pile of nonsense?”
• “… when the 326,000 results obtained for “traffic gridlock” drop to 2
results when “evidence” is added, and to 0 results when “measuring” is
added, it appears fair to say that from a substantive perspective it is
highly likely that an exceedingly large proportion of those 326,000
results are more nonsense than real deal.” (p. 18)
5 |Barry Wellar
6. Traffic Gridlock: A Bad, MisLeading Metaphor that Makes for Bad, MisDirected Public Policy
• “And, a similar interpretation may be applied to all the other traffic
gridlock-related search phrases which undergo huge drops in numbers
of results when modified by such real deal terms as cause, study,
measure, and evidence.” (p 18)
On the one hand, then, the original research found that “traffic gridlock” received
numerous mentions in media stories and Google items, and that the mentions very
often included fatalistic, Armageddon-like laments or predictions about the current or
future going-to-hell-in-a–handcart state of motor vehicle traffic. On the other hand,
however, these laments and predictions are rarely if ever accompanied by evidence
of the occurrence of actual traffic gridlock events.
This is a puzzlement to say the least, and in this report I explore one possible
explanation, and the associated implication for public policy. That is, traffic gridlock”
is a bad, mis-leading metaphor which has been accepted and promulgated by some
parties as a truth for which no proof exists and none is needed. And, the associated
cause-effect relationship is that a bad, mis-leading metaphor is a bad, mis-directed
basis for setting public policy.
3. “Traffic Gridlock”: A Bad, Mis-Leading Metaphor?
The original report suggests that there are a number of possible explanations to
account for the frequent use of “traffic gridlock” in media stories and Google items
about motor vehicle traffic issues, problems, concerns, etc. I am grateful to the
journalists and members of various list serves who provided feedback on how to
approach the explanation task.
However, I am especially indebted to, Dr. William Garrison, Professor Emeritus of
Civil and Environmental Engineering and Emeritus Research Engineer in the
Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Berkeley. Based on his
comments, and bearing in mind that this is not a funded research project, I use the
start-with-the-obvious approach in exploring the apparent mis-match between the
high levels of popularity which “traffic gridlock” enjoys and the apparent absence of
substantive evidence to justify that popularity.
As shown by the results from the initial investigations, the popularity of “traffic
gridlock” has little or nothing to do with methodologically-based research. Rather, it
appears fair to say, the appeal of “traffic gridlock” lies in its appeal as a figure of
speech which can be construed to mean whatever the user of the term wishes.
The figure of speech which is discussed in this report that of metaphor, and in
particular the use of the word “gridlock” to characterize a traffic situation, state or
condition. That is, traffic is in gridlock, or is gridlocked, and gridlock means whatever
it is construed to mean by the user of the metaphor.
The original report contains several schematics demonstrating what traffic gridlock
means in real-world terms as opposed to figure of speech terms. In this report I add
6 |Barry Wellar
7. Traffic Gridlock: A Bad, MisLeading Metaphor that Makes for Bad, MisDirected Public Policy
a graphic (Figure B) to visually illustrate what traffic gridlock means in operational
terms, and to create a graphic foundation to establish that “traffic gridlock” is a bad,
mis-leading metaphor when it comes to describing or representing the actual state
of motor vehicle traffic.
But first, I want to introduce another metaphor to assist in establishing beyond a
shadow of a doubt that “traffic gridlock” is a bad, mis-leading metaphor.
The new metaphor is “traffic blockage”, and anyone who has experienced or knows
someone who has experienced such blockages as artery blockage, bowel blockage,
colon blockage, ear blockage, heart blockage, intestinal blockage, nasal blockage,
sewer blockage, sinus blockage, and other kinds of blockages will readily appreciate
where I am going with the traffic blockage metaphor..
That is, there are degrees of blockage, ranging from minimal to completely plugged.
At the lower end of the scale blockage may amount to little more than a minor
irritation or inconvenience, but at the upper end it can be a totally miserable, life-
threatening, insufferable, etc., condition that requires significant adjustments or
corrections being made to maintain the entity under duress.
Figure A is an illustration of vehicle traffic blockage. As shown, a number of street
segments and intersections are obstructed. Consequently, motorized vehicle traffic
cannot move in a free flow fashion down those specific streets or through those
specific intersections due to such incidents as stalled vehicles, police issuing
citations, sanitation trucks on their pick-up routes, delivery trucks stopping for drop-
offs, signal lights out of commission, etc.
However, all the vehicles on all the other streets can move about relatively freely on
the remainder of the street grid, and many of the vehicles on obstructed streets can
reverse directions and/or turn left or right to get out of their current situations and
can also use the remainder of the grid.
The same line of argument holds for intersections which may be obstructed in whole
or in part due to collisions, stalled vehicles, fire or police situations, left-turning
vehicles, demonstrations, large volumes of pedestrians, parades, etc. The timeworn
response has been that if full or near-full blockage occurs at one intersection,
vehicles are routed through other less-obstructed intersections.
The two preceding paragraphs, and variations of Figure A with more or fewer
obstructions at a given point in time, let us say an hour, not only describe and
portray the daily motor vehicle traffic situation in many cities in the modern,
urbanized world, they describe a relationship that has been building in numerous
cities over many decades. Namely, traffic congestion tends to be part-and-parcel of
the urbanization process.
7 |Barry Wellar
8. Traffic Gridlock: A Bad, MisLeading Metaphor that Makes for Bad, MisDirected Public Policy
Figure A. Graphic Illustration of Traffic Incidents
Causing Blockages of an Urban Traffic Grid
Legend
Green = Streets with unobstructed vehicle traffic flow
Icons = Incidents obstructing vehicle traffic flow
Grey in black border = City block
Icons represent different traffic incidents such as: Collision; Slow-moving city road-work
vehicle; Stopped delivery truck; Stopped sanitation vehicle; Vehicle pulled over by traffic
police; Signal light malfunction; Construction site; OWS demonstration; Vehicle with flat tire;
Funeral procession; Visiting dignitary procession
8 |Barry Wellar
9. Traffic Gridlock: A Bad, MisLeading Metaphor that Makes for Bad, MisDirected Public Policy
That is, urban areas are by definition congested places, congested streets are part
of the overall urban congestion scene, traffic volumes and flows peak and ebb as
part of the larger urban dynamic, and traffic blockages occur with hourly, daily,
weekly, and seasonal patterns. At the lower end of the blockage scale, the
disruptions or obstructions often amount to little more than momentary bouts of
irritation on trips to work or shopping centres, and brief media stories that are of little
consequence to most viewers, listeners, or readers. All part of life in the city.
And, also part of life in the city, are traffic situations which are deemed to be at the
extreme upper end of the blockage scale involving severely acute or acutely severe
traffic congestion situations of apparently doom-like proportions. Word bites used in
media stories, press releases, and other statements to portray or construe these
traffic situations include snarled, jammed, chaos, bumper-to-bumper, and brought to
a standstill, as well as the metaphor of interest in this report, gridlock.
However, and as outlined above, traffic blockage from minimal to extreme and all
levels in between is just part of the larger matter of traffic congestion in general, and
traffic congestion in general is just part of the matter of urban congestion in general.
In this report of limited scope, therefore, consideration of congestion concepts is
limited to using them as context for the metaphors of traffic blockage and traffic
gridlock, and the larger matter of congestion per se is set aside.
Further, there is a very substantive reason for not venturing into the congestion
sphere in this report. Simply put, and has been documented over the past century,
traffic congestion is a complex transportation concept with significant engineering,
economic, geographic, social, planning, political, environmental, technological, and
other implications.
With all due respect to the complexity matter, therefore, it is emphasized that this
report is not about traffic congestion per se. Rather, my focus is two metaphors,
traffic blockage and traffic gridlock. And, to be specific, the intent of the report is to
use the traffic blockage metaphor as a means to discredit and dismiss the traffic
gridlock metaphor which I believe erroneously distorts understanding the role of
motor vehicle congestion in urban places, and obscures/confounds the appropriate
ways and means of considering and addressing urban motor vehicle congestion.
For purposes of illustration, 43 incidents of different kinds of traffic blockage
involving intersections and streets are presented in the illustrative grid, and here is
the kicker. Even if the 43 incidents, or 59 incidents or 71 incidents for that matter,
occurred simultaneously during the peak hour of incoming or outgoing or any other
kind of traffic flow, the grid in Figure A would not be locked. That is, many and
perhaps most of the vehicles could go forwards, backwards, or sideways with little
more than a minor amount of inconvenience.
As shown by Figure A, then, traffic blockage is a good metaphor because it
represents actual, observed motor vehicle traffic events in cities around the world,
and the phenomenon of traffic blockage is similar to other kinds of blockages
9 |Barry Wellar
10. Traffic Gridlock: A Bad, MisLeading Metaphor that Makes for Bad, MisDirected Public Policy
experienced by people on an everyday basis. Further, this is a standalone metaphor
that requires minimal if any interpretation. As evidence in this regard, discussions
reveal that children in elementary school who walk or ride bicycles know full well
what obstructions and blockages affecting walk traffic and cycling traffic mean in
real world terms. Presumably adults are no less astute when it comes to
understanding blockages of motor vehicle traffic.
With traffic blockage as the (good) metaphor of context, we now move on to the
metaphor of primary interest,”traffic gridlock”,
Figure B is based on the same street grid as Figure A, but instead of bits and pieces
of motor vehicle traffic blockage here and there, what we now have is a situation
wherein numerous intersections and street segments inside the perimeter of the grid
are obstructed to the degree and extent that traffic is totally locked in or it is totally
locked out of much of the grid. As a result, motor vehicle traffic in this area (inside
the perimeter streets and intersections) cannot move forwards, cannot move
backwards, and cannot move sideways. Traffic is gridlocked. Or, to re-phrase, it is
paralyzed.
Which leads to the question, “Could traffic blockage ever become a traffic gridlock
event, and thereby justify use of the traffic gridlock metaphor to describe traffic
blockage that renders a grid or a non-trivial portion of a grid paralyzed?”
The answer is, “Of course, but, and this is a huge but, the likelihood of ever
witnessing such an event based on the record to date is about the same as
witnessing a flying pig”.
By way of brief explanation, to get from Figure A to Figure B requires that every
street segment is plugged and every intersection is totally obstructed at the same
time so that motor vehicle traffic is precluded from entering, moving within, or
leaving the gridlocked zone. At the risk of entering into the domain of extreme
hyperbole, what I believe it would take to reach such a state might be appropriately
described as a raging epidemic of incidents occurring not just in short order, but
originating from the centre of the gridlocked area and moving rapidly, systematically,
and relentlessly outwards in a street-after-street and intersection-after-intersection
fashion.
As to the likelihood of that happening, and hence the flying pig metaphor,
widespread searches and solicitations -- including a request that the City of Ottawa
ask the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) to provide evidence to support
its assertion of traffic gridlock in Canadian cities -- have been totally unsuccessful to
date. (Note: Communications on the City of Ottawa-FCM traffic gridlock matter are
included in Appendix A.)
That is, no evidence has been located or received which establishes that a traffic
blockage situation in Canada has ever amounted to a traffic gridlock situation
covering even as few as a dozen city blocks.
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11. Traffic Gridlock: A Bad, MisLeading Metaphor that Makes for Bad, MisDirected Public Policy
Figure B. Graphic Illustration of Traffic Incidents
Causing Urban Traffic Gridlock
Legend
Green = Streets with unobstructed vehicle traffic flow
Icons = Incidents obstructing vehicle traffic flow
Grey in black border = City block
Dashed yellow line = Gridlocked area
Icons represent different traffic incidents such as: Collision; Slow-moving city road-work
vehicle; Stopped delivery truck; Stopped sanitation vehicle; Vehicle pulled over by traffic
police; Signal light malfunction; Construction site; OWS demonstration; Vehicle with flat tire;
Funeral procession; Visiting dignitary procession
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12. Traffic Gridlock: A Bad, MisLeading Metaphor that Makes for Bad, MisDirected Public Policy
In the previous report, Traffic Gridlock: The Real Deal or a Pile of Nonsense? I did
not refer to the metaphor aspect. However, upon reflection it appears that the choice
of the word Nonsense may have been prescient.
Long story short, not only has no evidence been located or provided to establish
that a non-trivial traffic gridlock event has occurred anywhere in Canada, but no
evidence has been found which demonstrates that any Canadian media story or
Canadian-based Google result defines traffic gridlock in structural or functional
terms.
As illustrated by the flying pig example, metaphors can entertain, capture the
imagination, etc., and frequently serve a provocative, productive, and often fun
purpose.
However, when a metaphor such as “traffic gridlock” is repeatedly used in all
seriousness for political, planning, engineering, media reporting, and other public
interest purposes, but upon critical examination comes off at best as a pile of
nonsense which deliberately or inadvertently distorts or misconstrues reality, it
appears fair to conclude that the metaphor is bad and mis-leading.
At best.
4. “Traffic Gridlock”: A Bad, Mis-Leading Metaphor that Makes for
Bad, Mis-Directed Public Policy
It is possible that although “traffic gridlock” is a bad, mis-leading metaphor, it could
be the basis of good public policy.
However, recalling my experiences of seven years in the Government of Canada,
30 years as a professor engaged in public policy teaching and research, and more
than 40 years of engagement in civic affairs as a community activist, I have no idea
whatsoever how a bad, mis-leading metaphor like “traffic gridlock” could logically
yield good public policy.
Moreover, I have no precedents to follow, since I have never encountered even a
single claim by any government at any level in Canada that it had achieved good,
public policy on the basis of a bad, mis-leading metaphor.
Accepting that I could be in error, second opinions were sought, and this was done
by communications with former and current policy advisors and transportation
planners and traffic engineers in Canada and the U.S. Their unanimous response
was that good public policy is based as a general rule on high-quality information
which is derived from substantive research studies, and making a public policy
decision on the basis of a bad metaphor is a recipe for an outcome ranging between
boondoggle and disaster. To a person, they commented that they would never use
or consider using a bad metaphor as the foundation of a public policy formation
process.
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13. Traffic Gridlock: A Bad, MisLeading Metaphor that Makes for Bad, MisDirected Public Policy
After due consideration, I do not find any reason to pursue this matter. I believe on
the basis of the evidence which I have compiled that “traffic gridlock” is a bad mis-
directed metaphor that must of necessity make for bad, mis-leading policy, end of
story. Keeping an open mind however, I invite being corrected by anyone who has
substantive evidence to the contrary.
5. Conclusion
In a previous publication, Traffic Gridlock: The Real Deal or a Pile of Nonsense?, I
reported on a study which applied several research procedures to examine media
stories and Google search items containing the terms “traffic gridlock” or “gridlock”
implying traffic gridlock. The objective was to ascertain whether the media stories
and Google items establish that traffic gridlock is a real deal matter, or whether the
stories and items contribute to a pile of nonsense. The finding was that 99% of the
stories and items belong in the nonsense pile.
Upon publication of that report a number of questions and suggestions arose,
including my own. In particular, I wondered, How was it that so many elected
officials, journalists, professional planners and engineers, and numerous others
make statements based on what unequivocally appears to be a nonsensical
concept, notion, construct, whatever? And, I also wondered, How could so many of
them seem to earnestly use a nonsensical concept, notion, construct, whatever, in
association with public transport/traffic policy, and/or the quest for public funds for
road network expansions, modifications, etc.?
While contemplating the preparation of a research project proposal to investigate
those and other related questions, an exchange of communications with Prof.
William Garrison raised the possibility that the root of the problem which I was
investigating could be metaphorical in nature. That is, “traffic gridlock” may be a
bad, mis-leading metaphor which, if accepted at face value could be the basis of
flawed media stories and Google search items, and could also be the basis of mis-
directed public policies.
This report explores that possibility, and for context and evaluative purposes the
good metaphor “traffic blockage” is introduced to graphically demonstrate that ‘traffic
gridlock” is a bad, mis-leading metaphor for a variety of reasons.
The report is then concluded by discussing the implications of basing a public policy
decision on a bad, mis-leading metaphor. Based on my experience as a policy
advisor, researcher, and consultant, the implications are totally negative, a position
which is shared by an informal panel of policy advisors, transportation planners, and
traffic engineers. The panel is in unanimous agreement that advocating or acting on
the basis of a bad, mis-leading metaphor such as “traffic gridlock” is a sure-fire
recipe for promoting or achieving a bad, mis-directed public policy.
I therefore close the report by suggesting that the validity of the title of the report has
been established, and by posing a question for possible future reference.
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14. Traffic Gridlock: A Bad, MisLeading Metaphor that Makes for Bad, MisDirected Public Policy
That is, in the absence of substantive evidence which counters the design and
findings of Traffic Gridlock: The Real Deal or a Pile of Nonsense? and Traffic
Gridlock: A Bad, Mis-Leading Metaphor that Makes for Bad, Mis-Directed Public
Policy, what should thinking, concerned citizens make of an elected official,
journalist, professional planner, professional engineer, developer, or other shaper of
our cities who uses a bad, mis-leading metaphor as the basis of his or her position
on an important public policy matter?
Appendix A.
Request that Mayor and Councillors, City of Ottawa, make an inquiry to the
Federation of Canadian Municipalities regarding use of the phrase “traffic gridlock”
in a letter sent by the Federation to the Editor, Ottawa Citizen
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mayor and Councillors, October 26, 2011
City of Ottawa
Re: Smarter spending (editorial, Ottawa Citizen, Oct. 19) and Infrastructure lacking
(letter, Ottawa Citizen, Oct. 21)
Dear Mayor and Councillors,
In my opinion the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) erred in its letter
responding to the Citizen editorial, and I suggest that the organization needs to re-
think a significant part of the argument that is being put forward to obtain increased
funding for infrastructure purposes.
I believe it is generally accepted that many Canadian municipalities are in grim
financial and physical condition due to existing and impending infrastructure failures,
no bone of contention there. However, I suggest that using so-called “traffic gridlock”
to make the case about the transportation component is an unfortunate choice by
the Federation.
In the first place, much of the current, motor vehicle traffic situation was created by
municipal councils that approved car-oriented regional shopping centres, and round
after round of low-density housing sprawl, and were then obliged to spend large
amounts of money year after year on road-building schemes to accommodate the
spawned traffic.
After decades of road-building, however, the chickens are coming home to roost as
more of the road network deteriorates, and councils scratch to find the money to
cover the ever-growing repair bills.
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15. Traffic Gridlock: A Bad, MisLeading Metaphor that Makes for Bad, MisDirected Public Policy
And, to compound the problem, some local governments are digging themselves
into deeper financial holes by continuing to budget for new road network expansions
and extensions while delaying repairs to their existing networks.
Second, the report “Traffic Gridlock: The Real Deal or a Pile of Nonsense”
concludes that more than 99% of the references to “traffic gridlock” in the media and
in materials obtained via Google searches have no basis in evidence. transport-
action.ca/dc/Wellar_TrafficGridlock
Moreover, and this is why mentioning traffic gridlock by FCM is such a poor
bargaining ploy, any evidence of actual traffic gridlock at the national scale -- motor
vehicle traffic grinds to a complete stop over multiple-block areas for hours at a time
on a daily basis in numerous Canadian cities -- is undeniable confirmation of poor
urban management over many years by municipal and provincial governments
wherever so-called traffic gridlock events occur.
I hasten to add that if FCM does in fact have traffic gridlock evidence to counter my
research findings and/or statements in this letter, your assistance in obtaining
access to the evidence would be most appreciated.
And, on the other hand, if the claim by FCM is not supported by substantive
evidence, may I suggest that Council send a communication to the Federation and
propose that the faulty “traffic gridlock” notion be replaced by an argument which is
consistent with the Citizen editorial call for clearer thinking and more informed
choices about how public monies are spent for what purposes.
Barry Wellar
890 Ridley Blvd.
Ottawa, ON K2A 3P5
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-mail confirmation that the letter of October 26, 2011 from B. Wellar was received
by the Clerk’s Office, City of Ottawa and that notification was sent to Mayor and
Members of Council on October 27, 2011.
From: Whelan, Dawn [mailto:Dawn.Whelan@ottawa.ca]
Sent: October 27, 2011 11:48 AM
To: =City Council
Cc: wellarb@uottawa.ca; Donnelly, Leslie; O'Connor, M. Rick; Piamonte, Vickie
Subject: FW: Letter to Mayor and Councillors
Importance: High
Mayor and Members of Council,
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16. Traffic Gridlock: A Bad, MisLeading Metaphor that Makes for Bad, MisDirected Public Policy
Please find attached correspondence received from Mr. Barry Wellar, with respect to
“Smarter spending (editorial, Ottawa Citizen, Oct. 19) and Infrastructure
lacking (letter, Ottawa Citizen, Oct. 21”.
Dawn Whelan
A/Program Manager
Council and Standing Committees Unit
and Council Coordinator
City of Ottawa
Telephone: 580-2424, Ext. 21837
Facsimile: 580-9609
E-mail: dawn.whelan@ottawa.ca
Mail Code: 01-71
From: Bird, Dan [mailto:Dan.Bird@ottawa.ca] On Behalf Of Taylor, Mark
Sent: October 27, 2011 4:16 PM
To: wellarb@uottawa.ca
Subject: FW: Letter to Mayor and Councillors
Importance: High
Hi Mr. Wellar,
Dawn Whelan forwarded your e‐mail to our office. I have given it to Councillor Mark
Taylor for his review and reply. I expect he will reply to you within two weeks.
Regards,
Dan Bird
Special Assistant to the Councillor
Office of Councillor Mark Taylor, Bay Ward
Daniel.Bird@Ottawa.ca
BayWardLive.ca
Phone 613.580.2477 Fax 613.580.2517 Ext. 26844
Address 110 Laurier Avenue West Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
From: Barry Wellar [mailto:wellarb@uottawa.ca]
Sent: October 27, 2011 4:47 PM
To: 'Taylor, Mark'
Subject: RE: Letter to Mayor and Councillors
Thank you, Mr. Bird.
I do not know which member(s) of council is/are the City of Ottawa delegate(s) to
FCM but, should council consider proceeding with a communication to FCM
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17. Traffic Gridlock: A Bad, MisLeading Metaphor that Makes for Bad, MisDirected Public Policy
expressing my concerns, Mr. Taylor may wish to inform council and the delegate(s)
that I have been involved in FCM matters as far back as the 1970s, and my current
interest is of a positive nature, that is, to suggest how FCM might improve the case
that it is appears to be making in an attempt to persuade the federal government to
give proper regard to the role that local governments play in the national economy.
Dr. Barry Wellar, MCIP
Professor Emeritus
Department of Geography
University of Ottawa
Ottawa ON K1N 6N5
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reply from City of Ottawa Councillor Mark Taylor regarding Request that Mayor and
Councillors, City of Ottawa, make an inquiry to the Federation of Canadian
Municipalities regarding use of the phrase “traffic gridlock” in a letter sent by the
Federation to the Editor, Ottawa Citizen.
From: Bird, Dan [mailto:Dan.Bird@ottawa.ca] On Behalf Of Taylor, Mark
Sent: November 15, 2011 4:39 PM
To: wellarb@uottawa.ca
Subject: FW: Letter to Mayor and Councillors
Importance: High
Dear Mr. Wellar,
Thank you for e‐mailing me your response to Federation of Canadian Municipalities Ottawa
President Berry Vrbanovic’s letter to the Ottawa Citizen. I am pleased to respond.
The 2012 City of Ottawa Draft Budget makes significant investments both in road repairs
and in transit, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure. Knowing your keen interest in
municipal affairs, I am sure you have reviewed the draft budget and I look forward to
talking about it with you at Committee.
Once again, thank you for your e‐mail.
Sincerely,
Mark Taylor
Ottawa City Councillor, Bay Ward
Comment on reply from Councillor Taylor. My communication is all about “traffic
gridlock”, and the letter is devoid of any reference to the matter of concern. Reminds
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18. Traffic Gridlock: A Bad, MisLeading Metaphor that Makes for Bad, MisDirected Public Policy
me of the days when I gave zeroes (0’s) to students whose answers on exams had
nothing to do with the questions asked.
STATUS OF FILE
As of the completion date of this report, November 27, 2011, the letter of October
26, 2011 has not been responded to by the mayor, council, or the transportation
committee, City of Ottawa, or the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
About the Author
Barry Wellar is Professor Emeritus, University of Ottawa, Distinguished Research
Fellow, Transport Action Canada, Policy and Research Advisor, Federation of
Urban Neighbourhoods, and Principal, Wellar Consulting Inc. He is a Registered
Professional Planner (RPP) in Ontario, and a Member of the Canadian Institute of
Planners (MCIP).
He has appeared as an expert witness before the Ontario Municipal Board, and has
been retained as an expert witness in civil actions involving transportation safety
and associated standard of care issues in Ontario and Saskatchewan. Dr. Wellar is
the author of more than 150 papers in the transportation domain, and has received
the Anderson Medal and the Ullman Award for his internationally recognized
achievements in applied transportation research, and the Horwood Award for his
research and leadership in the field of urban and regional information systems.
Recent projects and associated publications include: Methodologies for
Identifying and Ranking Sustainable Transport Practices in Urban Regions
which was undertaken for Transport Canada; Transportation: Inspiring a
Sustainability Action Agenda which was presented at the 2011 Sustainable
Community Summit: Identifying Barriers and Providing Solutions organized by Yasir
Naqvi, MPP, Ottawa Centre, ynaqvi.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org; and Thoughts about a
New Generation of U.S. Spatial Adjustments and the Implications for Canada
and the Algoma Region, seminar on U.S. Geography, Department of Geography
& Geology, Algoma University, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Fall Semester, 2011.
Information about Dr. Wellar’s academic, research, public service, community
service, and consulting activities and productions can be found at various websites,
including wellarconsulting.com, transport2000.ca, slideshare.net,
urbanneighbourhoods.ca, urisa.org, and http://www.geomatics.uottawa.ca/
In addition, a Google search for “B. Wellar” and “Barry Wellar” yields a number of
results.
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