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Sentiment is running high but I doubt we are out of the woods. The S&P500 has continued its upward trajectory, by 3.11% in July, while the cumulative gains over the past 3 months stand at 10.06%. surging Obviously, the Fed’s indication that it might pivot has contributed to the positive sentiment among investors. However, it's also worth noting the resilience of the US economy, which has played a significant role in this outlook. The unemployment rate currently hovers between 3.5% and 3.6%, near 50-year lows. Remarkable. To top it up, the latest for Q2 2023 came in slightly higher than expected for most companies, further improving the market’s confidence. earning reports But despite this renewed optimism, the market remains dire and the higher sentiment should be a cause for concern for any investor. BTC Maintains Resilience Despite Falling Volumes Bitcoin's price remained relatively stable in Q2, even as altcoins like BNB experienced double-digit drawdowns. The latest by Coingecko reveals that BTC outperformed the overall crypto market cap by 6.9%, though it lagged behind the Nasdaq and S&P 500, which gained 14% and 8% respectively. This is interesting as BTC usually behaves like a risk asset and typically outperforms the Nasdaq both to the upside and downside. report Will BTC hold up if the equities market tumbles? Time will tell. However, in spite of BTC's resilience, the declining volumes and activity in the crypto space are evident. Monthly volumes are the lowest they've been since November 2020. Industry Shakers PayPal launches dollar-backed stablecoin On Monday, PayPal unveiled a stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar, aiming to enhance its array of cryptocurrency offerings. This marks an unprecedented step by a prominent U.S. financial entity. The newly introduced asset, named PayPal USD (PYUSD), targets the budding possibilities of revolutionizing transactions in Web3 and other digital-first landscapes. US Court Dismisses Class Action Against Tether & Bitfinex Last week, Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain of the Southern District of New York delivered a concise 6-page verdict, dismissing the class action by Matthew Anderson and Shawn Dolifka against Tether and Bitfinex. The Court determined that the plaintiffs' claim did not present any “plausible allegations of injury”, noting the absence of evidence indicating any actual depreciation in the value of "USDT. Hong Kong debuts retail crypto trading with HashKey and OSL Cryptocurrency trading is finally expanding to individual investors in Hong Kong as regulatory approvals are being granted to local exchanges. HashKey, a digital asset firm, has secured all required licensing to transition from professional to retail users, a move announced on August 3. Along with HashKey, another Hong Kong-based crypto firm, OSL, has also upgraded its existing license from the SFC, allowing the exchange to legally offer Bitcoin and Ether trading to retail investors. Revolut enables crypto withdrawals to external wallets Revolut sent out an email to its European retail users yesterday with the intention to finally abolish its walled garden and allow for deposits and withdrawals of BTC and a number of other crypto assets. This is a long-awaited feature for many of Revoluts users and is something the company has been delaying again and again. The news comes out at the same Revolut is announcing its in the US. Interesting development. discontinuance of crypto services Also published . here

Bulls in Charge While Uncertainty Persists

Bertrade de Montfort had been posted off to France in charge of her mother

By Nenad Zaric, Co-founder and CEO at Trickest Every industry generates massive amounts of data, which is now being used for better decision-making — tech giants understand this. For example, streaming powerhouse Netflix implements data analytics to study viewers’ visual preferences and adjusts content thumbnails to similar content its users have liked to increase viewership. The rise of AI is further influencing this trend, helping companies make sense of their datasets to uncover weaknesses and predict outcomes. However, these advancements are no longer exclusive to engineers, managers, and IT teams who grapple with data daily. This information is increasingly climbing the ladder and knocking on executive’s doors. In fact, one of today’s most pressing challenges for executives is data privacy concerns and cybersecurity. It has never been more important to make key decisions toward better data governance, and data skills are necessary to understand the specific risks and demands a company faces. So, reading reports an engineer crafted with dedicated software programs is no longer enough. A concerning report revealed that only half of C-suite executives were confident in their data literacy, and 45% made decisions based on their gut feeling instead of data-backed facts. Modern executives must have data skills to understand the flow of valuable data in their company and know how to make it work for them, not the other way around. From crucial decision-making to infusing data culture and enabling democratization, positive company changes stemming from data analysis must start at the top. Spot pain points in minutes, not days When a company decides to change directions, these choices begin at the executive level and trickle down to managers and workers — nothing new there. But, while an exceptional leader has always been crucial in driving change, it’s how they do it that is shifting. C-suite directors are in charge of crafting better strategy, financial performance, risk management, and corporate governance, and data is becoming increasingly connected to all of these activities. Imagine you’re meeting with the Head of Sales to discuss the sudden performance drop of a fan-favorite item in your online store. You can’t seem to connect the dots from the sales report you’ve received, and it becomes a hurdle to decode the issue. One skill that can help executives and department heads easily uncover patterns for weak performance is data visualization. Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, and Looker Studio are some of the most prominent data visualization tools. They are easily accessible from popular corporate programs (Salesforce, Office 365, and Google Studio) and help analyze massive amounts of data in visually appealing ways. While you don’t need to be a data scientist to use them, setting up and building charts requires certain data skills and tech acumen, or at least prior training. Whether from a data science and visualization course at Harvard, or self-taught online classes, a few hours and hands-on practice will be time well spent to hone your data visualization skills. With this newfound talent, you can aid and guide department leaders to the answers to their performance questions. In this case, you would pivot to the online sales data in the company database using visualization to track downtime and realize the fan-favorite item’s link has been down, leading to that drop in sales. Expertise in data visualization tools allows executives to stay ahead of the curve in every business vertical by quickly analyzing pain points and understanding what their verticals need. This leads to improved strategies and more accurate decision-making at a fraction of the time it takes to crunch vital datasets. KYC: Know Your Cybersecurity While data management isn’t an executive’s role in itself, knowing its ins and outs allows them to understand the company's successes and areas for improvement. When data increasingly plays a vital role in a business, ensuring that it is being properly managed and secured can save leaders major headaches in the future. Does your company practice master data management? Does it have an outdated data lake that’s slowing down processes? How is sensitive data access managed? These are governance questions investors, stakeholders, and partners might ask, and you must be ready to understand and navigate these concepts. Moreover, adopting good cybersecurity practices starts at the top — especially when 63% of security professionals say users with access to critical business data are their biggest data risk. Knowing the basics of cybersecurity and current trends not only allows top-level roles to mitigate risks from their end but also helps them foresee their IT teams’ needs, like allocating a budget for better endpoint security and enforcing staff training. Beyond courses and academic work, data governance and cybersecurity at a C-suite level are more easily learned through conversations with experts. You can resort to networking and approaching other industry leaders and even your own staff to gauge these concepts and what they mean for your company. As a result, instead of wrestling to understand the demands of security professionals, data-savvy executives will know when needs are pressing or if they can wait, making wiser and more objective business choices alongside their team leaders. Make data work for you — not the other way around There was a time when data was only one of many business assets, something you generate but store for audits or other compliance purposes. Those days are gone, especially as we move toward data-driven solutions that thrive primarily on how a company can implement data for other use cases. Data is no longer a stagnant asset — it can make you money if you derive the right value from it. Knowing the value of your data is only possible if you’re well-informed about it and know its potential. Executives with data skills will be able to take the lead and inject their data into better risk management strategies, extract customer data to improve marketing, and further implement it into AI tools to speed up business processes. Grasping these concepts also impacts the way you communicate with stakeholders. Expressing the importance of data security, governance, and even democratization for your company must come across as more than numbers and graphs — they wish to know the real value of these practices. By clearly explaining the importance of safeguarding data and placing it front and center of your operations, stakeholders will be on the same page about business decisions. Simply put, skipping the data-related courses will do nothing for future executives. In fact, nowadays, being able to run a successful company is directly linked to your data knowledge. So, prioritize these skills if you don’t have them, and make sure to pitch them as a worthwhile talent when climbing the ladder; they will be key to your success. By Nenad Zaric , Co-founder and CEO at Trickest Nenad Zaric Nenad Zaric Trickest Trickest Every industry generates massive amounts of data, which is now being used for better decision-making — tech giants understand this. For example, streaming powerhouse Netflix implements data analytics to study viewers’ visual preferences and adjusts content thumbnails to similar content its users have liked to increase viewership. Netflix Netflix The rise of AI is further influencing this trend, helping companies make sense of their datasets to uncover weaknesses and predict outcomes. However, these advancements are no longer exclusive to engineers, managers, and IT teams who grapple with data daily. This information is increasingly climbing the ladder and knocking on executive’s doors. In fact, one of today’s most pressing challenges for executives is data privacy concerns and cybersecurity . data privacy concerns and cybersecurity data privacy concerns and cybersecurity It has never been more important to make key decisions toward better data governance, and data skills are necessary to understand the specific risks and demands a company faces. So, reading reports an engineer crafted with dedicated software programs is no longer enough. A concerning report revealed that only half of C-suite executives were confident in their data literacy, and 45% made decisions based on their gut feeling instead of data-backed facts. only half of C-suite executives only half of C-suite executives Modern executives must have data skills to understand the flow of valuable data in their company and know how to make it work for them, not the other way around. From crucial decision-making to infusing data culture and enabling democratization, positive company changes stemming from data analysis must start at the top. Spot pain points in minutes, not days When a company decides to change directions, these choices begin at the executive level and trickle down to managers and workers — nothing new there. But, while an exceptional leader has always been crucial in driving change, it’s how they do it that is shifting. C-suite directors are in charge of crafting better strategy, financial performance, risk management, and corporate governance, and data is becoming increasingly connected to all of these activities. Imagine you’re meeting with the Head of Sales to discuss the sudden performance drop of a fan-favorite item in your online store. You can’t seem to connect the dots from the sales report you’ve received, and it becomes a hurdle to decode the issue. One skill that can help executives and department heads easily uncover patterns for weak performance is data visualization. Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, and Looker Studio are some of the most prominent data visualization tools. They are easily accessible from popular corporate programs (Salesforce, Office 365, and Google Studio) and help analyze massive amounts of data in visually appealing ways. While you don’t need to be a data scientist to use them, setting up and building charts requires certain data skills and tech acumen, or at least prior training. Whether from a data science and visualization course at Harvard, or self-taught online classes, a few hours and hands-on practice will be time well spent to hone your data visualization skills. With this newfound talent, you can aid and guide department leaders to the answers to their performance questions. In this case, you would pivot to the online sales data in the company database using visualization to track downtime and realize the fan-favorite item’s link has been down, leading to that drop in sales. Expertise in data visualization tools allows executives to stay ahead of the curve in every business vertical by quickly analyzing pain points and understanding what their verticals need. This leads to improved strategies and more accurate decision-making at a fraction of the time it takes to crunch vital datasets. KYC: Know Your Cybersecurity While data management isn’t an executive’s role in itself, knowing its ins and outs allows them to understand the company's successes and areas for improvement. When data increasingly plays a vital role in a business, ensuring that it is being properly managed and secured can save leaders major headaches in the future. Does your company practice master data management ? Does it have an outdated data lake that’s slowing down processes? How is sensitive data access managed? These are governance questions investors, stakeholders, and partners might ask, and you must be ready to understand and navigate these concepts. master data management master data management Moreover, adopting good cybersecurity practices starts at the top — especially when 63% of security professionals say users with access to critical business data are their biggest data risk. Knowing the basics of cybersecurity and current trends not only allows top-level roles to mitigate risks from their end but also helps them foresee their IT teams’ needs, like allocating a budget for better endpoint security and enforcing staff training. 63% 63% Beyond courses and academic work, data governance and cybersecurity at a C-suite level are more easily learned through conversations with experts. You can resort to networking and approaching other industry leaders and even your own staff to gauge these concepts and what they mean for your company. As a result, instead of wrestling to understand the demands of security professionals, data-savvy executives will know when needs are pressing or if they can wait, making wiser and more objective business choices alongside their team leaders. Make data work for you — not the other way around There was a time when data was only one of many business assets, something you generate but store for audits or other compliance purposes. Those days are gone, especially as we move toward data-driven solutions that thrive primarily on how a company can implement data for other use cases. Data is no longer a stagnant asset — it can make you money if you derive the right value from it. Knowing the value of your data is only possible if you’re well-informed about it and know its potential. Executives with data skills will be able to take the lead and inject their data into better risk management strategies, extract customer data to improve marketing, and further implement it into AI tools to speed up business processes. value of your data value of your data AI tools AI tools Grasping these concepts also impacts the way you communicate with stakeholders. Expressing the importance of data security, governance, and even democratization for your company must come across as more than numbers and graphs — they wish to know the real value of these practices. By clearly explaining the importance of safeguarding data and placing it front and center of your operations, stakeholders will be on the same page about business decisions. Simply put, skipping the data-related courses will do nothing for future executives. In fact, nowadays, being able to run a successful company is directly linked to your data knowledge. So, prioritize these skills if you don’t have them, and make sure to pitch them as a worthwhile talent when climbing the ladder; they will be key to your success.

Why C-Suite Executives Won’t Cut it Without Data Skills Anymore

কেন C-Suite এক্সিকিউটিভরা ডেটা দক্ষতা ছাড়া এটিকে আর কাটবে না

Warum Führungskräfte auf oberster Führungsebene ohne Datenkenntnisse nicht mehr weiterkommen

Por qué los ejecutivos de C-Suite ya no lo lograrán sin habilidades de datos

Pourquoi les cadres supérieurs ne réussiront plus sans compétences en données

सी-सूट के अधिकारी अब डेटा कौशल के बिना काम क्यों नहीं कर पाएंगे

経営幹部がデータスキルなしでは役に立たない理由

최고 경영진이 더 이상 데이터 기술 없이는 성공하지 못하는 이유

Por que os executivos C-Suite não vão mais trabalhar sem habilidades em dados

Почему руководители высшего звена больше не справятся без навыков работы с данными

Üst Düzey Yöneticiler Neden Artık Veri Becerileri Olmadan İşini Kesmiyor?

Tại sao các nhà điều hành C-Suite sẽ không làm việc nếu không có kỹ năng dữ liệu nữa

为什么高管们不再需要具备数据技能

UMG Recordings, Inc. v. Verizon Communications Inc., Court Filing, retrieved on January 29, 2024, is part of HackerNoon’s Legal PDF Series. You can jump to any part of this filing here. This part is 1 of 11. PLAINTIFFS’ ORIGINAL COMPLAINT Plaintiffs UMG Recordings, Inc. and Capitol Records, LLC (collectively, “UMG” or the “Universal Plaintiffs”); Plaintiffs Asylum Records LLC, Atlantic Recording Corporation, Atlantic Records Group LLC, Bad Boy Records LLC, Big Beat Records Inc., Elektra Entertainment Group Inc., Elektra Entertainment LLC, Fueled by Ramen LLC, Lava Records LLC, Maverick Recording Company, Nonesuch Records Inc., Rhino Entertainment Company, Rhino Entertainment LLC, Roadrunner Records, Inc., Rykodisc, Inc., Warner Music Inc., Warner Music International Services Limited, Warner Music Latina Inc., Warner Music Nashville LLC, Warner Records Inc., Warner Records LLC, Warner Records/QRI Venture, Inc., and Warner Records/SIRE Ventures LLC (collectively, “WMG” or the “Warner Plaintiffs”); Plaintiffs Arista Music, Arista Records, LLC, LaFace Records, LLC, Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Music Entertainment US Latin LLC, Ultra Records, LLC, Volcano Entertainment III, LLC, and Zomba Recording LLC (collectively, “SME” or the “Sony Plaintiffs”); and ABKCO Music & Records, Inc. (“ABKCO,” and together with the Universal Plaintiffs, the Warner Plaintiffs, and the Sony Plaintiffs, the “Record Companies” or “Plaintiffs”), by and through their attorneys Oppenheim + Zebrak, LLP, for their Complaint against defendants Verizon Communications Inc., Verizon Services Corp., and Cellco Partnership (d/b/a Verizon Wireless) (collectively, “Verizon” or “Defendants”), allege, on personal knowledge as to matters relating to themselves and on information and belief as to all other matters, as follows: INTRODUCTION 1. Verizon is one of the largest Internet Service Providers (“ISPs”) in the country and knowingly provides its high-speed service to a massive community of online pirates, who it knows repeatedly use that service to infringe Plaintiffs’ copyrights. Over the past few years alone, Plaintiffs sent Verizon hundreds of thousands of copyright infringement notices. Those notices identify specific subscribers on Verizon’s network stealing Plaintiffs’ sound recordings through peer-to-peer (“P2P”) file-sharing networks that are notorious hotbeds for copyright infringement. While Verizon is famous for its “Can you hear me now?” advertising campaign, it has intentionally chosen not to listen to complaints from copyright owners. Instead of taking action in response to those infringement notices as the law requires, Verizon ignored Plaintiffs’ notices and buried its head in the sand. Undeterred, infringing subscribers identified in Plaintiffs’ notices continued to use Verizon’s services to infringe Plaintiffs’ copyrights with impunity. Meanwhile, Verizon continued to provide its high-speed service to thousands of known repeat infringers so it could continue to collect millions of dollars from them. 2. Plaintiffs bring this action against Verizon for contributory and vicarious copyright infringement. Verizon has knowingly contributed to, and reaped substantial profits from, massive copyright infringement committed by tens of thousands of its subscribers. By ignoring Plaintiffs’ notices and its own legal obligations, Verizon facilitated its subscribers’ infringement of Plaintiffs’ copyrights through the continued provision of its high-speed Internet service to known repeat infringers. 3. Plaintiffs are record companies or recorded music businesses that produce, manufacture, distribute, sell, and license commercial sound recordings both in the United States and internationally. Through their enormous investments of money, time, and exceptional creative efforts, Plaintiffs and the recording artists they represent have developed and/or distributed some of the world’s most famous music. Their investments and creative efforts have shaped the musical landscape as we know it, both in the United States and around the world. As a result, Plaintiffs own and/or control exclusive rights to many of the most popular sound recordings performed by classic artists and contemporary superstars, including The Rolling Stones, Ariana Grande, Bob Dylan, Bruno Mars, Elvis Presley, Dua Lipa, Drake, and many more. 4. Verizon markets and sells high-speed Internet services to consumers nationwide. Through the provision of those services, Verizon contributed to and profited from pervasive copyright infringement by its subscribers on P2P file-sharing networks. Verizon’s contribution to its subscribers’ infringement is both willful and extensive, and it renders Verizon equally liable for that infringement. Indeed, for years, Verizon deliberately refused to take action to prevent its customers from using its Internet services to infringe others’ copyrights, including Plaintiffs’ copyrights—even after Verizon was put on notice of particular customers engaging in specific, repeated acts of infringement. 5. Since early 2020, Plaintiffs’ representatives have sent more than 340,000 infringement notices to Verizon. Those notices clearly and unambiguously advised Verizon of its subscribers’ blatant and systematic use of Verizon’s Internet service to illegally download, copy, and distribute Plaintiffs’ copyrighted sound recordings through the P2P network known as BitTorrent. 6. The scope of repeat infringement on Verizon’s network is staggering. Thousands of Verizon subscribers were the subject of 20 or more notices from Plaintiffs, and more than 500 subscribers were the subject of 100 or more notices. One particularly egregious Verizon subscriber was single-handedly the subject of 4,450 infringement notices from Plaintiffs alone. 7. Verizon acknowledged that it received these notices of infringement sent by Plaintiffs’ representatives. Yet rather than taking any steps to address its customers’ illegal use of its network, Verizon deliberately chose to ignore Plaintiffs’ notices, willfully blinding itself to that information and prioritizing its own profits over its legal obligations. 8. It is well-established law that if a party materially assists someone it knows is engaging in copyright infringement, that party is fully liable for the infringement as if it had infringed directly. Further, when a party has a direct financial interest in the infringing activity, and the right and practical ability to stop or limit it, that party also faces liability. Flouting those basic responsibilities, Verizon deliberately turned a blind eye to its subscribers’ infringement. Verizon failed to terminate or otherwise take any meaningful action against the accounts of repeat infringers of which it was aware. Instead, Verizon routinely thumbed its nose at Plaintiffs by continuing to provide its service to subscribers it knew to be serially infringing Plaintiffs’ copyrighted sound recordings. In reality, Verizon operated its service as an attractive tool and safe haven for infringement. 9. Verizon has derived an obvious and direct financial benefit from its subscribers’ infringement. The unlimited ability to download and distribute Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works through Verizon’s service has served as a draw for Verizon to attract, retain, and charge higher fees to infringing subscribers. By failing to terminate the accounts of specific recidivist infringers known to Verizon, Verizon obtained a direct financial benefit from those subscribers’ continuing infringing activity. That financial benefit included improper revenue that Verizon would not have received had it appropriately shut down those accounts as well as the costs that Verizon saved by failing to implement an effective repeat infringer program. In other words, Verizon decided not to terminate repeat infringers because it wanted to maintain the revenue generated from those subscribers’ accounts. 10. To be clear, the infringing activity of Verizon’s subscribers that is the subject of Plaintiffs’ claims, and for which Verizon is secondarily liable, all occurred after Verizon received multiple notices of each subscriber’s infringing activity. Plaintiffs seek damages for infringement of their sound recordings by Verizon subscribers after those particular subscribers were identified to Verizon in multiple infringement notices. Continue Reading Here. About HackerNoon Legal PDF Series: We bring you the most important technical and insightful public domain court case filings.
This court case retrieved on July 12, 2024, storage.courtlistener is part of the public domain. The court-created documents are works of the federal government, and under copyright law, are automatically placed in the public domain and may be shared without legal restriction. UMG Recordings, Inc. v. Verizon Communications Inc., Court Filing, retrieved on January 29, 2024, is part of HackerNoon’s Legal PDF Series. You can jump to any part of this filing here. This part is 1 of 11. UMG Recordings, Inc. v. Verizon Communications Inc., Court Filing, retrieved on January 29, 2024, is part of HackerNoon’s Legal PDF Series . You can jump to any part of this filing here . This part is 1 of 11. HackerNoon’s Legal PDF Series HackerNoon’s Legal PDF Series here here . PLAINTIFFS’ ORIGINAL COMPLAINT Plaintiffs UMG Recordings, Inc. and Capitol Records, LLC (collectively, “UMG” or the “Universal Plaintiffs”); Plaintiffs Asylum Records LLC, Atlantic Recording Corporation, Atlantic Records Group LLC, Bad Boy Records LLC, Big Beat Records Inc., Elektra Entertainment Group Inc., Elektra Entertainment LLC, Fueled by Ramen LLC, Lava Records LLC, Maverick Recording Company, Nonesuch Records Inc., Rhino Entertainment Company, Rhino Entertainment LLC, Roadrunner Records, Inc., Rykodisc, Inc., Warner Music Inc., Warner Music International Services Limited, Warner Music Latina Inc., Warner Music Nashville LLC, Warner Records Inc., Warner Records LLC, Warner Records/QRI Venture, Inc., and Warner Records/SIRE Ventures LLC (collectively, “WMG” or the “Warner Plaintiffs”); Plaintiffs Arista Music, Arista Records, LLC, LaFace Records, LLC, Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Music Entertainment US Latin LLC, Ultra Records, LLC, Volcano Entertainment III, LLC, and Zomba Recording LLC (collectively, “SME” or the “Sony Plaintiffs”); and ABKCO Music & Records, Inc. (“ABKCO,” and together with the Universal Plaintiffs, the Warner Plaintiffs, and the Sony Plaintiffs, the “Record Companies” or “Plaintiffs”), by and through their attorneys Oppenheim + Zebrak, LLP, for their Complaint against defendants Verizon Communications Inc., Verizon Services Corp., and Cellco Partnership (d/b/a Verizon Wireless) (collectively, “Verizon” or “Defendants”), allege, on personal knowledge as to matters relating to themselves and on information and belief as to all other matters, as follows: INTRODUCTION 1. Verizon is one of the largest Internet Service Providers (“ISPs”) in the country and knowingly provides its high-speed service to a massive community of online pirates, who it knows repeatedly use that service to infringe Plaintiffs’ copyrights. Over the past few years alone, Plaintiffs sent Verizon hundreds of thousands of copyright infringement notices. Those notices identify specific subscribers on Verizon’s network stealing Plaintiffs’ sound recordings through peer-to-peer (“P2P”) file-sharing networks that are notorious hotbeds for copyright infringement. While Verizon is famous for its “Can you hear me now?” advertising campaign, it has intentionally chosen not to listen to complaints from copyright owners. Instead of taking action in response to those infringement notices as the law requires, Verizon ignored Plaintiffs’ notices and buried its head in the sand. Undeterred, infringing subscribers identified in Plaintiffs’ notices continued to use Verizon’s services to infringe Plaintiffs’ copyrights with impunity. Meanwhile, Verizon continued to provide its high-speed service to thousands of known repeat infringers so it could continue to collect millions of dollars from them. 2. Plaintiffs bring this action against Verizon for contributory and vicarious copyright infringement. Verizon has knowingly contributed to, and reaped substantial profits from, massive copyright infringement committed by tens of thousands of its subscribers. By ignoring Plaintiffs’ notices and its own legal obligations, Verizon facilitated its subscribers’ infringement of Plaintiffs’ copyrights through the continued provision of its high-speed Internet service to known repeat infringers. 3. Plaintiffs are record companies or recorded music businesses that produce, manufacture, distribute, sell, and license commercial sound recordings both in the United States and internationally. Through their enormous investments of money, time, and exceptional creative efforts, Plaintiffs and the recording artists they represent have developed and/or distributed some of the world’s most famous music. Their investments and creative efforts have shaped the musical landscape as we know it, both in the United States and around the world. As a result, Plaintiffs own and/or control exclusive rights to many of the most popular sound recordings performed by classic artists and contemporary superstars, including The Rolling Stones, Ariana Grande, Bob Dylan, Bruno Mars, Elvis Presley, Dua Lipa, Drake, and many more. 4. Verizon markets and sells high-speed Internet services to consumers nationwide. Through the provision of those services, Verizon contributed to and profited from pervasive copyright infringement by its subscribers on P2P file-sharing networks. Verizon’s contribution to its subscribers’ infringement is both willful and extensive, and it renders Verizon equally liable for that infringement. Indeed, for years, Verizon deliberately refused to take action to prevent its customers from using its Internet services to infringe others’ copyrights, including Plaintiffs’ copyrights—even after Verizon was put on notice of particular customers engaging in specific, repeated acts of infringement. 5. Since early 2020, Plaintiffs’ representatives have sent more than 340,000 infringement notices to Verizon. Those notices clearly and unambiguously advised Verizon of its subscribers’ blatant and systematic use of Verizon’s Internet service to illegally download, copy, and distribute Plaintiffs’ copyrighted sound recordings through the P2P network known as BitTorrent. 6. The scope of repeat infringement on Verizon’s network is staggering. Thousands of Verizon subscribers were the subject of 20 or more notices from Plaintiffs, and more than 500 subscribers were the subject of 100 or more notices. One particularly egregious Verizon subscriber was single-handedly the subject of 4,450 infringement notices from Plaintiffs alone. 7. Verizon acknowledged that it received these notices of infringement sent by Plaintiffs’ representatives. Yet rather than taking any steps to address its customers’ illegal use of its network, Verizon deliberately chose to ignore Plaintiffs’ notices, willfully blinding itself to that information and prioritizing its own profits over its legal obligations. 8. It is well-established law that if a party materially assists someone it knows is engaging in copyright infringement, that party is fully liable for the infringement as if it had infringed directly. Further, when a party has a direct financial interest in the infringing activity, and the right and practical ability to stop or limit it, that party also faces liability. Flouting those basic responsibilities, Verizon deliberately turned a blind eye to its subscribers’ infringement. Verizon failed to terminate or otherwise take any meaningful action against the accounts of repeat infringers of which it was aware. Instead, Verizon routinely thumbed its nose at Plaintiffs by continuing to provide its service to subscribers it knew to be serially infringing Plaintiffs’ copyrighted sound recordings. In reality, Verizon operated its service as an attractive tool and safe haven for infringement. 9. Verizon has derived an obvious and direct financial benefit from its subscribers’ infringement. The unlimited ability to download and distribute Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works through Verizon’s service has served as a draw for Verizon to attract, retain, and charge higher fees to infringing subscribers. By failing to terminate the accounts of specific recidivist infringers known to Verizon, Verizon obtained a direct financial benefit from those subscribers’ continuing infringing activity. That financial benefit included improper revenue that Verizon would not have received had it appropriately shut down those accounts as well as the costs that Verizon saved by failing to implement an effective repeat infringer program. In other words, Verizon decided not to terminate repeat infringers because it wanted to maintain the revenue generated from those subscribers’ accounts. 10. To be clear, the infringing activity of Verizon’s subscribers that is the subject of Plaintiffs’ claims, and for which Verizon is secondarily liable, all occurred after Verizon received multiple notices of each subscriber’s infringing activity. Plaintiffs seek damages for infringement of their sound recordings by Verizon subscribers after those particular subscribers were identified to Verizon in multiple infringement notices. Continue Reading Here. Continue Reading Here . Here About HackerNoon Legal PDF Series: We bring you the most important technical and insightful public domain court case filings. This court case retrieved on July 12, 2024, storage.courtlistener is part of the public domain. The court-created documents are works of the federal government, and under copyright law, are automatically placed in the public domain and may be shared without legal restriction. About HackerNoon Legal PDF Series: We bring you the most important technical and insightful public domain court case filings. This court case retrieved on July 12, 2024, storage.courtlistener is part of the public domain. The court-created documents are works of the federal government, and under copyright law, are automatically placed in the public domain and may be shared without legal restriction. storage.courtlistener

Universal and Sony Music Sue Verizon for Supporting Online Piracy

অনলাইন পাইরেসি সমর্থন করার জন্য ইউনিভার্সাল এবং সোনি মিউজিক মামলা ভেরিজন

Universal und Sony Music verklagen Verizon wegen Unterstützung von Online-Piraterie

Universal y Sony Music demandan a Verizon por apoyar la piratería online

Universal et Sony Music poursuivent Verizon pour leur soutien au piratage en ligne

यूनिवर्सल और सोनी म्यूज़िक ने ऑनलाइन पाइरेसी का समर्थन करने के लिए वेरिज़ोन पर मुकदमा दायर किया

ユニバーサルとソニーミュージックがオンライン著作権侵害を支援したとしてベライゾンを訴える

Universal과 Sony Music은 온라인 불법 복제를 지원하기 위해 Verizon을 고소했습니다.

Universal e Sony Music processam Verizon por apoiar a pirataria online

Universal и Sony Music подали в суд на Verizon за поддержку онлайн-пиратства

Universal ve Sony Music, Çevrimiçi Korsanı Desteklediği İçin Sue Verizon

Universal và Sony Music kiện Verizon vì hỗ trợ vi phạm bản quyền trực tuyến

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Comparison of Machine Learning Methods: Discussion and Qualitative Analysis

Yaroslav Zubko has crafted a remarkable international career, creating designs for Boeing, Markit, Deloitte, and Tinder. His exceptional work has earned him prestigious accolades, including the DotComm Award and the Clio Awards, one of the oldest creative awards in the US. The latter was received for one of Tinder's most famous projects, Swipe Night. How did he achieve such impressive feats in the competitive world of design? From Law to Designs Zubko’s journey began in the heart of Ukraine, a burgeoning hub for IT and design. Initially, he studied business law at a local college but decided to follow his passion and started studying graphic design online. In 2012, he landed his first job as a web designer at a Ukrainian fitness retail company, Terrasport. That work, along with some other early projects, laid the foundation for his work philosophy, characterized by a harmonious blend of aesthetics and functionality. In 2017, he assumed the role of product design director at UpTop, a New York-based property management startup. There, he was in charge of choosing which product features to research and test and deciding how they would be implemented. “There were nights when I couldn't fall asleep because I was thinking about ideas for the product,” Zubko recalls. Concurrently, he dedicated his time to “Interaction Library,” an ambitious project he had been nurturing since 2016. The initiative aimed to curate a comprehensive collection of interaction samples and interface behaviors, serving as a valuable resource for designers and stakeholders. American Odyssey The library's publication on platforms like Dribbble not only earned Zubko industry recognition but also captured the attention of business leaders. Among them was Tinder's Jonathan Badeen, who extended an offer to the designer, marking the beginning of a new chapter in Zubko’s professional life as the lead product designer at the dating giant in 2018. Zubko was entrusted with reshaping Tinder's user experience, with a focus on monetization and engagement. “I animated and presented over 20 versions of Tinder's app, and used A/B testing methods to understand what ideas were worth implementing,” he recalls. One of the standout achievements during his tenure was the restyling of subscription packages in alignment with Apple Store guidelines. This initiative not only enhanced the user experience but also paved the way for sustainable revenue growth. Zubko’s ability to balance user-centric design and revenue optimization was a testament to his holistic approach to product design. He often noted that his goal was to align Tinder's business objectives with user needs, creating a win-win scenario for the company and its users. His original design solutions helped reinvigorate Tinder's premium offerings, catapulting the app's revenue to new heights. Learning Solutions Transitioning from the realm of dating apps to educational technology and leveraging his previous experience, Zubko launched Fluently in 2019—a mobile application dedicated to immersive language exchange. In 2020, he was commissioned by Riiid Labs, which builds AI-based personalized learning solutions. It is one of the major players in the EdTech field, backed by $250 million in investment funding. At the company, Zubko took on the role of director of product design, contributing to Riiid's mission of revolutionizing personalized learning through AI and gamification. Drawing from his insights into UX/UI design, user engagement, and gamification strategies, Zubko led several notable projects. For instance, he worked on an application that helped American students to prepare for the SAT, a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. He also developed the mobile app DE Saber for Colombian students preparing for the Saber 11, a high school exit examination for college admission. Further, Zubko was invited to join Shiftsmart, a company that developed a platform assisting with team onboarding and training, performance management, scheduling and shift dispatch, and more. Shiftsmart raised a total of $117 million in funding, attracting prominent investment firms such as D1 Capital, Spieker Partners, Oakridge Management Group, and S12F, among others. Zubko served as a Senior Designer at the company and worked on the creation of the mobile app and branding. Towards Rewards Zubko’s original designs have earned prestigious international awards and industry acclaim. For instance, he was recognized as Designer of the Year 2019 by the Ukrainian IT Awards. He also won an international competition, the dotCOMM Awards, and the Italian A' Design Award for one of his freelance projects, FameLab. FameLab is a leading social marketing cloud that delivers authentic engagement on Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook Pages. Zubko created interactive designs for the company’s app. He also contributed ideas and concepts to the Swipe Night initiative created for Tinder by the advertising agency 72andSunny in 2019. This was an interactive mini-series about friends trying to save themselves from the apocalypse. Users could participate in the series by swiping, thereby making decisions for the main characters. Based on users' choices, Tinder would then offer potential matches. In 2020, this project won a Clios, one of the oldest awards in the US, recognizing innovation and creative excellence in advertising, design, and communication. In 2021, Swipe Night was awarded the Entertainment Grand Prix at Cannes and was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Interactive Media. Yaroslav Zubko has crafted a remarkable international career, creating designs for Boeing, Markit, Deloitte, and Tinder. His exceptional work has earned him prestigious accolades, including the DotComm Award and the Clio Awards, one of the oldest creative awards in the US. The latter was received for one of Tinder's most famous projects, Swipe Night. How did he achieve such impressive feats in the competitive world of design? From Law to Designs Zubko’s journey began in the heart of Ukraine, a burgeoning hub for IT and design. Initially, he studied business law at a local college but decided to follow his passion and started studying graphic design online. In 2012, he landed his first job as a web designer at a Ukrainian fitness retail company, Terrasport. That work, along with some other early projects, laid the foundation for his work philosophy, characterized by a harmonious blend of aesthetics and functionality. In 2017, he assumed the role of product design director at UpTop, a New York-based property management startup. There, he was in charge of choosing which product features to research and test and deciding how they would be implemented. “There were nights when I couldn't fall asleep because I was thinking about ideas for the product,” Zubko recalls. Concurrently, he dedicated his time to “ Interaction Library ,” an ambitious project he had been nurturing since 2016. The initiative aimed to curate a comprehensive collection of interaction samples and interface behaviors, serving as a valuable resource for designers and stakeholders. Interaction Library Interaction Library American Odyssey The library's publication on platforms like Dribbble not only earned Zubko industry recognition but also captured the attention of business leaders. Among them was Tinder's Jonathan Badeen, who extended an offer to the designer, marking the beginning of a new chapter in Zubko’s professional life as the lead product designer at the dating giant in 2018. Zubko was entrusted with reshaping Tinder's user experience, with a focus on monetization and engagement. “I animated and presented over 20 versions of Tinder's app, and used A/B testing methods to understand what ideas were worth implementing,” he recalls. One of the standout achievements during his tenure was the restyling of subscription packages in alignment with Apple Store guidelines. This initiative not only enhanced the user experience but also paved the way for sustainable revenue growth. Zubko’s ability to balance user-centric design and revenue optimization was a testament to his holistic approach to product design. He often noted that his goal was to align Tinder's business objectives with user needs, creating a win-win scenario for the company and its users. His original design solutions helped reinvigorate Tinder's premium offerings, catapulting the app's revenue to new heights. Learning Solutions Transitioning from the realm of dating apps to educational technology and leveraging his previous experience, Zubko launched Fluently in 2019—a mobile application dedicated to immersive language exchange. In 2020, he was commissioned by Riiid Labs, which builds AI-based personalized learning solutions. It is one of the major players in the EdTech field, backed by $250 million in investment funding. At the company, Zubko took on the role of director of product design, contributing to Riiid's mission of revolutionizing personalized learning through AI and gamification. Drawing from his insights into UX/UI design, user engagement, and gamification strategies, Zubko led several notable projects. For instance, he worked on an application that helped American students to prepare for the SAT, a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. He also developed the mobile app DE Saber for Colombian students preparing for the Saber 11, a high school exit examination for college admission. Further, Zubko was invited to join Shiftsmart, a company that developed a platform assisting with team onboarding and training, performance management, scheduling and shift dispatch, and more. Shiftsmart raised a total of $117 million in funding, attracting prominent investment firms such as D1 Capital, Spieker Partners, Oakridge Management Group, and S12F, among others. Zubko served as a Senior Designer at the company and worked on the creation of the mobile app and branding. attracting attracting Towards Rewards Zubko’s original designs have earned prestigious international awards and industry acclaim. For instance, he was recognized as Designer of the Year 2019 by the Ukrainian IT Awards. He also won an international competition, the dotCOMM Awards, and the Italian A' Design Award for one of his freelance projects, FameLab. FameLab is a leading social marketing cloud that delivers authentic engagement on Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook Pages. Zubko created interactive designs for the company’s app. He also contributed ideas and concepts to the Swipe Night initiative created for Tinder by the advertising agency 72andSunny in 2019. This was an interactive mini-series about friends trying to save themselves from the apocalypse. Users could participate in the series by swiping, thereby making decisions for the main characters. Based on users' choices, Tinder would then offer potential matches. In 2020, this project won a Clios, one of the oldest awards in the US, recognizing innovation and creative excellence in advertising, design, and communication. In 2021, Swipe Night was awarded the Entertainment Grand Prix at Cannes and was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Interactive Media. won won awarded awarded

How a Designer Landed a Job at Tinder and Achieved International Recognition

Assessing VASP Solvency For Cryptoassets: Conclusions, and References

Authors:
(1) Pietro Saggese, Complexity Science Hub Vienna (CSH);
(2) Esther Segalla, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB);
(3) Michael Sigmund, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB);
(4) Burkhard Raunig, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB);
(5) Felix Zangerl, Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA);
(6) Bernhard Haslhofer, Complexity Science Hub Vienna (CSH). Table of Links Abstract and 1. Introduction Background and related literature
VASPs: A Closer Examination
Measuring VASPs Cryptoasset Holdings
Closing The Data Gap
Conclusions, Declaration of Competing Interest, and References Appendix A. Supplemental material Abstract Entities like centralized cryptocurrency exchanges fall under the business category of virtual asset service providers (VASPs). As any other enterprise, they can become insolvent. VASPs enable the exchange, custody, and transfer of cryptoassets organized in wallets across distributed ledger technologies (DLTs). Despite the public availability of DLT transactions, the cryptoasset holdings of VASPs are not yet subject to systematic auditing procedures. In this paper, we propose an approach to assess the solvency of a VASP by cross-referencing data from three distinct sources: cryptoasset wallets, balance sheets from the commercial register, and data from supervisory entities. We investigate 24 VASPs registered with the Financial Market Authority in Austria and provide regulatory data insights such as who are the customers and where do they come from. Their yearly incoming and outgoing transaction volume amount to 2 billion EUR for around 1.8 million users. We describe what financial services they provide and find that they are most similar to traditional intermediaries such as brokers, money exchanges, and funds, rather than banks. Next, we empirically measure DLT transaction flows of four VASPs and compare their cryptoasset holdings to balance sheet entries. Data are consistent for two VASPs only. This enables us to identify gaps in the data collection and propose strategies to address them. We remark that any entity in charge of auditing requires proof that a VASP actually controls the funds associated with its on-chain wallets. It is also important to report fiat and cryptoasset and liability positions broken down by asset types at a reasonable frequency. JEL Classification: C81, F31, G15, G20, G33, M41, 033 Keywords: Blockchain, Proof of Solvency, Virtual Asset, Cryptoasset, VASP, Accounting, Auditing, Regulation 1. Introduction In 2022, the cryptoasset sector experienced a crash driven by two major incidents that exposed the repercussions of inadequate regulation and accountability in the industry. In May, Terra’s algorithmic stablecoin protocol experienced a stablecoin run, similar to a bank run, on its associated cryptoassets LUNA and UST (Klages-Mundt & Minca, 2021; Briola et al., 2022). This triggered the bankruptcy of the crypto lenders Celsius and Voyager, and the hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (The Economist, 2022). In November, the crypto trading platform FTX filed for bankruptcy, leading to BlockFi’s downfall and bankruptcy consideration for Aax and Genesis[1]. Even more recently, in June 2023, the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) brought forward charges against some of the largest U.S.-based VASPs (SEC, 2023a,b). These companies, and other centralized cryptoasset exchanges (CEXs) like FTX, fall under the broader definition of virtual asset service providers (VASPs). They facilitate financial activity involving virtual assets (VAs), such as their exchange for other VAs or fiat currencies, their custody and transfer via cryptoasset wallets, and portfolio management services for their customers (FMA, 2021; EC, 2018, 2022; FATF, 2021). As Figure 1 shows, VASPs lie at the interface of the traditional and the crypto financial ecosystems, respectively called off-chain and on-chain financial activity in jargon. The aforementioned and other (Moore et al., 2018) incidents that affected cryptoasset exchanges highlight a critical aspect of VASPs, i.e., the lack of proper accounting and business continuity concepts (Zetzsche et al., 2023). While their off-chain activities are audited according to generally accepted accounting principles, on-chain assets are held in pseudo-anonymous cryptoasset wallets across multiple, possibly privacy-preserving DLTs (ElBahrawy et al., 2017) and are not yet systematically audited. Furthermore, whilst VASPs share several characteristics with traditional financial intermediaries, they are less regulated and their activities often lack transparency. Whether and how regulating them is an ongoing, highly controversial debate resembling a tug-of-war game; some argue for more VASP regulations (M¨oser & Narayanan, 2019), while others claim it would come at a substantial social cost and could be misunderstood as undeserved legitimacy[2]. A clear understanding of the financial functions VASPs provide, how they operate, and what risks are involved may provide guiding principles for regulators and policymakers. This paper proposes an approach for determining a virtual asset service provider’s solvency status by measuring their cryptoasset holdings. By solvency, we mean that the total amount of assets held in custody is larger than the total amount of liabilities, whereby the difference is equity. We investigate the VASPs registered with the Financial Market Authority (FMA) in Austria in the context of the Anti-Money Laundering Act. We compare data from three distinct sources: we rely on publicly available DLT transaction records from the Bitcoin and Ethereum DLTs and use established algorithms (Androulaki et al., 2013; Ron & Shamir, 2013; Meiklejohn et al., 2016) to identify and cluster cryptoasset wallets likely controlled by the same entity. Then we reconstruct the VASPs’ cryptoasset flows, compare their net positions to balance sheet data from the commercial register[3], and complement them with supervisory data from FMA. To the best of our knowledge, our work is the first that combines these distinct sources in a unified framework. Also, to our understanding, a consolidated approach to measuring the types of cryptoassets held by VASPs against their liabilities to customers still does not exist, although their activity is based on DLTs whose transactions are publicly auditable by design. Moreover, we position VASPs in the landscape of financial intermediaries, by systematically comparing the services they offer to those of traditional financial service providers. While previous research has compared VASPs to banks (Anderson et al., 2019; Dagher et al., 2015), we discuss why this comparison can be misleading. Our work provides the following contributions: • We study 24 Austrian VASPs and systematize the services they offer. We find that they are most similar to brokers, money exchanges, and funds, rather than to banks; • We provide regulatory data insights showing that their yearly incoming and outgoing transaction volume in 2022 amounted to 2 billion EUR for around 1.8 million users; • We measure on-chain transaction flows for four VASPs and compare their holdings to balance sheet data from the commercial register. Data are consistent for two VASPs only; • We identify gaps in data collection practices and propose strategies to fill them: any entity in charge of auditing requires proof that a VASP actually controls the funds associated with its on-chain wallets; it is also important to report fiat and crypto asset and liability positions broken down by asset types, and at a reasonable frequency. Currently, supervisory auditing of VASPs does not fully exploit the public availability of DLT transactions. We believe our work provides valuable insights toward a better and more systematic assessment of their solvency, and might help make the process more effective and less error-prone. By comparing the VASPs cryptoasset holdings to balance sheet data, we show that the major issues are related to the different management of cryptoasset wallets in different DLTs, the lack of wallet addresses attribution data for VASPs, and the absence of breakdowns by cryptoasset types in balance sheets. The paper is structured as follows. In Section 2, we introduce key background concepts and review the literature. Then we analyze VASPs and their features in Section 3. Section 4 describes the data, our measurement approach, and reports our results. In Section 5 we discuss how the data gap can be reduced, while in Section 6 we draw conclusions. Our study follows an open-source approach and can be replicated on any other entity, provided the data on their cryptoasset wallets. This paper is available on arxiv under CC BY 4.0 DEED license. [1] See https://nyti.ms/3WUnEP7, https://bit.ly/3kIjegD, and https://on.ft.com/3XIogs8. [2] See e.g. https://on.ft.com/3DgFHYD and https://bit.ly/3Y0JqBo. [3] The commercial register is a central, public directory. It contains important information about numerous companies. The primary purpose of the commercial register is to provide business transactions with the opportunity to obtain relevant information about the registered company. Authors: (1) Pietro Saggese, Complexity Science Hub Vienna (CSH); (2) Esther Segalla, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB); (3) Michael Sigmund, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB); (4) Burkhard Raunig, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB); (5) Felix Zangerl, Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA); (6) Bernhard Haslhofer, Complexity Science Hub Vienna (CSH). Authors: Authors: (1) Pietro Saggese, Complexity Science Hub Vienna (CSH); (2) Esther Segalla, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB); (3) Michael Sigmund, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB); (4) Burkhard Raunig, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB); (5) Felix Zangerl, Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA); (6) Bernhard Haslhofer, Complexity Science Hub Vienna (CSH). Table of Links Abstract and 1. Introduction Abstract and 1. Introduction Background and related literature VASPs: A Closer Examination Measuring VASPs Cryptoasset Holdings Closing The Data Gap Conclusions, Declaration of Competing Interest, and References Background and related literature Background and related literature VASPs: A Closer Examination VASPs: A Closer Examination Measuring VASPs Cryptoasset Holdings Measuring VASPs Cryptoasset Holdings Closing The Data Gap Closing The Data Gap Conclusions, Declaration of Competing Interest, and References Conclusions, Declaration of Competing Interest, and References Appendix A. Supplemental material Appendix A. Supplemental material Abstract Entities like centralized cryptocurrency exchanges fall under the business category of virtual asset service providers (VASPs). As any other enterprise, they can become insolvent. VASPs enable the exchange, custody, and transfer of cryptoassets organized in wallets across distributed ledger technologies (DLTs). Despite the public availability of DLT transactions, the cryptoasset holdings of VASPs are not yet subject to systematic auditing procedures. In this paper, we propose an approach to assess the solvency of a VASP by cross-referencing data from three distinct sources: cryptoasset wallets, balance sheets from the commercial register, and data from supervisory entities. We investigate 24 VASPs registered with the Financial Market Authority in Austria and provide regulatory data insights such as who are the customers and where do they come from. Their yearly incoming and outgoing transaction volume amount to 2 billion EUR for around 1.8 million users. We describe what financial services they provide and find that they are most similar to traditional intermediaries such as brokers, money exchanges, and funds, rather than banks. Next, we empirically measure DLT transaction flows of four VASPs and compare their cryptoasset holdings to balance sheet entries. Data are consistent for two VASPs only. This enables us to identify gaps in the data collection and propose strategies to address them. We remark that any entity in charge of auditing requires proof that a VASP actually controls the funds associated with its on-chain wallets. It is also important to report fiat and cryptoasset and liability positions broken down by asset types at a reasonable frequency. JEL Classification: C81, F31, G15, G20, G33, M41, 033 JEL Classification: Keywords : Blockchain, Proof of Solvency, Virtual Asset, Cryptoasset, VASP, Accounting, Auditing, Regulation Keywords Blockchain, Proof of Solvency, Virtual Asset, Cryptoasset, VASP, Accounting, Auditing, Regulation 1. Introduction In 2022, the cryptoasset sector experienced a crash driven by two major incidents that exposed the repercussions of inadequate regulation and accountability in the industry. In May, Terra’s algorithmic stablecoin protocol experienced a stablecoin run, similar to a bank run, on its associated cryptoassets LUNA and UST (Klages-Mundt & Minca, 2021; Briola et al., 2022). This triggered the bankruptcy of the crypto lenders Celsius and Voyager, and the hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (The Economist, 2022). In November, the crypto trading platform FTX filed for bankruptcy, leading to BlockFi’s downfall and bankruptcy consideration for Aax and Genesis[1]. Even more recently, in June 2023, the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) brought forward charges against some of the largest U.S.-based VASPs (SEC, 2023a,b). These companies, and other centralized cryptoasset exchanges (CEXs) like FTX, fall under the broader definition of virtual asset service providers (VASPs). They facilitate financial activity involving virtual assets (VAs), such as their exchange for other VAs or fiat currencies, their custody and transfer via cryptoasset wallets, and portfolio management services for their customers (FMA, 2021; EC, 2018, 2022; FATF, 2021). As Figure 1 shows, VASPs lie at the interface of the traditional and the crypto financial ecosystems, respectively called off-chain and on-chain financial activity in jargon. The aforementioned and other (Moore et al., 2018) incidents that affected cryptoasset exchanges highlight a critical aspect of VASPs, i.e., the lack of proper accounting and business continuity concepts (Zetzsche et al., 2023). While their off-chain activities are audited according to generally accepted accounting principles, on-chain assets are held in pseudo-anonymous cryptoasset wallets across multiple, possibly privacy-preserving DLTs (ElBahrawy et al., 2017) and are not yet systematically audited. Furthermore, whilst VASPs share several characteristics with traditional financial intermediaries, they are less regulated and their activities often lack transparency. Whether and how regulating them is an ongoing, highly controversial debate resembling a tug-of-war game; some argue for more VASP regulations (M¨oser & Narayanan, 2019), while others claim it would come at a substantial social cost and could be misunderstood as undeserved legitimacy[2]. A clear understanding of the financial functions VASPs provide, how they operate, and what risks are involved may provide guiding principles for regulators and policymakers. This paper proposes an approach for determining a virtual asset service provider’s solvency status by measuring their cryptoasset holdings. By solvency, we mean that the total amount of assets held in custody is larger than the total amount of liabilities, whereby the difference is equity. We investigate the VASPs registered with the Financial Market Authority (FMA) in Austria in the context of the Anti-Money Laundering Act. We compare data from three distinct sources: we rely on publicly available DLT transaction records from the Bitcoin and Ethereum DLTs and use established algorithms (Androulaki et al., 2013; Ron & Shamir, 2013; Meiklejohn et al., 2016) to identify and cluster cryptoasset wallets likely controlled by the same entity. Then we reconstruct the VASPs’ cryptoasset flows, compare their net positions to balance sheet data from the commercial register[3], and complement them with supervisory data from FMA. To the best of our knowledge, our work is the first that combines these distinct sources in a unified framework. Also, to our understanding, a consolidated approach to measuring the types of cryptoassets held by VASPs against their liabilities to customers still does not exist, although their activity is based on DLTs whose transactions are publicly auditable by design. Moreover, we position VASPs in the landscape of financial intermediaries, by systematically comparing the services they offer to those of traditional financial service providers. While previous research has compared VASPs to banks (Anderson et al., 2019; Dagher et al., 2015), we discuss why this comparison can be misleading. Our work provides the following contributions: • We study 24 Austrian VASPs and systematize the services they offer. We find that they are most similar to brokers, money exchanges, and funds, rather than to banks; • We provide regulatory data insights showing that their yearly incoming and outgoing transaction volume in 2022 amounted to 2 billion EUR for around 1.8 million users; • We measure on-chain transaction flows for four VASPs and compare their holdings to balance sheet data from the commercial register. Data are consistent for two VASPs only; • We identify gaps in data collection practices and propose strategies to fill them: any entity in charge of auditing requires proof that a VASP actually controls the funds associated with its on-chain wallets; it is also important to report fiat and crypto asset and liability positions broken down by asset types, and at a reasonable frequency. Currently, supervisory auditing of VASPs does not fully exploit the public availability of DLT transactions. We believe our work provides valuable insights toward a better and more systematic assessment of their solvency, and might help make the process more effective and less error-prone. By comparing the VASPs cryptoasset holdings to balance sheet data, we show that the major issues are related to the different management of cryptoasset wallets in different DLTs, the lack of wallet addresses attribution data for VASPs, and the absence of breakdowns by cryptoasset types in balance sheets. The paper is structured as follows. In Section 2, we introduce key background concepts and review the literature. Then we analyze VASPs and their features in Section 3. Section 4 describes the data, our measurement approach, and reports our results. In Section 5 we discuss how the data gap can be reduced, while in Section 6 we draw conclusions. Our study follows an open-source approach and can be replicated on any other entity, provided the data on their cryptoasset wallets. This paper is available on arxiv under CC BY 4.0 DEED license. This paper is available on arxiv under CC BY 4.0 DEED license. available on arxiv [1] See https://nyti.ms/3WUnEP7, https://bit.ly/3kIjegD, and https://on.ft.com/3XIogs8. [2] See e.g. https://on.ft.com/3DgFHYD and https://bit.ly/3Y0JqBo. [3] The commercial register is a central, public directory. It contains important information about numerous companies. The primary purpose of the commercial register is to provide business transactions with the opportunity to obtain relevant information about the registered company.

Assessing VASP Solvency For Cryptoassets: Abstract and Introduction

Any views expressed in the below are the personal views of the author and should not form the basis for making investment decisions, nor be construed as a recommendation or advice to engage in investment transactions. The dollar-yen exchange rate is the most important macroeconomic indicator. In my last essay, “The Easy Button,” I wrote that something must be done to strengthen the yen. The solution I proposed was that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) could swap unlimited amounts of freshly printed dollars with the Bank of Japan (BOJ) for yen. This would allow the BOJ to give unlimited dollar firepower to the Japanese Ministry of Finance (MOF), with which they could purchase the yen in the global forex markets. While I still believe in the validity of that solution, it appears that the central banking charlatans in charge of the Group of Fools, a.k.a. the Group of Seven (G7), have chosen to convince the market that the interest rate differential between the yen and the dollar, euro, pound, and maple syrup (Canadian) dollar will narrow over time. If the market believes in this future state, it will buy yen and sell everything else. Mission accomplished! For this magic trick to work, the G7 central banks (the Fed, European Central Bank “ECB,” Bank of Canada “BOC,” and Bank of England “BOE”) with “high” policy interest rates must cut them. The critical thing to note is that the BOJ’s policy rate (green) is 0.1%, whereas everyone else is 4-5%. The interest rate differential between the home and foreign currency fundamentally drives exchange rates. From March 2020 until early 2022, errbody played the same game. Free money for all as long as you stay inside with the flu and shoot up that mRNA heroin. When inflation showed in such a big way that the elites could not ignore the pain and suffering of their plebes, the G7 central banks – with the exception of the BOJ – all raised rates aggressively. The BOJ could not raise rates because it owns over 50% of the Japanese Government Bond (JGB) market. JGB prices pumped as rates dumped, making the BOJ appear solvent. However, the highly levered central bank would suffer catastrophic losses if the JGBs it held declined because the BOJ allowed rates to rise. I did some scary maths for readers in “The Easy Button.” This is why if the decision by Bad Gurl Yellen, who calls the shots at the G7, is to reduce the interest rate differential, the only option is for the central banks with “high” policy rates to reduce them. In orthodox central bank thought, cutting rates is good if inflation is below target. What’s the target? For some reason, and I don’t know why, the inflation target for every G7 central bank is 2%, irrespective of differences in culture, growth, debt, demographics, etc. Is the current inflation rate hurtling through 2%? Each colored line represents a different G7 central bank’s inflation target. The horizontal line is at 2%. No G7 country’s manipulated and dishonest government-published inflation statistic is below target. Putting on my technical analysis hat, it appears that G7 inflation is forming a local bottom in the 2-3% range before exploding higher. Taking that chart into consideration, an orthodox central banker would not cut rates at their current levels. However, this week, the BOC and ECB cut rates while inflation was above target. This is strange. Is there some financial disturbance that demands cheaper money? Nope. The BOC cut its policy rate (yellow) while inflation (white) is above the target (red). The ECB cut its policy rate (yellow) while inflation (white) is above the target (red). The problem is the weak yen. I believe Bad Gurl Yellen stopped the rate hike Kabuki theatre performance. It is time to get down to the business of preserving the Pax Americana-led global financial system. If the yen isn’t strengthened, the big bad pinko commie Chinamen will unleash the dragon of a devalued yuan to match their chief export competitor Japan’s super duper cheap yen. In the process, US Treasuries will get sold, and that will be game, set, and match for Pax Americana if it occurs. Next Up The G7 meets in a week. The communique released after the meeting will greatly interest the market. Will they announce some sort of coordinated currency or bond market manipulation exercise to strengthen the yen? Or will they stay quiet but agree that everyone except the BOJ should begin cutting rates? Stay tuned! The big question is whether the Fed will start cutting rates this close to the November US presidential election. Typically, the Fed doesn’t change course this close to an election. However, typically, the favored presidential candidate is not staring down a potential prison sentence, so I’m ready to be flexible in my thinking. If the Fed were to cut at its upcoming June meeting whilst their favored doctored measure of inflation was above target, the dollar-yen would gap lower bigly, which means the yen would strengthen. I don’t believe the Fed is ready to cut rates, given that Slow Joe Biden is getting skewered in the polls over rising prices. American plebes understandably care more that the vegetables they eat are more expensive than the cognitive ability of the vegetable running for reelection. To be fair, Trump is also a vegetable because he loves munching McDonald’s fries and watching Shark Week while doin’ his thang. I still think it’s political suicide to cut rates. My base case is the Fed holds. By the time the dilettantes sit down for a sumptuous meal paid for by their tax-paying subjects on June 13th, the Fed and BOJ will have conducted their June policy meetings. As I said before, I expect no changes to monetary policy from the Fed or the BOJ. The BOE meets shortly after the G7, and while the consensus is they hold their policy rate steady, I think we are in for a surprise to the downside, given the BOC and ECB cuts. The BOE has nothing to lose. The conservative party is going to get their ass handed to them at the next election, so there is no reason to disobey orders from the rulers of their former colony in order to keep a lid on inflation. Exit the Choppa Zone The June central banking fireworks kicked off this week by the BOC and ECB rate cuts will catapult crypto out of the northern hemispheric summer doldrums. This was not my expected base case. I thought the fireworks would start in August, right around when the Fed hosts its Jackson Hole symposium. That is typically the venue where abrupt policy changes are announced going into autumn. The trend is clear. Central banks at the margin are starting easing cycles. We know how to play this game. It’s the same fucking game we have been playing since 2009 when our Lord and Saviour Satoshi gave us the weapon to defeat the TradFi devil. Go long Bitcoin and subsequently shitcoins. The macro landscape has changed vs. my baseline. Therefore, my strategy shall change as well. For the Maelstrom portfolio projects, who asked for my opinion on whether to launch their tokens now or later. I say, Let’s Fucking Go! For my excess liquid crypto synthetic-dollar cash, a.k.a. Ethena’s USD (USDe) that’s earning some phat APYs, it is time to deploy it again on conviction shitcoins. Of course, I’ll tell readers what those are after I have purchased them. But suffice it to say, the crypto bull is reawakening and is about to gore the hides of profligate central bankers. Any views expressed in the below are the personal views of the author and should not form the basis for making investment decisions, nor be construed as a recommendation or advice to engage in investment transactions. Any views expressed in the below are the personal views of the author and should not form the basis for making investment decisions, nor be construed as a recommendation or advice to engage in investment transactions. The dollar-yen exchange rate is the most important macroeconomic indicator. In my last essay, “ The Easy Button ,” I wrote that something must be done to strengthen the yen. The solution I proposed was that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) could swap unlimited amounts of freshly printed dollars with the Bank of Japan (BOJ) for yen. This would allow the BOJ to give unlimited dollar firepower to the Japanese Ministry of Finance (MOF), with which they could purchase the yen in the global forex markets. The Easy Button The Easy Button While I still believe in the validity of that solution, it appears that the central banking charlatans in charge of the Group of Fools, a.k.a. the Group of Seven (G7), have chosen to convince the market that the interest rate differential between the yen and the dollar, euro, pound, and maple syrup (Canadian) dollar will narrow over time. If the market believes in this future state, it will buy yen and sell everything else. Mission accomplished! For this magic trick to work, the G7 central banks (the Fed, European Central Bank “ECB,” Bank of Canada “BOC,” and Bank of England “BOE”) with “high” policy interest rates must cut them. The critical thing to note is that the BOJ’s policy rate (green) is 0.1%, whereas everyone else is 4-5%. The interest rate differential between the home and foreign currency fundamentally drives exchange rates. From March 2020 until early 2022, errbody played the same game. Free money for all as long as you stay inside with the flu and shoot up that mRNA heroin. When inflation showed in such a big way that the elites could not ignore the pain and suffering of their plebes, the G7 central banks – with the exception of the BOJ – all raised rates aggressively. The BOJ could not raise rates because it owns over 50% of the Japanese Government Bond (JGB) market. JGB prices pumped as rates dumped, making the BOJ appear solvent. However, the highly levered central bank would suffer catastrophic losses if the JGBs it held declined because the BOJ allowed rates to rise. I did some scary maths for readers in “ The Easy Button .” The Easy Button The Easy Button This is why if the decision by Bad Gurl Yellen, who calls the shots at the G7, is to reduce the interest rate differential, the only option is for the central banks with “high” policy rates to reduce them. In orthodox central bank thought, cutting rates is good if inflation is below target. What’s the target? For some reason, and I don’t know why, the inflation target for every G7 central bank is 2%, irrespective of differences in culture, growth, debt, demographics, etc. Is the current inflation rate hurtling through 2%? Each colored line represents a different G7 central bank’s inflation target. The horizontal line is at 2%. No G7 country’s manipulated and dishonest government-published inflation statistic is below target. Putting on my technical analysis hat, it appears that G7 inflation is forming a local bottom in the 2-3% range before exploding higher. Taking that chart into consideration, an orthodox central banker would not cut rates at their current levels. However, this week, the BOC and ECB cut rates while inflation was above target. This is strange. Is there some financial disturbance that demands cheaper money? Nope. The BOC cut its policy rate (yellow) while inflation (white) is above the target (red). The BOC cut its policy rate (yellow) while inflation (white) is above the target (red). The ECB cut its policy rate (yellow) while inflation (white) is above the target (red). The ECB cut its policy rate (yellow) while inflation (white) is above the target (red). The problem is the weak yen. I believe Bad Gurl Yellen stopped the rate hike Kabuki theatre performance. It is time to get down to the business of preserving the Pax Americana-led global financial system. If the yen isn’t strengthened, the big bad pinko commie Chinamen will unleash the dragon of a devalued yuan to match their chief export competitor Japan’s super duper cheap yen. In the process, US Treasuries will get sold, and that will be game, set, and match for Pax Americana if it occurs. Next Up The G7 meets in a week. The communique released after the meeting will greatly interest the market. Will they announce some sort of coordinated currency or bond market manipulation exercise to strengthen the yen? Or will they stay quiet but agree that everyone except the BOJ should begin cutting rates? Stay tuned! The big question is whether the Fed will start cutting rates this close to the November US presidential election. Typically, the Fed doesn’t change course this close to an election. However, typically, the favored presidential candidate is not staring down a potential prison sentence, so I’m ready to be flexible in my thinking. If the Fed were to cut at its upcoming June meeting whilst their favored doctored measure of inflation was above target, the dollar-yen would gap lower bigly, which means the yen would strengthen. I don’t believe the Fed is ready to cut rates, given that Slow Joe Biden is getting skewered in the polls over rising prices. American plebes understandably care more that the vegetables they eat are more expensive than the cognitive ability of the vegetable running for reelection. To be fair, Trump is also a vegetable because he loves munching McDonald’s fries and watching Shark Week while doin’ his thang. I still think it’s political suicide to cut rates. My base case is the Fed holds. By the time the dilettantes sit down for a sumptuous meal paid for by their tax-paying subjects on June 13th, the Fed and BOJ will have conducted their June policy meetings. As I said before, I expect no changes to monetary policy from the Fed or the BOJ. The BOE meets shortly after the G7, and while the consensus is they hold their policy rate steady, I think we are in for a surprise to the downside, given the BOC and ECB cuts. The BOE has nothing to lose. The conservative party is going to get their ass handed to them at the next election, so there is no reason to disobey orders from the rulers of their former colony in order to keep a lid on inflation. Exit the Choppa Zone The June central banking fireworks kicked off this week by the BOC and ECB rate cuts will catapult crypto out of the northern hemispheric summer doldrums. This was not my expected base case. I thought the fireworks would start in August, right around when the Fed hosts its Jackson Hole symposium. That is typically the venue where abrupt policy changes are announced going into autumn. The trend is clear. Central banks at the margin are starting easing cycles. We know how to play this game. It’s the same fucking game we have been playing since 2009 when our Lord and Saviour Satoshi gave us the weapon to defeat the TradFi devil. Go long Bitcoin and subsequently shitcoins. The macro landscape has changed vs. my baseline. Therefore, my strategy shall change as well. For the Maelstrom portfolio projects, who asked for my opinion on whether to launch their tokens now or later. I say, Let’s Fucking Go! For my excess liquid crypto synthetic-dollar cash, a.k.a. Ethena’s USD (USDe) that’s earning some phat APYs, it is time to deploy it again on conviction shitcoins. Of course, I’ll tell readers what those are after I have purchased them. But suffice it to say, the crypto bull is reawakening and is about to gore the hides of profligate central bankers.

Group of Fools

বোকাদের দল

Gruppe von Narren

grupo de tontos

Groupe de fous

मूर्खों का समूह

愚か者の集団

바보들의 그룹

Grupo de tolos

Группа дураков

Aptallar Grubu

Nhóm ngu ngốc

一群傻瓜

When it comes to machine learning (ML), speed is the name of the game. The faster you can prepare your data, train your models, and deploy them into production, the quicker you can unlock insights and drive value for your business. Achieving this speed will require more from your company than just raw computing power. You’ll need a strategic approach to data pipeline development, cloud integration, and infrastructure planning. Your goal is to expedite the readiness of your ML models, and you can’t go wrong with some advice from an industry leader. Abhijeet Rajwade is the senior customer engineer at Google, where he spearheads the development of cloud, data, and digital workplace solutions for enterprise clients in the USA. He’s also contributed to the development of AI infrastructure and cloud technologies for years. If anyone in the industry knows how to get this right, it’s Abhijeet. The Importance of Simplifying Data Pipeline Development to Transform Data At the heart of any ML endeavor lies the data. But, preparing data for analysis and model training can be a complex and time-consuming process. That’s where you could use Google Dataflow to build a data transformation pipeline to help data readiness for Enterprise AI Workloads. Abhijeet focuses a great deal on the importance of streamlining dataflow development to enhance data engineers’ productivity. He was the product manager in charge of developing a Cloud Code Plugin for Dataflow that reduced the learning curve and ramp-up time for building dataflow streaming pipelines. This product offered several key features to enhance the developer experience, mostly accelerating the development cycle and mitigating errors more efficiently. By streamlining the creation and execution of data pipelines, organizations can accelerate the process of ingesting, transforming, and preparing data for ML tasks like feature engineering, model training, etc. Whether cleaning messy datasets, extracting relevant features, or aggregating information from multiple sources, simplified dataflow development tools empower data scientists and data engineers to focus on what they do best: analyzing data and building models. Strategic Cloud Capacity Planning: Optimizing Resources for ML Workloads In tandem with streamlined development processes, strategic cloud capacity planning plays a pivotal role in expediting ML model readiness. “Cloud capacity management is a key part of an effective IT strategy,” Abhijeet has said. “Cloud capacity planning not only ensures workloads have the required resources but also reduces the cloud bill due to overprovisioned workloads.” By evaluating capacity requirements, reviewing historical usage patterns, and strategizing capacity planning based on business needs, organizations can optimize resource allocation for ML workloads. This approach not only enhances performance but also reduces costs by ensuring optimal resource utilization. Accelerating ML Model Readiness with Integrated Solutions The convergence of dataflow development simplification, cloud code plugin integrations, and strategic cloud capacity planning offers a comprehensive solution for expediting ML model readiness. As organizations embrace these integrated solutions, they can navigate the complexities of ML model development with greater efficiency and agility. With tools and strategies designed to streamline development processes and optimize resource utilization, the journey from concept to deployment becomes a seamless and accelerated endeavor. The Industry is Changing—You Can Change With It “Reinvention is the fuel of resilience,” says Abhijeet. “But the ability to reinvent yourself ensures you’re not left stranded. You can adapt, learn new skills, and emerge stronger and more adaptable.” Is your company ready for the AI revolution? Many enterprises are on the brink of transformation, but without the right data and infrastructure strategy, they risk being left behind. This is where Abhijeet Rajwade can help. As a seasoned expert in designing solutions to transform data and leverage cloud infrastructure for AI workloads, he’s ready to design solutions that transform data and leverage cloud infrastructure to its greatest potential. The future is here, so it’s time to make sure your plans are ready for it. When it comes to machine learning (ML), speed is the name of the game. The faster you can prepare your data, train your models, and deploy them into production, the quicker you can unlock insights and drive value for your business. Achieving this speed will require more from your company than just raw computing power. You’ll need a strategic approach to data pipeline development, cloud integration, and infrastructure planning. Your goal is to expedite the readiness of your ML models, and you can’t go wrong with some advice from an industry leader. Abhijeet Rajwade is the senior customer engineer at Google, where he spearheads the development of cloud, data, and digital workplace solutions for enterprise clients in the USA. He’s also contributed to the development of AI infrastructure and cloud technologies for years. If anyone in the industry knows how to get this right, it’s Abhijeet. Abhijeet Rajwade Abhijeet Rajwade The Importance of Simplifying Data Pipeline Development to Transform Data The Importance of Simplifying Data Pipeline Development to Transform Data At the heart of any ML endeavor lies the data. But, preparing data for analysis and model training can be a complex and time-consuming process. That’s where you could use Google Dataflow to build a data transformation pipeline to help data readiness for Enterprise AI Workloads. Abhijeet focuses a great deal on the importance of streamlining dataflow development to enhance data engineers’ productivity. He was the product manager in charge of developing a Cloud Code Plugin for Dataflow that reduced the learning curve and ramp-up time for building dataflow streaming pipelines. This product offered several key features to enhance the developer experience, mostly accelerating the development cycle and mitigating errors more efficiently. By streamlining the creation and execution of data pipelines, organizations can accelerate the process of ingesting, transforming, and preparing data for ML tasks like feature engineering, model training, etc. Cloud Code Plugin for Dataflow Cloud Code Plugin for Dataflow Whether cleaning messy datasets, extracting relevant features, or aggregating information from multiple sources, simplified dataflow development tools empower data scientists and data engineers to focus on what they do best: analyzing data and building models. Strategic Cloud Capacity Planning: Optimizing Resources for ML Workloads Strategic Cloud Capacity Planning: Optimizing Resources for ML Workloads In tandem with streamlined development processes, strategic cloud capacity planning plays a pivotal role in expediting ML model readiness. “Cloud capacity management is a key part of an effective IT strategy,” Abhijeet has said. “Cloud capacity planning not only ensures workloads have the required resources but also reduces the cloud bill due to overprovisioned workloads.” By evaluating capacity requirements, reviewing historical usage patterns, and strategizing capacity planning based on business needs, organizations can optimize resource allocation for ML workloads. This approach not only enhances performance but also reduces costs by ensuring optimal resource utilization. strategic cloud capacity planning strategic cloud capacity planning Accelerating ML Model Readiness with Integrated Solutions Accelerating ML Model Readiness with Integrated Solutions The convergence of dataflow development simplification, cloud code plugin integrations, and strategic cloud capacity planning offers a comprehensive solution for expediting ML model readiness. As organizations embrace these integrated solutions, they can navigate the complexities of ML model development with greater efficiency and agility. With tools and strategies designed to streamline development processes and optimize resource utilization, the journey from concept to deployment becomes a seamless and accelerated endeavor. The Industry is Changing—You Can Change With It The Industry is Changing—You Can Change With It “Reinvention is the fuel of resilience,” says Abhijeet. “But the ability to reinvent yourself ensures you’re not left stranded. You can adapt, learn new skills, and emerge stronger and more adaptable.” Is your company ready for the AI revolution? Many enterprises are on the brink of transformation, but without the right data and infrastructure strategy, they risk being left behind. This is where Abhijeet Rajwade can help. As a seasoned expert in designing solutions to transform data and leverage cloud infrastructure for AI workloads, he’s ready to design solutions that transform data and leverage cloud infrastructure to its greatest potential. The future is here, so it’s time to make sure your plans are ready for it.

Expediting ML Model Readiness: Industry Expert Abhijeet Rajwade’s Insights

এমএল মডেল প্রস্তুতি ত্বরান্বিত করা: শিল্প বিশেষজ্ঞ অভিজিৎ রাজওয়াদের অন্তর্দৃষ্টি

Beschleunigung der ML-Modellbereitschaft: Einblicke des Branchenexperten Abhijeet Rajwade

Acelerar la preparación del modelo de aprendizaje automático: opiniones del experto de la industria Abhijeet Rajwade

Accélération de la préparation au modèle ML : les idées de l'expert du secteur Abhijeet Rajwade

एमएल मॉडल की तैयारी में तेजी लाना: उद्योग विशेषज्ञ अभिजीत राजवाड़े की अंतर्दृष्टि

ML モデルの準備の迅速化: 業界の専門家 Abhijeet Rajwade の洞察

ML 모델 준비 가속화: 업계 전문가 Abhijeet Rajwade의 통찰력

Agilizando a preparação do modelo de ML: insights do especialista do setor Abhijeet Rajwade

Ускорение готовности моделей машинного обучения: мнение отраслевого эксперта Абхиджита Раджваде

ML Modelinin Hazır Olmasını Hızlandırma: Endüstri Uzmanı Abhijeet Rajwade'in İçgörüleri

Đẩy nhanh quá trình sẵn sàng cho mô hình ML: Thông tin chi tiết của chuyên gia trong ngành Abhijeet Rajwade

加速 ML 模型准备：行业专家 Abhijeet Rajwade 的见解

Authors:
(1) Iason Ofeidis, Department of Electrical Engineering, and Yale Institute for Network Science, Yale University, New Haven {Equal contribution};
(2) Diego Kiedanski, Department of Electrical Engineering, and Yale Institute for Network Science, Yale University, New Haven {Equal contribution};
(3) Leandros TassiulasLevon Ghukasyan, Activeloop, Mountain View, CA, USA, Department of Electrical Engineering, and Yale Institute for Network Science, Yale University, New Haven. Table of Links Abstract and Intro
Dataloaders
Experimental Setup
Numerical Results
Discussion
Related Work
Conclusion, Acknowledgments, and References
A. Numerical Results Cont. ABSTRACT Dataloaders, in charge of moving data from storage into GPUs while training machine learning models, might hold the key to drastically improving the performance of training jobs. Recent advances have shown promise not only by considerably decreasing training time but also by offering new features such as loading data from remote storage like S3. In this paper, we are the first to distinguish the dataloader as a separate component in the Deep Learning (DL) workflow and to outline its structure and features. Finally, we offer a comprehensive comparison of the different dataloading libraries available, their trade-offs in terms of functionality, usability, and performance and the insights derived from them. 1. INTRODUCTION Training a (deep) machine learning model requires a dataset, a model, and the hardware, which for real problems involves one or more GPUs. We are always interested in reducing the total computational time required to train a model. This is desirable for several reasons: lower costs, easier to iterate, and more accessible for smaller teams, among other things. The relationship between the main components of an ML pipeline and the running time is often explicit: a larger dataset takes longer, a larger model takes longer, and a faster GPU reduces the total running time. One key piece in the puzzle that is often overlooked is the glue between all these parts: the dataloader. The dataloader is in charge of loading the data from its permanent storage (RAM, disk, or the network), applying the necessary transformations, and sending the transformed data to the appropriate device so the model can ingest it. Most developers assume that the default dataloader in their respective machine learning framework (Pytorch, Tensorflow, Jax) is already optimized for their application and do not often rely on third-party data loaders. Interestingly enough, it has recently been shown that data loaders can be one of the more significant bottlenecks of ML pipelines(Mohan et al., 2020). As a result, we have seen many new libraries and research projects dedicated to optimizing and improving the dataloader performance. For example, FFCV (Leclerc et al., 2022), a new opensource library developed by a research team at MIT, managed to train ImageNet in a fraction of the time it would take using the default PyTorch dataloader. Such gains can dramatically reduce the operational costs of companies and research teams that depend on infrastructure as a service (IaaS), such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud Platform (GPC). Another promising feature offered by dataloaders is the ability to load data stored remotely; for example, from an S3 bucket. This has many practical advantages: the time to set up the dataset locally is avoided, the required disk capacity on the computing machine is reduced, and the risk of team members using different versions of the same dataset is diminished. The natural drawback of having to stream the data while training is that, usually, network transfer speeds are slower than disk I/O, and, as a result, the model should take longer to train. Interestingly, we have observed that some libraries such as Hub (Team, 2022a) and Deep Lake (Hambardzumyan et al., 2022), achieve better performance over the network than the default Pytorch dataloader reading data locally for some scenarios. This is possible because the dataloader manages to pre-fetch the required data before the GPU needs it. We will offer a more extensive discussion in Section 5. Not all libraries support remote loading, and those that do, not necessarily integrate with the same remote storage services. Since the number of available libraries implementing dataloaders is growing, we set out to build a comprehensive benchmark to illuminate the current state-of-the-art, what problems seem to have been solved already and to discover the most promising areas for improvement in future research. At this point, it should be mentioned that one particular difference from our experiments from other works such as (Kumar & Sivathanu, 2020), (Mohan et al., 2020) is that we focus on jobs that run on small to medium workstations with limited capacity (GPU, RAM, SSD). These are more likely to reflect the hardware available to most individuals and small teams in the industry, for whom the budget does not permit the usage of large-scale clusters. 1.1 Contributions We can summarize our contributions as follows: • Open-source Code: We built an open source benchmark that compares the most popular data loading libraries in Pytorch[1]. The project will remain available to the community so new libraries and datasets can be added as interest in them increases. We also expect to update the numerical results obtained in these benchmarks following any major updates to any of the libraries benchmarked in this paper. • Viability of Remote Training: We show that it is possible to train a machine learning model using a data stream over a public internet connection under reasonable circumstances. In particular, we point out the impact of the computing serving the data. Our result is different than that of (Mohan et al., 2020) since we do not assume that the dataset is cached locally after the download. • Hyperparameter Optimization for Speed: Traditional hyperparameter approaches aim to increase the overall accuracy of the model being trained. In this paper, we show how we can also optimize for speed (processed samples over time) as a proxy of total running time. This optimization is hardware-dependant, so it makes sense to perform it before long running jobs. This process should be at least an order of magnitude faster than equivalent time-to-acurracy metrics. This paper is available on arxiv under CC 4.0 license. [1] Github Repository: https://github.com/smartnets/dataloaderbenchmarks Authors: (1) Iason Ofeidis, Department of Electrical Engineering, and Yale Institute for Network Science, Yale University, New Haven {Equal contribution}; (2) Diego Kiedanski, Department of Electrical Engineering, and Yale Institute for Network Science, Yale University, New Haven {Equal contribution}; (3) Leandros TassiulasLevon Ghukasyan, Activeloop, Mountain View, CA, USA, Department of Electrical Engineering, and Yale Institute for Network Science, Yale University, New Haven. Authors: Authors: (1) Iason Ofeidis, Department of Electrical Engineering, and Yale Institute for Network Science, Yale University, New Haven {Equal contribution}; (2) Diego Kiedanski, Department of Electrical Engineering, and Yale Institute for Network Science, Yale University, New Haven {Equal contribution}; (3) Leandros TassiulasLevon Ghukasyan, Activeloop, Mountain View, CA, USA, Department of Electrical Engineering, and Yale Institute for Network Science, Yale University, New Haven. Table of Links Abstract and Intro Dataloaders Experimental Setup Numerical Results Discussion Related Work Conclusion, Acknowledgments, and References A. Numerical Results Cont. Abstract and Intro Abstract and Intro Dataloaders Dataloaders Experimental Setup Experimental Setup Numerical Results Numerical Results Discussion Discussion Related Work Related Work Conclusion, Acknowledgments, and References Conclusion, Acknowledgments, and References A. Numerical Results Cont. A. Numerical Results Cont. ABSTRACT Dataloaders, in charge of moving data from storage into GPUs while training machine learning models, might hold the key to drastically improving the performance of training jobs. Recent advances have shown promise not only by considerably decreasing training time but also by offering new features such as loading data from remote storage like S3. In this paper, we are the first to distinguish the dataloader as a separate component in the Deep Learning (DL) workflow and to outline its structure and features. Finally, we offer a comprehensive comparison of the different dataloading libraries available, their trade-offs in terms of functionality, usability, and performance and the insights derived from them. 1. INTRODUCTION Training a (deep) machine learning model requires a dataset, a model, and the hardware, which for real problems involves one or more GPUs. We are always interested in reducing the total computational time required to train a model. This is desirable for several reasons: lower costs, easier to iterate, and more accessible for smaller teams, among other things. The relationship between the main components of an ML pipeline and the running time is often explicit: a larger dataset takes longer, a larger model takes longer, and a faster GPU reduces the total running time. One key piece in the puzzle that is often overlooked is the glue between all these parts: the dataloader. The dataloader is in charge of loading the data from its permanent storage (RAM, disk, or the network), applying the necessary transformations, and sending the transformed data to the appropriate device so the model can ingest it. Most developers assume that the default dataloader in their respective machine learning framework (Pytorch, Tensorflow, Jax) is already optimized for their application and do not often rely on third-party data loaders. Interestingly enough, it has recently been shown that data loaders can be one of the more significant bottlenecks of ML pipelines(Mohan et al., 2020). As a result, we have seen many new libraries and research projects dedicated to optimizing and improving the dataloader performance. For example, FFCV (Leclerc et al., 2022), a new opensource library developed by a research team at MIT, managed to train ImageNet in a fraction of the time it would take using the default PyTorch dataloader. Such gains can dramatically reduce the operational costs of companies and research teams that depend on infrastructure as a service (IaaS), such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud Platform (GPC). Another promising feature offered by dataloaders is the ability to load data stored remotely; for example, from an S3 bucket. This has many practical advantages: the time to set up the dataset locally is avoided, the required disk capacity on the computing machine is reduced, and the risk of team members using different versions of the same dataset is diminished. The natural drawback of having to stream the data while training is that, usually, network transfer speeds are slower than disk I/O, and, as a result, the model should take longer to train. Interestingly, we have observed that some libraries such as Hub (Team, 2022a) and Deep Lake (Hambardzumyan et al., 2022), achieve better performance over the network than the default Pytorch dataloader reading data locally for some scenarios. This is possible because the dataloader manages to pre-fetch the required data before the GPU needs it. We will offer a more extensive discussion in Section 5. Not all libraries support remote loading, and those that do, not necessarily integrate with the same remote storage services. Since the number of available libraries implementing dataloaders is growing, we set out to build a comprehensive benchmark to illuminate the current state-of-the-art, what problems seem to have been solved already and to discover the most promising areas for improvement in future research. At this point, it should be mentioned that one particular difference from our experiments from other works such as (Kumar & Sivathanu, 2020), (Mohan et al., 2020) is that we focus on jobs that run on small to medium workstations with limited capacity (GPU, RAM, SSD). These are more likely to reflect the hardware available to most individuals and small teams in the industry, for whom the budget does not permit the usage of large-scale clusters. 1.1 Contributions We can summarize our contributions as follows: • Open-source Code: We built an open source benchmark that compares the most popular data loading libraries in Pytorch[1]. The project will remain available to the community so new libraries and datasets can be added as interest in them increases. We also expect to update the numerical results obtained in these benchmarks following any major updates to any of the libraries benchmarked in this paper. • Open-source Code: • Viability of Remote Training: We show that it is possible to train a machine learning model using a data stream over a public internet connection under reasonable circumstances. In particular, we point out the impact of the computing serving the data. Our result is different than that of (Mohan et al., 2020) since we do not assume that the dataset is cached locally after the download. • Viability of Remote Training: • Hyperparameter Optimization for Speed: Traditional hyperparameter approaches aim to increase the overall accuracy of the model being trained. In this paper, we show how we can also optimize for speed (processed samples over time) as a proxy of total running time. This optimization is hardware-dependant, so it makes sense to perform it before long running jobs. This process should be at least an order of magnitude faster than equivalent time-to-acurracy metrics. • Hyperparameter Optimization for Speed: This paper is available on arxiv under CC 4.0 license. This paper is available on arxiv under CC 4.0 license. available on arxiv [1] Github Repository: https://github.com/smartnets/dataloaderbenchmarks

An Overview of the Data-Loader Landscape: Abstract and Intro

ডেটা-লোডার ল্যান্ডস্কেপের একটি ওভারভিউ: বিমূর্ত এবং ভূমিকা

Ein Überblick über die Data-Loader-Landschaft: Zusammenfassung und Einführung

Una descripción general del panorama del cargador de datos: resumen e introducción

Un aperçu du paysage des chargeurs de données : résumé et introduction

डेटा-लोडर परिदृश्य का अवलोकन: सार और परिचय

データローダーの概要: 概要と概要

Data-Loader 환경 개요: 개요 및 소개

Uma visão geral do cenário do Data-Loader: resumo e introdução

Обзор ландшафта загрузчиков данных: Аннотация и введение

Veri Yükleyici Ortamına Genel Bakış: Özet ve Giriş

Tổng quan về bối cảnh trình tải dữ liệu: Tóm tắt và giới thiệu

数据加载器概况：摘要和简介

The public cloud changed the way companies build, deploy and manage their applications - mostly for the better. As you’re getting started, the public cloud supplies the infrastructure, services, enablement and maintenance to be up and running quickly. It provides ultimate scalability, in almost unlimited fashion, up and down, to provide you with the necessary resources no matter the load on your application. You could essentially go international on fully supported infrastructure at the flip of a switch. As time goes on, data from things like logs, customer input and application generated content can start to build up, sometimes into the petabyte and in very rare cases, the exabyte level. So, data that isn’t necessarily needed for your application’s active operation can suddenly bring unwanted surprises when your bill comes. It’s not just that either. Nearly 60% of public cloud costs are variable. In this blog, I’ll discuss how MinIO and Equinix have partnered to help combat these costs, how it helps you sleep at night from an operational perspective and offer a real-world example of a customer’s achievement of savings. About MinIO and Equinix Equinix is “the world’s digital infrastructure company.” It was founded in Silicon Valley in 1998 to be a vendor neutral data center provider. They securely interconnect some of the world’s largest networks with equality and neutrality in mind. In 2020, Equinix expanded on this great offering by acquiring Packet. In doing so, Equinix was able to add on-demand server provisioning capability to its extensive data center network. MinIO is the leading high performance object store in the market. It runs anywhere and on any hardware. Kubernetes-native and fully S3 API compatible it is the perfect pair for Equinix’s bare metal and colocation services. By combining MinIO and Equinix, developers can quickly and easily deploy S3 compatible persistent storage for any application, whether it’s hosted on Equinix, a public cloud provider, or even on-prem, allowing the flexibility for single, multi or hybrid cloud approaches. Why you can rely on MinIO and Equinix Flexibility Equinix provides multiple paths towards deploying your data and high intensity workloads within their 260+ global data centers across 71 metros in 33 countries. Equinix Colocation - Like any colocation service, this option involves buying, building, and managing your own hardware. So, you’d deploy MinIO to your server, either in a container or on bare metal, and then deploy that server setup to one or more Equinix data centers. This route is available at any Equinix data center around the world and provides the highest total cost savings when compared to the public cloud.


Equinix Metal - With this option, you’re taking full advantage of Equinix’s capabilities by using their bare metal server infrastructure as a service. There’s no need to supply, build, or manage your own hardware. Everything is done by Equinix’s Metal team. Equinix Metal also supports a range of deployment configurations from single-tenant, multi-user to multi-user and multi-tenant. The cost savings isn’t as high compared to the colocation approach, but it gives you a little bit of the best of both worlds. You don’t have to worry about the supply and maintenance of hardware while still saving money by offloading data and workloads that don’t need to run in the public cloud. While these are the main two options with Equinix, they are also open to custom approaches for very large deployments. Performance Not every use case requires ultimate performance. Sometimes you just need a less expensive but public cloud accessible place to store large amounts of logs and historical data. However, if you currently do need performance or might in the future, rest assured, MinIO and Equinix have you covered. With Equinix’s public cloud adjacency and interconnectivity, your data is only 1-2ms RTT from the major public clouds and <10ms RTT from your end customer’s device. MinIO will likely max out any network connectivity you can procure. It is the world's fastest object store with published GET and PUT results that exceed 325 GiB/sec and 165 GiB/sec, respectively, on 32 nodes of NVMe drives and a 100GbE network. Saving money with the cloud you control Pricing One of the unique aspects of the Equinix and MinIO collaboration is the operational simplicity and financial certainty they offer with fixed annual pricing. The pricing model for Equinix and MinIO is transparent, predictable and straightforward. Equinix offers a range of pricing options from hourly on demand to custom provisioning. In the case of MinIO, the pricing model is driven by capacity - there are no charges for egress and/or API calls. Everything is included. A real-world example While we don’t have the ability to share the identity of this customer, the following example will give a great representation of the cost savings that can be achieved via either Equinix deployment model as this customer reviewed both options. First, let’s look at the sizing and assumptions data used for the comparison. All of this is based on the customer’s last bill with one of the large public cloud providers. One point to note is that this comparison is not a knock on the public cloud providers. Both Equinix and MinIO partner with all the major cloud providers. This simply illustrates the modern cloud cycle of starting in the cloud and operationalize and create efficiencies with the private cloud. When we plug in the numbers on this based on the customer’s previous bill and Equinix and MinIO’s transparent pricing (using very conservative estimates), it starts to take shape. Finally, if we do all the math we end up with the following savings. Keep in mind, these savings are based on conservative figures on the MinIO and Equinix side. While the savings is quite substantial already, these figures could rise once real numbers come in from actual usage. Another thing that wasn’t even factored in that could have made this estimate even higher would have been factoring in any data movement from storage tiers. In the public cloud services, this can become very costly. In MinIO on Equinix, there is no charge for moving data where you want it. As you can see, the savings add up quickly. This is a very large use case, but it gives a clear look into what kind of savings can be had by repatriating your data into the cloud you control. Summary There is a great quote from Andressen Horowitz’s Martin Casado in his and Sarah Wang’s seminal piece The Paradox of the Cloud where he notes the key paradox “You’re crazy if you don’t start in the cloud; you’re crazy if you stay on it.” This is why companies who understand the cloud operating model and understand their workloads are voting with their feet. They can save anywhere from 20% up to 60% by moving to Equinix and running the same workloads. No performance impact, no operational impact and potentially better performance. That’s what’s called a win-win. If you’d like to look at how much you can save by repatriating your data, contact us, or hit up the Ask an Expert channel and start the conversation. For a deeper dive, see our blog on how to migrate from the public cloud to MinIO on Equinix. The public cloud changed the way companies build, deploy and manage their applications - mostly for the better. As you’re getting started, the public cloud supplies the infrastructure, services, enablement and maintenance to be up and running quickly. It provides ultimate scalability, in almost unlimited fashion, up and down, to provide you with the necessary resources no matter the load on your application. You could essentially go international on fully supported infrastructure at the flip of a switch. As time goes on, data from things like logs, customer input and application generated content can start to build up, sometimes into the petabyte and in very rare cases, the exabyte level. So, data that isn’t necessarily needed for your application’s active operation can suddenly bring unwanted surprises when your bill comes. It’s not just that either. Nearly 60% of public cloud costs are variable. In this blog, I’ll discuss how MinIO and Equinix have partnered to help combat these costs, how it helps you sleep at night from an operational perspective and offer a real-world example of a customer’s achievement of savings. About MinIO and Equinix Equinix is “the world’s digital infrastructure company.” It was founded in Silicon Valley in 1998 to be a vendor neutral data center provider. They securely interconnect some of the world’s largest networks with equality and neutrality in mind. In 2020, Equinix expanded on this great offering by acquiring Packet. In doing so, Equinix was able to add on-demand server provisioning capability to its extensive data center network. MinIO is the leading high performance object store in the market. It runs anywhere and on any hardware. Kubernetes-native and fully S3 API compatible it is the perfect pair for Equinix’s bare metal and colocation services. By combining MinIO and Equinix, developers can quickly and easily deploy S3 compatible persistent storage for any application, whether it’s hosted on Equinix, a public cloud provider, or even on-prem, allowing the flexibility for single, multi or hybrid cloud approaches. Why you can rely on MinIO and Equinix Flexibility Equinix provides multiple paths towards deploying your data and high intensity workloads within their 260+ global data centers across 71 metros in 33 countries. Equinix Colocation - Like any colocation service, this option involves buying, building, and managing your own hardware. So, you’d deploy MinIO to your server, either in a container or on bare metal, and then deploy that server setup to one or more Equinix data centers. This route is available at any Equinix data center around the world and provides the highest total cost savings when compared to the public cloud. Equinix Metal - With this option, you’re taking full advantage of Equinix’s capabilities by using their bare metal server infrastructure as a service. There’s no need to supply, build, or manage your own hardware. Everything is done by Equinix’s Metal team. Equinix Metal also supports a range of deployment configurations from single-tenant, multi-user to multi-user and multi-tenant. The cost savings isn’t as high compared to the colocation approach, but it gives you a little bit of the best of both worlds. You don’t have to worry about the supply and maintenance of hardware while still saving money by offloading data and workloads that don’t need to run in the public cloud. Equinix Colocation - Like any colocation service, this option involves buying, building, and managing your own hardware. So, you’d deploy MinIO to your server, either in a container or on bare metal, and then deploy that server setup to one or more Equinix data centers. This route is available at any Equinix data center around the world and provides the highest total cost savings when compared to the public cloud. Equinix Colocation - Like any colocation service, this option involves buying, building, and managing your own hardware. So, you’d deploy MinIO to your server, either in a container or on bare metal, and then deploy that server setup to one or more Equinix data centers. This route is available at any Equinix data center around the world and provides the highest total cost savings when compared to the public cloud. Equinix Colocation Equinix Metal - With this option, you’re taking full advantage of Equinix’s capabilities by using their bare metal server infrastructure as a service. There’s no need to supply, build, or manage your own hardware. Everything is done by Equinix’s Metal team. Equinix Metal also supports a range of deployment configurations from single-tenant, multi-user to multi-user and multi-tenant. The cost savings isn’t as high compared to the colocation approach, but it gives you a little bit of the best of both worlds. You don’t have to worry about the supply and maintenance of hardware while still saving money by offloading data and workloads that don’t need to run in the public cloud. Equinix Metal - With this option, you’re taking full advantage of Equinix’s capabilities by using their bare metal server infrastructure as a service. There’s no need to supply, build, or manage your own hardware. Everything is done by Equinix’s Metal team. Equinix Metal also supports a range of deployment configurations from single-tenant, multi-user to multi-user and multi-tenant. The cost savings isn’t as high compared to the colocation approach, but it gives you a little bit of the best of both worlds. You don’t have to worry about the supply and maintenance of hardware while still saving money by offloading data and workloads that don’t need to run in the public cloud. Equinix Metal While these are the main two options with Equinix, they are also open to custom approaches for very large deployments. Performance Not every use case requires ultimate performance. Sometimes you just need a less expensive but public cloud accessible place to store large amounts of logs and historical data. However, if you currently do need performance or might in the future, rest assured, MinIO and Equinix have you covered. With Equinix’s public cloud adjacency and interconnectivity, your data is only 1-2ms RTT from the major public clouds and <10ms RTT from your end customer’s device. MinIO will likely max out any network connectivity you can procure. It is the world's fastest object store with published GET and PUT results that exceed 325 GiB/sec and 165 GiB/sec, respectively, on 32 nodes of NVMe drives and a 100GbE network. Saving money with the cloud you control Pricing One of the unique aspects of the Equinix and MinIO collaboration is the operational simplicity and financial certainty they offer with fixed annual pricing. The pricing model for Equinix and MinIO is transparent, predictable and straightforward. Equinix offers a range of pricing options from hourly on demand to custom provisioning. In the case of MinIO, the pricing model is driven by capacity - there are no charges for egress and/or API calls. Everything is included. A real-world example While we don’t have the ability to share the identity of this customer, the following example will give a great representation of the cost savings that can be achieved via either Equinix deployment model as this customer reviewed both options. First, let’s look at the sizing and assumptions data used for the comparison. All of this is based on the customer’s last bill with one of the large public cloud providers. One point to note is that this comparison is not a knock on the public cloud providers. Both Equinix and MinIO partner with all the major cloud providers. This simply illustrates the modern cloud cycle of starting in the cloud and operationalize and create efficiencies with the private cloud. When we plug in the numbers on this based on the customer’s previous bill and Equinix and MinIO’s transparent pricing (using very conservative estimates), it starts to take shape. Finally, if we do all the math we end up with the following savings. Keep in mind, these savings are based on conservative figures on the MinIO and Equinix side. While the savings is quite substantial already, these figures could rise once real numbers come in from actual usage. Another thing that wasn’t even factored in that could have made this estimate even higher would have been factoring in any data movement from storage tiers. In the public cloud services, this can become very costly. In MinIO on Equinix, there is no charge for moving data where you want it. As you can see, the savings add up quickly. This is a very large use case, but it gives a clear look into what kind of savings can be had by repatriating your data into the cloud you control. Summary There is a great quote from Andressen Horowitz’s Martin Casado in his and Sarah Wang’s seminal piece The Paradox of the Cloud where he notes the key paradox “You’re crazy if you don’t start in the cloud; you’re crazy if you stay on it.” This is why companies who understand the cloud operating model and understand their workloads are voting with their feet. They can save anywhere from 20% up to 60% by moving to Equinix and running the same workloads. No performance impact, no operational impact and potentially better performance. That’s what’s called a win-win. The Paradox of the Cloud The Paradox of the Cloud If you’d like to look at how much you can save by repatriating your data, contact us , or hit up the Ask an Expert channel and start the conversation. For a deeper dive, see our blog on how to migrate from the public cloud to MinIO on Equinix . contact us Ask an Expert how to migrate from the public cloud to MinIO on Equinix

Limit Cloud Data Costs with MinIO on Equinix

Equinix এ MinIO এর সাথে ক্লাউড ডেটা খরচ সীমিত করুন

Begrenzen Sie die Cloud-Datenkosten mit MinIO auf Equinix

Limite los costos de datos en la nube con MinIO en Equinix

Limitez les coûts des données cloud avec MinIO sur Equinix

Equinix पर MinIO के साथ क्लाउड डेटा लागत को सीमित करें

Equinix の MinIO でクラウド データ コストを制限

Equinix의 MinIO로 클라우드 데이터 비용 제한

Limite os custos de dados na nuvem com MinIO na Equinix

Ограничьте затраты на облачные данные с помощью MinIO на Equinix

Equinix'te MinIO ile Bulut Veri Maliyetlerini Sınırlayın

Giới hạn chi phí dữ liệu đám mây với MinIO trên Equinix

使用 Equinix 上的 MinIO 限制云数据成本

Authors:
(1) Fabiano Villan, Universidade Luterana do Brasil (ULBRA), Curso de Licenciatura em Física;
(2) Renato P. dos Santos, Universidade Luterana do Brasil (ULBRA), PPG em Ensino de Ciências e Matemática (PPGECIM). Table of Links Abstract Introduction Theoretical Framework The ZPD and Chat GPT as a Co-Advisor in Scientific Guidance Methodology Results and Analysis Conclusions, Acknowledgements, Author's Contribution Statement, Data Availability Statement References APÊNDICE A APÊNDICE B CONCLUSIONS The findings of this research highlight resonance with the principles of Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, particularly regarding the incorporation of ChatGPT as a pedagogical tool in the current educational landscape. The thematic diversity chosen by the students revealed an expansion of their horizons, demonstrating the applicability of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and solidifying ChatGPT as a "co-advisor." The advisor, in turn, assumed a decisive "pedagogical mediator" role, fostering a collaborative learning environment and providing precise guidance. Vygotsky argues that cognitive development is strongly shaped by social and cultural interactions, dismissing purely biological or innate interpretations. He emphasizes the influence of language, culture, and social tools in the shaping of human thought (Vygotsky, 1991). Modernity has brought a new digital culture, challenging educators to renew their pedagogical approaches with intentionality and innovation. Thus, while Santos et al. (2020) pointed to the scarcity of time as an obstacle to the implementation of active methodologies, this research demonstrates the use of ChatGPT as a viable solution to optimize group advising time and to boost innovative methods in research guidance within the educational context. The integration of AI has proven not only efficient but also enriching, allowing the exploration of interdisciplinary and current themes, surpassing the temporal limitations identified by Santos et al. (2020). By using ChatGPT to structure information and guide workgroups, the advisor overcame resistances and lack of experience, consolidating technology as an essential ally in the mediation of learning. It is essential to emphasize that the co-advisership provided by ChatGPT offered the teacher the ability to provide significant support, even in areas of knowledge that transcend the academic training of the researcher, enhancing the autonomy of students in their research. This methodology surpassed the barriers of advisors' specializations and reinforced the emerging position of AI as a valuable pedagogical resource. The use of ChatGPT demonstrated how technology could complement human expertise in the advising process and enhance students' learning opportunities. This innovative approach resulted in richer teaching practices and a deeper reflection on pedagogy, strengthening and consolidating the educational identity of the researcher. In this study, a Physics teacher in teacher training, in his debut as a advisor in Scientific Initiation at the Elementary level, exceeded expectations and personal resistances, perceiving a transformation in teaching practice, with a clear social intentionality and commitment to scientific dissemination. The findings also point to a remarkable synergy between theory and practice in the educational environment, integrating active methodologies, use of technology, and pedagogical action. They reflect the understanding that Education, more than a mere application of theories, is a complex and interactive practice that must be in constant evolution to enrich the student learning experience. The study culminated in a notable cultural transformation within the school. This change, from a traditional view to a socialized learning approach, was catalysed by a proactive and non-imposing school management. The administration played a decisive role by delegating responsibilities and incorporating the community into the so-called "pedagogical stops," encouraging closer collaboration between students and teachers. Teachers' resistance to innovation, initially robust, was gradually overcome by the visible impact of the enthusiasm and active participation of the students in the ProjectBased Learning process. Notably, although ChatGPT was not directly used by students due to teachers' resistance, the movement towards pedagogical innovation positively influenced the school community. Student groups from the school gained recognition at prestigious events: one group won first place at Mostratec and another received an honourable mention at Femositec. These successes are particularly notable because they occurred in projects that were not under the direct guidance of the researcher. Such achievements demonstrate the indirect impact of the implemented methodology, evidencing the awakening of intrinsic motivation among students and the subsequent decrease in opposition from teachers. Therefore, it is noted that, despite the initial resistance of teachers to adopting innovative methodologies and the use of artificial intelligence, the progress of the project and the visible enthusiasm of the students were crucial in overcoming these obstacles. The experience reaffirms the effectiveness of Project-Based Learning (PBL) in engaging students and teachers in a joint educational experience, promoting the socialization of knowledge and the renewal of pedagogical practices, which was proven by the tangible recognition through awards at local scientific fairs. This study also exemplifies the effectiveness of action research in educational contexts, demonstrating how intentional actions and critical reflections can trigger significant cultural transformations, whose effects reverberate beyond the physical boundaries of the educational institution. The observed change in the school culture, transitioning from traditional practices to a collaborative and socialized approach, corroborates the ideals of action research. The active participation and engagement of teachers, students, and school management were reflected in the continuous improvement of pedagogical practices and the promotion of meaningful learning. The iterative cycles of planning and reflection facilitated the overcoming of initial resistances, culminating in external recognition through awards at scientific fairs. The importance of effective school management is highlighted, which, through its supportive and empowering role, significantly influenced the pedagogical renewal. This study also exemplifies the effectiveness of action research in educational contexts, showing how intentional actions and critical reflections can trigger significant cultural transformations, whose effects reverberate beyond the physical boundaries of the educational institution. The change observed in the school culture, moving from traditional practices to a collaborative and socialized approach, corroborates the ideals of action research. The active participation and engagement of teachers, students, and school management reflected in the continuous improvement of pedagogical practices and the promotion of meaningful learning. The iterative cycles of planning and reflection facilitated the overcoming of initial resistances, culminating in external recognition through awards at scientific fairs. The importance of effective school management is highlighted, which, by providing support and delegating responsibilities, contributed decisively to the socialization of knowledge and the empowerment of participants. In light of the promising results of this study, a fertile ground is envisioned for future investigations that can expand the understanding of the integration of active methodologies and emerging technologies in the educational context. It would be enriching to explore the sustained use of ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools across different disciplines and educational levels, assessing long-term impacts on student motivation and research skill development. Furthermore, longitudinal studies could investigate changes in teachers' attitudes towards innovative approaches and the role of school management in sustaining pedagogical transformations. Extending this work to other educational contexts, encompassing a wider range of sociocultural variables, could also provide valuable insights into the replicability and adaptability of project-based learning and action research methods. The interface between educational research and AI technologies remains a vibrant and underexplored frontier, promising significant advances in the field of education. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS FB gratefully acknowledges the partial funding from Programa Institucional de Bolsas de Iniciação Científica da Ulbra (PROICT/Ulbra), which was instrumental to this research. AUTHORS' CONTRIBUTION STATEMENT FB was responsible for the conception and execution of this research, as well as the preliminary data collection and analysis. He also took charge of writing the first draft of the text and the review of the final version. RPdS was the research advisor. He also contributed to the review of the first version and the writing of the final version. DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT The authors agree to make their data available upon reasonable request. It is up to the authors to determine whether a request is reasonable or not. This paper is available on arxiv under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED license. Authors: (1) Fabiano Villan, Universidade Luterana do Brasil (ULBRA), Curso de Licenciatura em Física; (2) Renato P. dos Santos, Universidade Luterana do Brasil (ULBRA), PPG em Ensino de Ciências e Matemática (PPGECIM). Authors: Authors: (1) Fabiano Villan, Universidade Luterana do Brasil (ULBRA), Curso de Licenciatura em Física; (2) Renato P. dos Santos, Universidade Luterana do Brasil (ULBRA), PPG em Ensino de Ciências e Matemática (PPGECIM). Table of Links Abstract Abstract Introduction Introduction Theoretical Framework Theoretical Framework The ZPD and Chat GPT as a Co-Advisor in Scientific Guidance The ZPD and Chat GPT as a Co-Advisor in Scientific Guidance Methodology Methodology Results and Analysis Results and Analysis Conclusions, Acknowledgements, Author's Contribution Statement, Data Availability Statement Conclusions, Acknowledgements, Author's Contribution Statement, Data Availability Statement References References APÊNDICE A APÊNDICE A APÊNDICE B APÊNDICE B CONCLUSIONS The findings of this research highlight resonance with the principles of Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, particularly regarding the incorporation of ChatGPT as a pedagogical tool in the current educational landscape. The thematic diversity chosen by the students revealed an expansion of their horizons, demonstrating the applicability of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and solidifying ChatGPT as a "co-advisor." The advisor, in turn, assumed a decisive "pedagogical mediator" role, fostering a collaborative learning environment and providing precise guidance. Vygotsky argues that cognitive development is strongly shaped by social and cultural interactions, dismissing purely biological or innate interpretations. He emphasizes the influence of language, culture, and social tools in the shaping of human thought (Vygotsky, 1991). Modernity has brought a new digital culture, challenging educators to renew their pedagogical approaches with intentionality and innovation. Thus, while Santos et al. (2020) pointed to the scarcity of time as an obstacle to the implementation of active methodologies, this research demonstrates the use of ChatGPT as a viable solution to optimize group advising time and to boost innovative methods in research guidance within the educational context. The integration of AI has proven not only efficient but also enriching, allowing the exploration of interdisciplinary and current themes, surpassing the temporal limitations identified by Santos et al. (2020). By using ChatGPT to structure information and guide workgroups, the advisor overcame resistances and lack of experience, consolidating technology as an essential ally in the mediation of learning. It is essential to emphasize that the co-advisership provided by ChatGPT offered the teacher the ability to provide significant support, even in areas of knowledge that transcend the academic training of the researcher, enhancing the autonomy of students in their research. This methodology surpassed the barriers of advisors' specializations and reinforced the emerging position of AI as a valuable pedagogical resource. The use of ChatGPT demonstrated how technology could complement human expertise in the advising process and enhance students' learning opportunities. This innovative approach resulted in richer teaching practices and a deeper reflection on pedagogy, strengthening and consolidating the educational identity of the researcher. In this study, a Physics teacher in teacher training, in his debut as a advisor in Scientific Initiation at the Elementary level, exceeded expectations and personal resistances, perceiving a transformation in teaching practice, with a clear social intentionality and commitment to scientific dissemination. The findings also point to a remarkable synergy between theory and practice in the educational environment, integrating active methodologies, use of technology, and pedagogical action. They reflect the understanding that Education, more than a mere application of theories, is a complex and interactive practice that must be in constant evolution to enrich the student learning experience. The study culminated in a notable cultural transformation within the school. This change, from a traditional view to a socialized learning approach, was catalysed by a proactive and non-imposing school management. The administration played a decisive role by delegating responsibilities and incorporating the community into the so-called "pedagogical stops," encouraging closer collaboration between students and teachers. Teachers' resistance to innovation, initially robust, was gradually overcome by the visible impact of the enthusiasm and active participation of the students in the ProjectBased Learning process. Notably, although ChatGPT was not directly used by students due to teachers' resistance, the movement towards pedagogical innovation positively influenced the school community. Student groups from the school gained recognition at prestigious events: one group won first place at Mostratec and another received an honourable mention at Femositec. These successes are particularly notable because they occurred in projects that were not under the direct guidance of the researcher. Such achievements demonstrate the indirect impact of the implemented methodology, evidencing the awakening of intrinsic motivation among students and the subsequent decrease in opposition from teachers. Therefore, it is noted that, despite the initial resistance of teachers to adopting innovative methodologies and the use of artificial intelligence, the progress of the project and the visible enthusiasm of the students were crucial in overcoming these obstacles. The experience reaffirms the effectiveness of Project-Based Learning (PBL) in engaging students and teachers in a joint educational experience, promoting the socialization of knowledge and the renewal of pedagogical practices, which was proven by the tangible recognition through awards at local scientific fairs. This study also exemplifies the effectiveness of action research in educational contexts, demonstrating how intentional actions and critical reflections can trigger significant cultural transformations, whose effects reverberate beyond the physical boundaries of the educational institution. The observed change in the school culture, transitioning from traditional practices to a collaborative and socialized approach, corroborates the ideals of action research. The active participation and engagement of teachers, students, and school management were reflected in the continuous improvement of pedagogical practices and the promotion of meaningful learning. The iterative cycles of planning and reflection facilitated the overcoming of initial resistances, culminating in external recognition through awards at scientific fairs. The importance of effective school management is highlighted, which, through its supportive and empowering role, significantly influenced the pedagogical renewal. This study also exemplifies the effectiveness of action research in educational contexts, showing how intentional actions and critical reflections can trigger significant cultural transformations, whose effects reverberate beyond the physical boundaries of the educational institution. The change observed in the school culture, moving from traditional practices to a collaborative and socialized approach, corroborates the ideals of action research. The active participation and engagement of teachers, students, and school management reflected in the continuous improvement of pedagogical practices and the promotion of meaningful learning. The iterative cycles of planning and reflection facilitated the overcoming of initial resistances, culminating in external recognition through awards at scientific fairs. The importance of effective school management is highlighted, which, by providing support and delegating responsibilities, contributed decisively to the socialization of knowledge and the empowerment of participants. In light of the promising results of this study, a fertile ground is envisioned for future investigations that can expand the understanding of the integration of active methodologies and emerging technologies in the educational context. It would be enriching to explore the sustained use of ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools across different disciplines and educational levels, assessing long-term impacts on student motivation and research skill development. Furthermore, longitudinal studies could investigate changes in teachers' attitudes towards innovative approaches and the role of school management in sustaining pedagogical transformations. Extending this work to other educational contexts, encompassing a wider range of sociocultural variables, could also provide valuable insights into the replicability and adaptability of project-based learning and action research methods. The interface between educational research and AI technologies remains a vibrant and underexplored frontier, promising significant advances in the field of education. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS FB gratefully acknowledges the partial funding from Programa Institucional de Bolsas de Iniciação Científica da Ulbra (PROICT/Ulbra), which was instrumental to this research. AUTHORS' CONTRIBUTION STATEMENT FB was responsible for the conception and execution of this research, as well as the preliminary data collection and analysis. He also took charge of writing the first draft of the text and the review of the final version. RPdS was the research advisor. He also contributed to the review of the first version and the writing of the final version. DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT The authors agree to make their data available upon reasonable request. It is up to the authors to determine whether a request is reasonable or not. This paper is available on arxiv under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED license. This paper is available on arxiv under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED license. available on arxiv

Transforming Learning Through AI Integration

এআই ইন্টিগ্রেশনের মাধ্যমে শেখার রূপান্তর

Transformation des Lernens durch KI-Integration

Transformando el aprendizaje a través de la integración de la IA

Transformer l'apprentissage grâce à l'intégration de l'IA

एआई एकीकरण के माध्यम से शिक्षण में परिवर्तन

AI統合による学習の変革

AI 통합을 통한 학습 혁신

Transformando a aprendizagem por meio da integração de IA

Преобразование обучения посредством интеграции искусственного интеллекта

Yapay Zeka Entegrasyonu Yoluyla Öğrenmeyi Dönüştürme

Chuyển đổi việc học thông qua tích hợp AI

通过人工智能集成实现学习转型

Authors:
(1) Benzar Glen S. Grepon, Northern Bukidnon State College, Philippines ben.it2c@gmail.com (corresponding author);
(2) JC P. Margallo, Northern Bukidnon State College, Philippines;
(3) Jonathan B. Maserin, Northern Bukidnon State College, Philippines;
(4) Rio Al-Di A. Dompol, Northern Bukidnon State College, Philippines. Table of Links Abstract and Intro Literature Review Methodology Results Discussions Conclusions Recommendations Research Implications Practical Implications Declarations References and Author's Biography Abstract Purpose – Knowing the current situation on every road in an area is still difficult to anticipate. Commuters, riders, and drivers are still dependent on road situations from a local news agency to be well informed and be updated on possible road updates such as vehicular accidents, government road and bridge projects/construction, and other related road obstructions. To give solutions regarding road updates, a web-based roads update information system has been developed that uses Google Maps API allowing people to view and be notified of the real-time updates of the road situation of a specific area. Method - This paper discusses the main system functionalities, including sub-systems and modules of the system, the research approach and methodology, which is the Agile Model, and its impact on disseminating road information and its status. Results – The project has been evaluated using ISO 25010, a quality evaluation system for product/software measuring its functionality, efficiency, reliability, usability, security, maintainability, and portability. Based on the evaluation result, the project has been rated 4.21, signifying an excellent performance based on qualitative description through a Likert scale descriptive interpretation. The project has been running and hosted on the world wide web and is expected to expand its coverage area from its origin country to the rest of the world. Conclusion – Based on the initial findings of the study, the respondents agreed that the developed web system was functional and a massive help to commuters, riders, and people who travel a lot. The system's overall effectiveness and performance were excellent based on the criteria set by ISO/IEC 25010. Recommendations – It is recommended for future development to expand the coverage of the road updates, if possible, including the entire Philippine archipelago for long-drive commuters and drivers to be more updated in terms of road updates. Also, include the use of mobile applications for more user-friendly design and interactions. Research Implications – The study allows viewing and reporting road updates with attachments as proof, informing commuters about what to expect when they travel. The system has been implemented in the municipality of Bukidnon and has been updated now and then for continuous quality improvement. Practical Implications – The main benefit that the Road Updates Information System can do is to inform people who are constantly traveling to be updated on the current situation of a specific road by accessing the system and checking the map on areas to travel and see for themselves the photos and description of a place where road construction, accidents and other causes that delay the traveling time of passengers and travelers. Aside from being informed of the road updates, citizens can also participate by uploading photos and descriptions of what is still going on the roads to the system and be viewed by people who try to access the web portal. Keywords – Road Updates, Information System, Google Maps, Web App, Web Portal, Philippines INTRODUCTION With growing municipality dwellings, expanding roots of human settlements, and the complex urbanization happening all over, the way we find our way through routes and off-the-routes is getting tougher. This is why navigation apps are growing in prominence and scope to help us better read, predict, and pierce through streets and directions (Yamsaengsung and Papasratorn, 2018). People use navigating apps as their primary information access (Wörndl and Herzog, 2020) to familiar and unfamiliar destinations or personal routes (Löchtefeld, 2019). Knowing the current situation of a particular place, especially road conditions, and updates, is difficult to monitor with the existing navigation apps. The problem began when smartphone apps like Waze, Apple Maps, and Google Maps came into widespread use, offering drivers real-time routing around traffic tie-ups; an estimated 1 billion drivers worldwide use such apps. Now that online navigation apps are in charge, they are causing more problems than they solve (Macfarlane, 2019). In the case of the Philippines and experienced in other countries, there are a lot of on-going situations that cause delays (e.g., landslides, on-going road repairs, accidents, and others) to commuters and travelers’ day by day. This situation has inspired the proponents to design and develop a Road Updates Information System. It's still challenging to predict the state of every road in each area. To stay informed about potential road updates such as traffic accidents, governmental road and bridge projects/construction, and other associated road impediments, commuters, riders, and drivers continue to rely on the road status provided by a local news organization. Traveling without the idea of what's going on ahead will make the traveling riskier; for example, planning to go somewhere where there is ongoing rescue operation because of the landslide currently happening or delay because there are roads and bridges needed to be repaired, these incidences will undoubtedly delay the traveling time and expectations of a particular traveler or commuter which may affect their transactions, vacations or any essential dealings. Fortunately, the proposed system has the capabilities to help riders, drivers, commuters, or even ordinary people to be able to navigate the map through a web application and be updated on what's happening, aside from being informed those who were in the actual site where accidents happened, landslide and other factors which delay the passing by of vehicles in certain places can participate by updating the map and upload pictures and information to update the maps with the present situation. This web app uses Google Maps API to locate the exact location of a condition that causes the delay and inform all web app users of the situation, then giving them the decision whether to continue to travel or reroute to other alternative routes to avoid being congested where any incidences happen. This paper is available on arxiv under CC 4.0 license. Authors: (1) Benzar Glen S. Grepon, Northern Bukidnon State College, Philippines ben.it2c@gmail.com (corresponding author); (2) JC P. Margallo, Northern Bukidnon State College, Philippines; (3) Jonathan B. Maserin, Northern Bukidnon State College, Philippines; (4) Rio Al-Di A. Dompol, Northern Bukidnon State College, Philippines. Authors: Authors: (1) Benzar Glen S. Grepon, Northern Bukidnon State College, Philippines ben.it2c@gmail.com (corresponding author); (2) JC P. Margallo, Northern Bukidnon State College, Philippines; (3) Jonathan B. Maserin, Northern Bukidnon State College, Philippines; (4) Rio Al-Di A. Dompol, Northern Bukidnon State College, Philippines. Table of Links Abstract and Intro Abstract and Intro Literature Review Literature Review Methodology Methodology Results Results Discussions Discussions Conclusions Conclusions Recommendations Recommendations Research Implications Research Implications Practical Implications Practical Implications Declarations Declarations References and Author's Biography References and Author's Biography Abstract Purpose – Knowing the current situation on every road in an area is still difficult to anticipate. Commuters, riders, and drivers are still dependent on road situations from a local news agency to be well informed and be updated on possible road updates such as vehicular accidents, government road and bridge projects/construction, and other related road obstructions. To give solutions regarding road updates, a web-based roads update information system has been developed that uses Google Maps API allowing people to view and be notified of the real-time updates of the road situation of a specific area. Purpose Method - This paper discusses the main system functionalities, including sub-systems and modules of the system, the research approach and methodology, which is the Agile Model, and its impact on disseminating road information and its status. Method Results – The project has been evaluated using ISO 25010, a quality evaluation system for product/software measuring its functionality, efficiency, reliability, usability, security, maintainability, and portability. Based on the evaluation result, the project has been rated 4.21, signifying an excellent performance based on qualitative description through a Likert scale descriptive interpretation. The project has been running and hosted on the world wide web and is expected to expand its coverage area from its origin country to the rest of the world. Results Conclusion – Based on the initial findings of the study, the respondents agreed that the developed web system was functional and a massive help to commuters, riders, and people who travel a lot. The system's overall effectiveness and performance were excellent based on the criteria set by ISO/IEC 25010. Conclusion Recommendations – It is recommended for future development to expand the coverage of the road updates, if possible, including the entire Philippine archipelago for long-drive commuters and drivers to be more updated in terms of road updates. Also, include the use of mobile applications for more user-friendly design and interactions. Recommendations Research Implications – The study allows viewing and reporting road updates with attachments as proof, informing commuters about what to expect when they travel. The system has been implemented in the municipality of Bukidnon and has been updated now and then for continuous quality improvement. Research Implications Practical Implications – The main benefit that the Road Updates Information System can do is to inform people who are constantly traveling to be updated on the current situation of a specific road by accessing the system and checking the map on areas to travel and see for themselves the photos and description of a place where road construction, accidents and other causes that delay the traveling time of passengers and travelers. Aside from being informed of the road updates, citizens can also participate by uploading photos and descriptions of what is still going on the roads to the system and be viewed by people who try to access the web portal. Practical Implications Keywords – Road Updates, Information System, Google Maps, Web App, Web Portal, Philippines Keywords INTRODUCTION With growing municipality dwellings, expanding roots of human settlements, and the complex urbanization happening all over, the way we find our way through routes and off-the-routes is getting tougher. This is why navigation apps are growing in prominence and scope to help us better read, predict, and pierce through streets and directions (Yamsaengsung and Papasratorn, 2018). People use navigating apps as their primary information access (Wörndl and Herzog, 2020) to familiar and unfamiliar destinations or personal routes (Löchtefeld, 2019). Knowing the current situation of a particular place, especially road conditions, and updates, is difficult to monitor with the existing navigation apps. The problem began when smartphone apps like Waze, Apple Maps, and Google Maps came into widespread use, offering drivers real-time routing around traffic tie-ups; an estimated 1 billion drivers worldwide use such apps. Now that online navigation apps are in charge, they are causing more problems than they solve (Macfarlane, 2019). In the case of the Philippines and experienced in other countries, there are a lot of on-going situations that cause delays (e.g., landslides, on-going road repairs, accidents, and others) to commuters and travelers’ day by day. This situation has inspired the proponents to design and develop a Road Updates Information System. It's still challenging to predict the state of every road in each area. To stay informed about potential road updates such as traffic accidents, governmental road and bridge projects/construction, and other associated road impediments, commuters, riders, and drivers continue to rely on the road status provided by a local news organization. Traveling without the idea of what's going on ahead will make the traveling riskier; for example, planning to go somewhere where there is ongoing rescue operation because of the landslide currently happening or delay because there are roads and bridges needed to be repaired, these incidences will undoubtedly delay the traveling time and expectations of a particular traveler or commuter which may affect their transactions, vacations or any essential dealings. Fortunately, the proposed system has the capabilities to help riders, drivers, commuters, or even ordinary people to be able to navigate the map through a web application and be updated on what's happening, aside from being informed those who were in the actual site where accidents happened, landslide and other factors which delay the passing by of vehicles in certain places can participate by updating the map and upload pictures and information to update the maps with the present situation. This web app uses Google Maps API to locate the exact location of a condition that causes the delay and inform all web app users of the situation, then giving them the decision whether to continue to travel or reroute to other alternative routes to avoid being congested where any incidences happen. This paper is available on arxiv under CC 4.0 license. This paper is available on arxiv under CC 4.0 license. available on arxiv

RUI: A Web-based Road Updates Information System using Google Maps API

The Easy Button

সহজ বোতাম

Der Easy-Button

El botón fácil

Le bouton facile

आसान बटन

簡単ボタン

쉬운 버튼

O botão fácil

Простая кнопка

Kolay Düğme

Nút dễ dàng

简易按钮

Hello, I’m Malena Carollo, and I’m an investigative reporter here at The Markup. I write stories about broken systems that deeply affect people’s lives. In March, we published a two-part investigation into the algorithm that determines who gets a life-saving liver transplant. The algorithm was changed three years ago to allow donated livers to travel farther than ever before. Proponents said the change was meant to get the sickest patients a liver no matter where they lived. But those making the new policy dismissed surgeons, advocates, and academics around the country who worried that it would hurt rural areas and the poor while causing more livers to be wasted. My reporting partner Ben Tanen and I found these concerns were valid: the change entrenched long-standing inequities, taking livers away from areas that already struggle with access to health care and sending them to some states that do a poor job of collecting donated organs locally. We also found that the change didn’t happen organically: it was engineered by those whose states would benefit from it. Since our story was published, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it would break up the contract that has given one contractor a nearly four-decade hold on the transplant system. And as of this week, Congress is now considering two reform bills to advance this effort. Here’s what you need to know: 1.  The policy produced clear winners and losers Seven states and Puerto Rico lost transplants under the policy. All but one of these losing states were in the South and Midwest. Two—Alabama and Kansas—each have just one hospital within their borders where adults can get a liver transplant. Alabama saw a 44 percent drop in transplants under the policy, while Kansas dropped by 38 percent. The number of losing states is even larger when you look at how many transplants each did compared to how many organs were donated there: 19 states and Puerto Rico saw a decline in transplants as a percentage of donations. Those behind the change said their goal was to save more lives, not to create disparities. But the negatively affected states have lower rates of insured people, fewer transplant hospitals per square mile, and lower median household incomes than those that benefited from the change. The top beneficiary of the shift? New York, which has one of the lowest rates of end-stage liver disease in the country. California also significantly benefited from the change. 2. One in 10 donated livers were discarded during the policy In 2021, the policy change coincided with the highest number of livers discarded in nearly a decade—949. Experts said increased travel time contributed to this. When a donated liver gets matched to someone waiting for a transplant, the recipient’s surgeon may still reject it—maybe there was an unforeseen issue, or perhaps they got a better liver from elsewhere. The rejected liver would go to the next matching patient. But because of how widely livers are now shared, the next person may be quite far away, requiring more travel. And while the liver is traveling, it is also deteriorating: they can only be outside the body for about 12 hours. The issue of discarded organs is particularly important when it comes to livers because a transplant is the only treatment option for end-stage liver disease; there is no dialysis for livers. 3. Nonprofits in charge of the nation’s organ supply are failing—and so are their regulators Battles over who gets a donated liver are a symptom of a much larger problem: there aren’t enough organs to go around. The federal government contracts 56 nonprofits to convince families to donate their dying loved ones’ organs. They are overwhelmingly underperforming at their jobs: 42 percent of all “organ procurement organizations” were in the lowest performance tier in the annual rankings released earlier this month. What those rankings don’t capture are the vast differences in how these organizations perform their crucial work. No regulator looks at how they do their jobs, despite two of the regulators collecting data that would allow them to do so. The significant differences in how each organization performs their duties directly affect how many organs are recovered. 4. Private interests orchestrated the nationwide change The differences in how organ procurement organizations operate contributed to the liver policy change. A lawsuit from six patients in New York, California, and Massachusetts demanded that livers be shared more broadly, and insiders overseeing the nation’s transplant system used this lawsuit to push forth the policy change after other pressure tactics didn’t work. We found that two of the worst-performing organ procurement organizations in the country and a New York hospital trade association formed a lobbying group that recruited the patients who filed the lawsuit, while the trade group bankrolled it. Hospitals in New York were long frustrated with their local organ procurement organization’s performance. The new policy brought many more livers to their areas without having to collect more locally. The New York organ procurement organization, LiveOnNY, was so poor at its job that its federal contract was nearly pulled twice. You can read the audit The Markup obtained outlining LiveOnNY’s widespread deficiencies here. And here’s how those groups and insiders forced the policy change. 5. The federal government wants the national transplant system to change At the helm of the country’s transplant system is the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). It and the organ procurement organizations are the subject of multiple congressional investigations into their performance. The day after we published our investigation, HHS announced a plan to break up UNOS’ longstanding hold on the transplant system, slicing off different portions of the work into separate contracts. Two bills, one in the House and one in the Senate, have since been filed that would give HHS the support to do so. There are scant details available about how exactly the contract would actually be broken up, however. And even if policymaking work were taken from UNOS, there is no guarantee that the liver policy would be revised. Thanks for reading our work, and always feel free to reach me with tips or feedback at malena@themarkup.org or 813-591-0688. Best, Malena Carollo Investigative Reporter The Markup P.S. Markup reporters Aaron Sankin and Leon Yin recently published a guide to investigating the digital divide. If you’d like to learn how to use it, join them for a demo this Tuesday, May 23, at 2:00 p.m. ET. Just sign up at mrkup.org/byod-rsvp. By Malena Carollo Photo by JAFAR AHMED on Unsplash Hello, I’m Malena Carollo, and I’m an investigative reporter here at The Markup. I write stories about broken systems that deeply affect people’s lives. In March, we published a two-part investigation into the algorithm that determines who gets a life-saving liver transplant. investigation The algorithm was changed three years ago to allow donated livers to travel farther than ever before. Proponents said the change was meant to get the sickest patients a liver no matter where they lived. But those making the new policy dismissed surgeons, advocates, and academics around the country who worried that it would hurt rural areas and the poor while causing more livers to be wasted. My reporting partner Ben Tanen and I found these concerns were valid: the change entrenched long-standing inequities, taking livers away from areas that already struggle with access to health care and sending them to some states that do a poor job of collecting donated organs locally. We also found that the change didn’t happen organically: it was engineered by those whose states would benefit from it. was engineered Since our story was published, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it would break up the contract that has given one contractor a nearly four-decade hold on the transplant system. And as of this week, Congress is now considering two reform bills to advance this effort. Here’s what you need to know: 1.  The policy produced clear winners and losers Seven states and Puerto Rico lost transplants under the policy . All but one of these losing states were in the South and Midwest. Two—Alabama and Kansas—each have just one hospital within their borders where adults can get a liver transplant. Alabama saw a 44 percent drop in transplants under the policy, while Kansas dropped by 38 percent. The number of losing states is even larger when you look at how many transplants each did compared to how many organs were donated there: 19 states and Puerto Rico saw a decline in transplants as a percentage of donations. Seven states and Puerto Rico lost transplants under the policy Those behind the change said their goal was to save more lives, not to create disparities. But the negatively affected states have lower rates of insured people, fewer transplant hospitals per square mile, and lower median household incomes than those that benefited from the change. The top beneficiary of the shift? New York, which has one of the lowest rates of end-stage liver disease in the country. California also significantly benefited from the change. 2. One in 10 donated livers were discarded during the policy In 2021, the policy change coincided with the highest number of livers discarded in nearly a decade—949. Experts said increased travel time contributed to this. When a donated liver gets matched to someone waiting for a transplant, the recipient’s surgeon may still reject it—maybe there was an unforeseen issue, or perhaps they got a better liver from elsewhere. The rejected liver would go to the next matching patient. But because of how widely livers are now shared, the next person may be quite far away, requiring more travel. And while the liver is traveling, it is also deteriorating: they can only be outside the body for about 12 hours. The issue of discarded organs is particularly important when it comes to livers because a transplant is the only treatment option for end-stage liver disease; there is no dialysis for livers. 3. Nonprofits in charge of the nation’s organ supply are failing—and so are their regulators Battles over who gets a donated liver are a symptom of a much larger problem: there aren’t enough organs to go around. The federal government contracts 56 nonprofits to convince families to donate their dying loved ones’ organs. They are overwhelmingly underperforming at their jobs: 42 percent of all “organ procurement organizations” were in the lowest performance tier in the annual rankings released earlier this month. What those rankings don’t capture are the vast differences in how these organizations perform their crucial work . No regulator looks at how they do their jobs, despite two of the regulators collecting data that would allow them to do so. The significant differences in how each organization performs their duties directly affect how many organs are recovered. vast differences in how these organizations perform their crucial work 4. Private interests orchestrated the nationwide change The differences in how organ procurement organizations operate contributed to the liver policy change. A lawsuit from six patients in New York, California, and Massachusetts demanded that livers be shared more broadly, and insiders overseeing the nation’s transplant system used this lawsuit to push forth the policy change after other pressure tactics didn’t work. We found that two of the worst-performing organ procurement organizations in the country and a New York hospital trade association formed a lobbying group that recruited the patients who filed the lawsuit, while the trade group bankrolled it. Hospitals in New York were long frustrated with their local organ procurement organization’s performance. The new policy brought many more livers to their areas without having to collect more locally. The New York organ procurement organization, LiveOnNY, was so poor at its job that its federal contract was nearly pulled twice . You can read the audit The Markup obtained outlining LiveOnNY’s widespread deficiencies here . And here’s how those groups and insiders forced the policy change . federal contract was nearly pulled twice outlining LiveOnNY’s widespread deficiencies here here’s how those groups and insiders forced the policy change 5. The federal government wants the national transplant system to change At the helm of the country’s transplant system is the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). It and the organ procurement organizations are the subject of multiple congressional investigations into their performance. The day after we published our investigation, HHS announced a plan to break up UNOS’ longstanding hold on the transplant system , slicing off different portions of the work into separate contracts. Two bills, one in the House and one in the Senate , have since been filed that would give HHS the support to do so. announced a plan to break up UNOS’ longstanding hold on the transplant system House Senate There are scant details available about how exactly the contract would actually be broken up, however. And even if policymaking work were taken from UNOS, there is no guarantee that the liver policy would be revised. Thanks for reading our work, and always feel free to reach me with tips or feedback at malena@themarkup.org or 813-591-0688. malena@themarkup.org Best, Malena Carollo Investigative Reporter The Markup P.S. Markup reporters Aaron Sankin and Leon Yin recently published a guide to investigating the digital divide . If you’d like to learn how to use it, join them for a demo this Tuesday, May 23, at 2:00 p.m. ET. Just sign up at mrkup.org/byod-rsvp . a guide to investigating the digital divide mrkup.org/byod-rsvp By Malena Carollo By Malena Carollo Malena Carollo Photo by JAFAR AHMED on Unsplash Photo by JAFAR AHMED on Unsplash JAFAR AHMED Unsplash

Meet the Algorithm That Decides Who Gets a Liver Transplant: 5 Things to Know

অ্যালগরিদমের সাথে দেখা করুন যা নির্ধারণ করে কে লিভার ট্রান্সপ্লান্ট করবে: 5টি জিনিস জানতে হবে

Lernen Sie den Algorithmus kennen, der entscheidet, wer eine Lebertransplantation erhält: 5 Dinge, die Sie wissen sollten

Conozca el algoritmo que decide quién recibe un trasplante de hígado: 5 cosas que debe saber

Découvrez l'algorithme qui décide qui recevra une greffe du foie : 5 choses à savoir

उस एल्गोरिदम से मिलें जो तय करता है कि किसे लिवर ट्रांसप्लांट करवाना है: जानने योग्य 5 बातें

誰が肝臓移植を受けるかを決定するアルゴリズム: 知っておくべき 5 つのこと

간 이식을 받을 사람을 결정하는 알고리즘을 만나보세요: 알아야 할 5가지

Conheça o algoritmo que decide quem fará o transplante de fígado: 5 coisas para saber

Познакомьтесь с алгоритмом, который решает, кому будет произведена трансплантация печени: 5 вещей, которые нужно знать

Kimin Karaciğer Nakli Yapacağına Karar Veren Algoritmayla Tanışın: Bilinmesi Gereken 5 Şey

Gặp gỡ thuật toán quyết định ai được ghép gan: 5 điều cần biết

了解决定谁能接受肝移植的算法：您需要了解的 5 件事

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With the launch of GainsPad, we are democratizing access to groundbreaking projects and revolutionizing the way individuals participate in Web3 fundraising.” To participate in GainsPad's IDOs, individuals are required to stake a minimum of 1,000 $GAINS, with additional tickets awarded for every 250 $GAINS staked. The aforementioned tiered system offers varying levels of bonuses and incentives, ensuring that each participant is rewarded according to their level of engagement and commitment. About GAINS GAINS Associates is the world's first decentralized venture capital firm, providing individuals holding $GAINS with access to the most promising crypto projects. With over six years of experience and a history of ultra-high return deals, GAINS is shaping the future of DeFi. GAINS stands for ‘Group Action Is Never Small’, symbolizing the collaborative spirit that is the essence of blockchain and decentralization. For individuals seeking to invest in the next generation of crypto unicorns, GainsPad represents the ultimate destination. GAINS remains steadfast in its mission to remove entry barriers to investing and empower individuals to seize opportunities in the crypto space. With a proven track record and a commitment to excellence, there is no better time than now to get started with GAINS as they have a fully doxxed team, an impressive track record for their first platform, Gains Private, that was launched back in 2021, and the fact that the team is finally ready to tap into the IDO market, which is a 10-20x bigger opportunity with potentially massive returns up for grabs. Visit the official website for further information and join GAINS’ Telegram channel to engage with the team members who are dedicated to assisting customers every step of the way. For regular updates, check out the X, LinkedIn, Discord, Facebook, Instagram, Medium, TikTok, and YouTube channels as well. This story was distributed as a release by Btcwire under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here. GAINS Associates has announced the launch of GainsPad, heralding a new era in Web3 fundraising. With a legacy spanning six years, a fully transparent team, and an unrivaled track record exemplified by the success of Gains Private, the inaugural launchpad, the new platform is poised to redefine the landscape of Initial Decentralized Offerings (IDOs). GAINS Associates As the team embarks on this journey, they invite individuals worldwide to join them in shaping the future of crypto fundraising. GainsPad presents a monumental opportunity, magnitudes larger than anything witnessed before in the IDO market. The team is not just offering a platform; they are fostering a community where participants can partake in life-changing deals, embodying the spirit of empowerment and inclusivity. What Are The Key Highlights? GainsPad introduces a novel approach to IDOs, focusing on accessibility and fairness while maintaining the highest standards of transparency and security. The platform boasts several key components designed to enhance the investor experience. Firstly, there is the ‘ Refund Policy ,’ which helps safeguard investors against unforeseen circumstances. The policy ensures peace of mind during the token launch phase. Next, there is the ‘ Tiered System .’ With varying tiers tailored to different levels of engagement, participants can maximize their investment potential and increase their chances of securing allocations. Refund Policy Refund Policy Tiered System Tiered System Finally, there is the ‘Whitelist Process.’ Through engaging educational content and quizzes, the team streamlines the whitelisting process, ensuring that only knowledgeable and committed community members gain access to exclusive opportunities. Alongside maintaining strong foundational principles, the team’s approach entails a dual strategy: seizing opportunities within burgeoning trends ahead of their peak and investing in emerging narratives and ecosystems preemptively. They also possess the capability to transparently raise funds on-chain by leveraging a consortium of angel investors under one unified entity. Moreover, GAINS offers comprehensive support to various projects, including in-house marketing initiatives and facilitation of introductions to the platform’s expansive network encompassing over 250 Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), different launchpads, venture capitalists (VCs), marketing agencies, news platforms, exchanges, and market makers (MMs). Strategic Partnerships GainsPad is proud to collaborate with industry-leading partners such as ETHDubai, Polygon, BNB Chain, and Trust Wallet. These partnerships underscore the team’s commitment to excellence and their dedication to providing unparalleled value to the community. GAINS also boasts distinguished advisors such as Walid Benothman, known for his role in driving growth at 1INCH, Evan Luthra, a prominent Indian influencer, and Jonathan Faye, whose extensive experience includes a decade at the $125B AUM ODDO BHF, where he transitioned from a legal background to lead Open Innovation initiatives. Additionally, $GAINS has recently secured a listing on a premier centralized exchange. Key Figures: Evan Luthra Evan Luthra Evan Luthra Evan Luthra, a renowned figure within the cryptocurrency and tech world, has been named twice by Forbes as part of their esteemed 30 under 30 list. His expertise spans across multiple domains, from his prolific work in tech entrepreneurship to his passion for nonfungible tokens. Evan has been recognised by prestigious platforms like Forbes and Entrepreneur Magazine, thereby highlighting his impact as both an angel investor as well as a tech influencer. He is also a tech visionary with an impressive track record of creating more than 30 applications by the age of 17, in addition to fueling the growth of over 500 Web3 companies. As a tech visionary, Evan’s influence extends to a market cap exceeding a whopping $100 billion. Evans has also been actively involved in the crypto space for years, successfully managing a cryptocurrency investment bank, as well as investing in projects such as Ripple and Hashgraph. Evan has also shared his knowledge globally through platforms like TEDx alongside various institutions, educating audiences on topics ranging from cryptocurrencies and blockchain to the future of decentralized autonomous organizations. Walid Benothman Walid Benothman Walid Benothman Walid's Leadership roles in companies like 1inch and Curv demonstrate his expertise in driving growth and strategy operations. Walid was also an early employee at Ripple. His strategic initiatives at both Curv and Ripple played a significant role in advancing the mainstream adoption of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies, thereby culminating in the acquisition of Curv by PayPal. Furthermore, from management consulting to creating the inaugural digitally managed semi-professional football club in Paris, Walid’s entrepreneurial spirit and foresight have also led to groundbreaking ventures at a consistent level.\ Jonathan Faye Jonathan Faye Jonathan Faye Jonathan has over ten years of relevant experience within the world of finance, as proven by his work at the aforementioned ODDO BHF, a French-German investment bank with €150b AUM. Although he began as a lawyer, Jonathan nevertheless played an important part in M&A, regulatory affairs, and private equity as well as VC. Eventually progressing to Global Head of Open Innovation, Jonathan concentrated on shaping corporate VC strategy while simultaneously pioneering blockchain technology for a modern age, supporting ventures such as Coinhouse and Ledger. Presently, Jonathan is in charge of JonVenture, his own advisory firm, providing key guidance to early-stage startups by utilizing his passion and experience for both angel investment and Web3. Investment Opportunity As a decentralized community VC established six years ago, GAINS operates a launchpad for private sales. Notably, the platform has deployed over $35 million for more than 300 projects, featuring notable successes such as Bloktopia (x1000), Quant Network (x500), Avalanche (x300), and Hashgraph (x50). GAINS CEO, Alexandre Raffin, stated that “At GAINS, we are driven by a relentless pursuit of excellence and a steadfast commitment to our community. With the launch of GainsPad, we are democratizing access to groundbreaking projects and revolutionizing the way individuals participate in Web3 fundraising.” GAINS CEO, Alexandre Raffin, stated that “At GAINS, we are driven by a relentless pursuit of excellence and a steadfast commitment to our community. With the launch of GainsPad, we are democratizing access to groundbreaking projects and revolutionizing the way individuals participate in Web3 fundraising.” To participate in GainsPad's IDOs, individuals are required to stake a minimum of 1,000 $GAINS, with additional tickets awarded for every 250 $GAINS staked. The aforementioned tiered system offers varying levels of bonuses and incentives, ensuring that each participant is rewarded according to their level of engagement and commitment. About GAINS GAINS Associates is the world's first decentralized venture capital firm, providing individuals holding $GAINS with access to the most promising crypto projects. With over six years of experience and a history of ultra-high return deals, GAINS is shaping the future of DeFi. GAINS stands for ‘Group Action Is Never Small’, symbolizing the collaborative spirit that is the essence of blockchain and decentralization. For individuals seeking to invest in the next generation of crypto unicorns, GainsPad represents the ultimate destination. GAINS remains steadfast in its mission to remove entry barriers to investing and empower individuals to seize opportunities in the crypto space. With a proven track record and a commitment to excellence, there is no better time than now to get started with GAINS as they have a fully doxxed team, an impressive track record for their first platform, Gains Private, that was launched back in 2021, and the fact that the team is finally ready to tap into the IDO market, which is a 10-20x bigger opportunity with potentially massive returns up for grabs. Visit the official website for further information and join GAINS’ Telegram channel to engage with the team members who are dedicated to assisting customers every step of the way. For regular updates, check out the X , LinkedIn , Discord , Facebook , Instagram , Medium , TikTok , and YouTube channels as well. official website official website Telegram channel Telegram channel X X LinkedIn LinkedIn Discord Discord Facebook Facebook Instagram Instagram Medium Medium TikTok TikTok YouTube YouTube This story was distributed as a release by Btcwire under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here. This story was distributed as a release by Btcwire under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here . here here

GainsPad Finally Launches And Ushers In A New Era Of Web3 Fundraising

What if I told you that the next big app idea could come from someone who barely knows how to code? Yes, this is true. Introducing citizen development - the revolutionary technology that puts software creation into the hands of those who do not have technical backgrounds. It means citizen development is a business process that encourages non-IT-trained employees to become software developers, using IT-sanctioned low-code/no-code (LCNC) platforms to create business applications. As a coding geek, I've seen a lot of industry trends come and go. But citizen development? This is a remarkable innovation that is revolutionizing the software industry. Want to know more about it? Let's break down what citizen development is, why it's important, and how it can benefit your business. What Is Citizen Development? Imagine being able to create your own apps without needing to learn complicated coding languages. That's exactly what citizen development is all about! In the past, building software was something only professional developers and tech experts could do. It was like having a secret language that only they understood. But with citizen development, that's all changing. Citizen development refers to the practice of enabling non-professional developers, such as business users or employees with limited technical backgrounds, to create, modify, or customize applications and software solutions using low-code or no-code development platforms and tools. It’s platforms typically provide a visual, drag-and-drop interface, pre-built components, and simple logic builders. It allows users with minimal coding experience to create applications by assembling and configuring these components. Citizen development uses simple, visual tools that anyone can pick up and use to build apps. Things like drag-and-drop interfaces, pre-made building blocks, and straightforward logic tools. It takes all the head-scratching complexity out of coding and makes it accessible to ordinary people like you and me. So, whether you're a marketing whiz, a business operations guru, or just someone with a great idea, you can now create custom apps tailored precisely to your needs. No more trying to explain your vision to developers and hoping they understand – you're in charge of making it a reality yourself. It lets you bring your ideas to life with just a few taps and clicks. You can whip up prototypes in no time, get feedback, make tweaks, and keep refining until your app is perfect. No more waiting months for the over-extended tech team. The best part? You don't need to be a tech genius or memorize any mind-bending code. Citizen development platforms are designed for non-technical, everyday people. If you can use apps on your phone, you've got what it takes to be an app maker. In the past, only a select few could create software. But now, thanks to citizen development, that power is open to everyone. So, get ready to unleash your inner app wizard! Why Citizen Development? As a programmer myself, I know the struggle can be real for IT departments. They're constantly bombarded with requests for new applications, each tailored to a specific department's needs. This backlog can leave businesses waiting for months, even years, for the tools they need to thrive. Citizen development cuts through that red tape. By equipping non-technical employees with user-friendly tools, we can empower them to build simple applications that address their day-to-day challenges. Imagine the marketing team creating a targeted campaign app, or the sales team whipping up a custom lead management tool. The possibilities are endless! Here, I am going to share some key reasons why citizen development is gaining traction: Faster Innovation: Citizen developers can build and iterate on applications quickly, allowing businesses to adapt to changing needs and market trends. Improved Efficiency: By automating routine tasks and streamlining workflows, citizen development frees up valuable time for both IT teams and employees. Enhanced User Experience: Who knows a department's needs better than the people who work in it? Citizen developers can create applications that perfectly match their specific workflows and pain points. Reduced Development Costs:  Low-code/no-code platforms often require fewer resources compared to traditional development methods, leading to significant cost savings. Increased Employee Engagement: Citizen development empowers employees and fosters a sense of ownership over the tools they use, leading to higher job satisfaction and motivation. Improved Agility: Businesses can respond to changing market dynamics faster with the ability to quickly build and deploy custom applications. So, Can You Become a Citizen Developer? Yes, citizen development is accessible to almost anyone. If you're comfortable using spreadsheets or basic software, you have the potential to be a citizen developer. The user-friendly nature of low-code/no-code platforms makes it easier than ever for non-technical users to jump in and start building. In the meantime, let me know your thoughts on citizen development. Is it a trend you're excited about? If you have any questions, let's get the conversation flowing! What if I told you that the next big app idea could come from someone who barely knows how to code? Yes, this is true. Introducing citizen development - the revolutionary technology that puts software creation into the hands of those who do not have technical backgrounds. It means citizen development is a business process that encourages non-IT-trained employees to become software developers, using IT-sanctioned low-code/no-code (LCNC) platforms to create business applications. citizen development low-code/no-code (LCNC) platforms As a coding geek, I've seen a lot of industry trends come and go. But citizen development? This is a remarkable innovation that is revolutionizing the software industry. Want to know more about it? Let's break down what citizen development is, why it's important, and how it can benefit your business. What Is Citizen Development? Imagine being able to create your own apps without needing to learn complicated coding languages. That's exactly what citizen development is all about! In the past, building software was something only professional developers and tech experts could do. It was like having a secret language that only they understood. But with citizen development, that's all changing. Citizen development refers to the practice of enabling non-professional developers, such as business users or employees with limited technical backgrounds, to create, modify, or customize applications and software solutions using low-code or no-code development platforms and tools. It’s platforms typically provide a visual, drag-and-drop interface, pre-built components, and simple logic builders. It allows users with minimal coding experience to create applications by assembling and configuring these components. Citizen development refers to the practice of enabling non-professional developers, such as business users or employees with limited technical backgrounds, to create, modify, or customize applications and software solutions using low-code or no-code development platforms and tools. It’s platforms typically provide a visual, drag-and-drop interface, pre-built components, and simple logic builders. It allows users with minimal coding experience to create applications by assembling and configuring these components. Citizen development uses simple, visual tools that anyone can pick up and use to build apps. Things like drag-and-drop interfaces, pre-made building blocks, and straightforward logic tools. It takes all the head-scratching complexity out of coding and makes it accessible to ordinary people like you and me. So, whether you're a marketing whiz, a business operations guru, or just someone with a great idea, you can now create custom apps tailored precisely to your needs. No more trying to explain your vision to developers and hoping they understand – you're in charge of making it a reality yourself. It lets you bring your ideas to life with just a few taps and clicks. You can whip up prototypes in no time, get feedback, make tweaks, and keep refining until your app is perfect. No more waiting months for the over-extended tech team. The best part? You don't need to be a tech genius or memorize any mind-bending code. Citizen development platforms are designed for non-technical, everyday people. If you can use apps on your phone, you've got what it takes to be an app maker. In the past, only a select few could create software. But now, thanks to citizen development, that power is open to everyone. So, get ready to unleash your inner app wizard! Why Citizen Development? As a programmer myself, I know the struggle can be real for IT departments. They're constantly bombarded with requests for new applications, each tailored to a specific department's needs. This backlog can leave businesses waiting for months, even years, for the tools they need to thrive. Citizen development cuts through that red tape. By equipping non-technical employees with user-friendly tools, we can empower them to build simple applications that address their day-to-day challenges. Imagine the marketing team creating a targeted campaign app, or the sales team whipping up a custom lead management tool. The possibilities are endless! Here, I am going to share some key reasons why citizen development is gaining traction: Faster Innovation: Citizen developers can build and iterate on applications quickly, allowing businesses to adapt to changing needs and market trends. Faster Innovation: Citizen developers can build and iterate on applications quickly, allowing businesses to adapt to changing needs and market trends. Faster Innovation: Improved Efficiency: By automating routine tasks and streamlining workflows, citizen development frees up valuable time for both IT teams and employees. Improved Efficiency: By automating routine tasks and streamlining workflows, citizen development frees up valuable time for both IT teams and employees. Improved Efficiency: Enhanced User Experience: Who knows a department's needs better than the people who work in it? Citizen developers can create applications that perfectly match their specific workflows and pain points. Enhanced User Experience: Who knows a department's needs better than the people who work in it? Citizen developers can create applications that perfectly match their specific workflows and pain points. Enhanced User Experience: Reduced Development Costs:  Low-code/no-code platforms often require fewer resources compared to traditional development methods, leading to significant cost savings. Reduced Development Costs: Low-code/no-code platforms often require fewer resources compared to traditional development methods, leading to significant cost savings. Reduced Development Costs: Increased Employee Engagement: Citizen development empowers employees and fosters a sense of ownership over the tools they use, leading to higher job satisfaction and motivation. Increased Employee Engagement: Citizen development empowers employees and fosters a sense of ownership over the tools they use, leading to higher job satisfaction and motivation. Increased Employee Engagement: Improved Agility: Businesses can respond to changing market dynamics faster with the ability to quickly build and deploy custom applications. Improved Agility: Businesses can respond to changing market dynamics faster with the ability to quickly build and deploy custom applications. Improved Agility: So, Can You Become a Citizen Developer? Yes, citizen development is accessible to almost anyone. If you're comfortable using spreadsheets or basic software, you have the potential to be a citizen developer. The user-friendly nature of low-code/no-code platforms makes it easier than ever for non-technical users to jump in and start building. In the meantime, let me know your thoughts on citizen development. Is it a trend you're excited about? If you have any questions, let's get the conversation flowing!

What Citizen Development Is, Why It's Important, and How It Can Benefit Your Business

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