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I could do without the Web 2.0 hype, but the table of contents does look very interesting: it's basically an introduction to a particular subset of machine lear

by neilc 19y ago

I could do without the Web 2.0 hype, but the table of contents does look very interesting: it's basically an introduction to a particular subset of machine learning/data mining. I'd love to see more focus on solving these kinds of hard problems, and less on rounded corners and AJAX, among the "Web 2.0" crowd.

trekker7 19y ago
Exactly! "Web 2.0" has somewhat of a bad image because people think of the flash instead of the substance. "Web 2.0" actually has a lot of deep technology to it; I think "harnessing human intelligence" is a technical trend that will continue for decades. The hard part is figuring out unique, useful ways of algorithmically working with user generated data, which in turn would lead to new categories of applications.
samson 19y ago
I agree, AJAX really is only a tool for whats actually going on in the web right now. A sophisticated website is not one where ajax is at the core, I think its one where everytime the user visits and actively participates with the site, the user experience gets better the next time they come.
plinkplonk 19y ago
I still think Peter Norvig's "Artificial Intelligence" book plus a good book on Data Mining (someone suggested Frank and Witten above) might deliver more value than this. As Henning pointed out above , there aren't enough pages to cover even a few of the topics properly. It looks like the coverage is fairly thin and lacking in depth, and is more of a "some basic AI algorithms for the hot topic of the day" type book. I haven't seen the book yet but the table of contents makes me suspect the quality. "Support Vector Machines" for example are fairly complex beasts. The book has one section (from what I can see on the TOC) about SVMs. Norvig's AIMA is a brilliant book precisely because it lays a solid foundation for so much of AI. And it is still a very hefty book. I somehow doubt that this is of the same caliber. But hey, I could be wrong. Just a personal opinion and not to dampen anyone's enthusiasm.
Readmore 19y ago
I agree completely. Web 2.0 isn't about flashy web graphics it's about understanding how to bring users together in such a way that you create something new and exciting. Data-mining is the best way to generate actual businesses from 'Web 2.0' anything that helps people get their feet wet in this complex field is worth while.

by neilc 19y ago

trekker7 19y ago

Exactly! "Web 2.0" has somewhat of a bad image because people think of the flash instead of the substance. "Web 2.0" actually has a lot of deep technology to it; I think "harnessing human intelligence" is a technical trend that will continue for decades. The hard part is figuring out unique, useful ways of algorithmically working with user generated data, which in turn would lead to new categories of applications.

samson 19y ago

I agree, AJAX really is only a tool for whats actually going on in the web right now. A sophisticated website is not one where ajax is at the core, I think its one where everytime the user visits and actively participates with the site, the user experience gets better the next time they come.

plinkplonk 19y ago

I still think Peter Norvig's "Artificial Intelligence" book plus a good book on Data Mining (someone suggested Frank and Witten above) might deliver more value than this. As Henning pointed out above , there aren't enough pages to cover even a few of the topics properly. It looks like the coverage is fairly thin and lacking in depth, and is more of a "some basic AI algorithms for the hot topic of the day" type book. I haven't seen the book yet but the table of contents makes me suspect the quality. "Support Vector Machines" for example are fairly complex beasts. The book has one section (from what I can see on the TOC) about SVMs. Norvig's AIMA is a brilliant book precisely because it lays a solid foundation for so much of AI. And it is still a very hefty book. I somehow doubt that this is of the same caliber. But hey, I could be wrong. Just a personal opinion and not to dampen anyone's enthusiasm.

Readmore 19y ago

I agree completely. Web 2.0 isn't about flashy web graphics it's about understanding how to bring users together in such a way that you create something new and exciting. Data-mining is the best way to generate actual businesses from 'Web 2.0' anything that helps people get their feet wet in this complex field is worth while.