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Abstract. Cultural differences play a very important role in matching computer interfaces to the expectations of users from different national and cultural backgrounds. But to date, there has been little systematic research as to the extent of such differences, and how to produce software that automatically takes into account these differences. We are studying these issues using a unique resource: Common Sense knowledge bases in different languages. Our research points out that this kind of knowledge can help computer systems to consider cultural differences. We describe our experiences with knowledge bases containing thousands of sentences describing people and everyday activities, collected from volunteer Web contributors in three different cultures: Brazil, Mexico and the USA, and software which automatically searches for cultural differences amongst the three cultures, alerting the user to potential differences. 1.

Abstract: Open decentralized applications are susceptible to the attacks of malicious entities. In such applications, each autonomous entity must adopt protective measures to safeguard itself. One set of such countermeasures are reputation-based trust management systems. However, designing these systems is arduous because the impact of factors introduced by decentralization on such systems is largely unknown. There is a lack of knowledge in existing literature that can guide the design of an appropriate trust solution. To address this shortcoming, we present a simulation-based framework called SIFT that allows a designer to explore and analyze the interplay of various trust and application settings. SIFT-based experiments with various trust and application settings have not only helped expose the pros and cons of different trust settings but also revealed several interesting insights that guide the selection and refinement of a set of trust settings for a given operating condition.

This article defines a quality model for online consumer health information consisting of five quality criteria constructs. These constructs are grounded in empirical data from the perspectives of the three main sources in the communication process: health information providers, consumers, and intermediaries, such as Web directory creators and librarians, who assist consumers in finding healthcare information. The article also defines five constructs of Web page structural markers that could be used in information quality evaluation and maps these markers to the quality criteria. Findings from correlation analysis and multinomial logistic tests indicate that use of the structural markers depended significantly on the type of Web page and type of information provider. The findings suggest the need to define genre-specific templates for quality evaluation and the need to develop models for an automatic genre-based classification of health information Web pages. In addition, the study showed that consumers may lack the motivation or literacy skills to evaluate the information quality of health Web pages, which suggests the need to develop accessible automatic information quality evaluation tools and ontologies.

Because of the financial gain in achieving a high search engine rank, modifying a web page to unfairly alter its ranking has become a common practice. Techniques to achieve this are generally known as web spam because of the adverse affect on the relevance of the results returned by the search engine. This paper contains an overview of the techniques used to create web spam and the defenses available to search engines. In addition, we comment on why further research into combating web spam is required. This paper provides insights into the state-of-the-art of both sides of the battle to achieve an unfairly high search engine placement for a page.

Today the American aviation industry finds itself operating in a financial recession. It is the belief that smaller, more direct flights may be the solution to the industry s current shortcomings. Public need, coupled with economic trends and current technologies, have made the development of a Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) a feasible reality. Yet, before SATS can become a realistic means of travel, a number of obstacles must be overcome. Present development of the SATS program focuses primarily on improving current technology to a level in which its future application will take SATS from concept to viable reality. However, technological development must be considered equally along side marketing and user experience in order to become a successful service to the American public. The most important challenge facing the system will be public and individual acceptance of flight on small aircrafts. Convincing the American public that flying on small autonomous aircraft can be a safe, economical, and enjoyable experience will