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With the broad reach of the Internet, online users frequently resort to various word-of-mouth (WOM) sources, such as online user reviews and professional reviews, during online decision making. Although prior studies generally agree on the importance of online WOM, we have little knowledge of the interplay between online user reviews and professional reviews. This paper empirically investigates a mediation model in which online user reviews mediate the impact of professional reviews on online user decisions. Using software download data, we show that a higher professional rating not only directly promotes software download but also results in more active user-generated WOM interactions, which indirectly lead to more downloads. The indirect impact of professional reviews can be as large as 20 percent of the corresponding total impact. These findings deepen our understanding of online WOM effect, and provide managerial suggestions about WOM marketing and the prediction of online user choices. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Internet has emerged as the most effective and a highly popular medium for advertising. Current contextual advertising platforms need publishers to manually change the original structure of their Web pages and predefine the position and style of embedded ads. Although publishers spend significant effort optimizing their Web page layout, a large number of Web pages contain noticeable blank regions. We present an innovative stylewise advertising platform for contextual advertising, called PageSense. The “style” of Web pages refers to the visual appearance of a Web page, such as color and layout. PageSense aims to associate style-consistent ads with Web pages. It provides two advertising options: 1) If publishers predefine ad positions within Web pages, PageSense will analyze the page style and select ads, which are consistent with the Web page layout, and 2) if publishers impose no constraints for ad placement, PageSense will automatically detect blank regions, select the most nonintrusive region for ad insertion, associate color-consistent ads with the Web pages, and deliver them to blank regions without breaking the original Web page style. Our experiments have verified the effectiveness of PageSense as a complement to existing contextual advertising. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Despite higher rates of problem gambling among Internet gamblers, little research has been conducted in the area of treating problem Internet gambling. The purpose of the present study was to qualitatively examine Internet problem gamblers' perspectives on their problem gambling treatment experiences, especially in relation to decreasing Internet problem gambling behaviours. Following their engagement in cognitive behavioural group therapy for problem gambling, twenty-four self-identified problem Internet gamblers provided responses to open-ended questions designed to elicit narratives pertaining to their treatment experiences. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes in the data, and five themes were identified: Internet gambling accessibility as a means to problem gambling behaviour; a lack of alternative activities, stress, and the importance of behavioural activation in reducing Internet gambling behaviours; the importance of behavioural strategies in reducing Internet gambling behaviours; the importance of motivational interviewing and motivation for change early in treatment; and the importance of support from other group members. These findings shed light on some of the potential challenges faced in the treatment of problem Internet gambling, and identify some of the specific treatment components and therapeutic factors that are perceived as particularly helpful by this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the phenomenon of Internet addiction and its possible amelioration, from both Eastern and Western philosophical perspectives. Internet addiction is caused by the excessive use of the Internet and its resulting dependence, having negative effects on human well-being. The ideas of a key ancient Chinese Daoist thinker Zhuangzi 莊子 and his Western contemporaries, the Stoics, as viewed through the world, the things and beings in it, and their relationships, offer insights which may be used to alleviate these effects. The application of and comparison between the two ancient philosophies in addressing the issue of Internet addiction can give us inspiration to confront the challenges of technological enslavement in general and Internet addiction in particular. This is no doubt a help in our pursuit of well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, Internet of things (IoT) and Web of Things (WoT) lead us to the excellent era of connected everything device. However, the devices hardly show the property of the autonomous connectivity and the self-cooperation for applying in real-world environments. The purpose of this paper was to propose the adaptive IoT and WoT convergence platform that enables things to dynamically implement the smart Web without any controls from users. The adaptive IoT and WoT convergence platform, proposed in this paper, is a new type of platform which provides global inter-compatibility to help users to easily communicate with things by connecting through the webs. Through mashup of the things connected to the Web, coarsely or finely, this proposal can guarantee an efficient IoT or WoT platform management, adaptive synchronization between the things, a stable platform environment, and creating new services. The performance of our proposed platform is tested via experiments which verify that its simulations are satisfactory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental research into cognitive processes in translation is often faulted for small sample sizes and the lack of generalisability of findings. Researchers face constraints when identifying and recruiting participants for studies, since the traditional site-bound laboratory imposes geographic limitations on who can potentially participate. Internet-mediated research is a potential solution to this issue, as it expands the size of participant pools and eliminates the need for participant travel. Moreover, different participant variables can be introduced into research projects since scholars are not confined to the local testing area. Keystroke logging in particular is one data collection method that is well suited for Internet-mediated research, yet has not been widely employed in this manner. Here, the literature is reviewed as it relates to Internet-mediated research, with particular emphasis on keystroke logging and translation process research. Specific considerations must be addressed before researchers undertake this type of research project, including the following: the participants themselves; ethics and confidentiality; ecological validity; data security; hardware and software; and the desired measures. Internet-mediated research should be seen as a complement to laboratory studies rather than their replacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to examine the comprehensiveness and determinants of internet reporting by publicly listed Caribbean companies. Design/methodology/approach -- In total, 65 companies with common shares listed on one of the four Caribbean stock exchanges, were included in the study. The study examined the relationship between firm characteristics (size, industry affiliation, listing status, and CEO role duality) and the comprehensiveness of corporate internet reporting (CIR), while controlling for the importance of public equity financing, company age and profitability. CIR was measured using an unweighted 107-item disclosure index that focussed on web site usability, disclosure timeliness, disclosure content, and several advanced CIR features. The data were subjected to content analysis using descriptive statistics, contingency tables, and multiple regression analysis. Findings -- As a whole, publicly listed Caribbean firms seem to be in stage 2 of the internet evolutionary model presented by Hedlin (1999); most firms have a web presence, a majority of firms engage in CIR and very few firms are using social media, communication and processable reporting formats in their CIR. It was found that Caribbean companies, on average, satisfied only 63.1 percent of the items included in the index. As hypothesized company size and industry affiliation were positively related to the comprehensiveness of CIR. Conversely, both industry affiliation and listing status generated mixed results. Also, the importance of public equity financing was significantly and negatively related to the general content and timeliness dimensions of CIR. Practical implications -- The findings suggest that Caribbean governments and regulators interested in raising the profile of regional stock exchanges may need to implement incentives for public companies to engage in internet reporting. Originality/value -- This is the first study to examine the comprehensiveness and determinants of internet reporting by publicly listed Caribbean companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most countries over the world have been upgrading their Television broadcasting networks from analog to digital; this is because of the many advantages offered by the digital networks. Some of which include vast amount of information delivered by the digital TV system. It is in this concept that this paper proposes another achievable advantage that the digital terrestrial TV would offer to the consumers. Digital Terrestrial TV networks that also carry Internet data is the intention that is described in this paper. Given the vast networks that have already been implemented by service providers, users would find it very convenient just to plug the computers to the set-top boxes and access Internet. Consumers may find it very convenient to pay for the TV content and Internet usage separately. With several technologies like ATSC, DMB, DVB-T2 and ISDB-T already in existence, it is from this background that a concept to improve bandwidth, compression, source coding and line coding is suggested for maximum network exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The success of clinical decision-making depends on providing the right information at the right time to key clinicians such as physicians. The Internet has tremendously enabled medical information provision for clinical decision-making. However, key factors that influence the use of the Internet for medical information provisioning are not widely known. This research synthesizes the clinical and general decision-making, and information processing literature streams to build a research model and empirically validate the moderating role of uncertainty and equivocality in the use of the Internet for provisioning information for clinical decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on an observational, prospective study which analyzes the Web-based consultation system (telenephrology) which analyzed telenephrology consultations by 28 family practices in the Netherlands from May 2009 to August 2011. It was concluded that a Web-based consultation system is usable and may contribute to an effective use of health facilities by allowing patients to be treated in primary care with remote support.

We conducted a study to test whether new third generation (3G) mobile phones could be integrated into service as a working tool between plastic surgeons. During an eight-month period, 58 multimedia consultations were performed involving 57 patients. The majority of the consultations were for trauma or wounds. All consultations comprised a digital photograph taken with the integrated camera and sent via the Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS). In 86% of the cases the residents reported that multimedia information contributed to their ability to independently handle similar cases in future. Satisfaction scores were high among all participants. We believe that a multimedia consultation in a hospital setting adds information to an ordinary telephone call, thus decreasing medico-legal risks. We recommend it for routine use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on a research which has been conducted to assess the effectiveness of internet-based worksite weight loss program. A health survey has been done Southwest Virginia which include demographic, behavioral, and health questions. The result of the study suggests that the worksite weight loss programs should focus on employees with lower income, education, and health literacy.

We analyze patterns of rejection and adoption of new technology in a closed and conservative community through the study of ultra-Orthodox Jewish women working in computerized environments, and their perceptions and uses of the Internet. These women stand in the intersection between orthodoxy and modernity. Their workplaces are populated by ultra-Orthodox women and adjusted for their needs, but the companies that employ them are (mostly) owned by seculars, they work with computers, and (occasionally) the workplaces even have Internet access. We study if and how the conceptions of new technologies among women in a conservative community serve to demarcate, construct and reassure the borders of the community. The research questions are: How do these ultra-Orthodox women perceive the place of the Internet within their community and personal lives? With whom do they create online ties? And are there correlations between socioeconomic and sociodemographic variables and women's perceptions of the place and functioning of the Internet in the ultra-Orthodox community and their lives? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1970s, the Australian government has seen the information and communication technology industry as a viable industry for promotion and investment. This paper attempts to empirically evaluate policy initiatives geared towards geographical co-location through a survival analysis of Internet consultancy organisations that were in operation in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory between 1996 and 2003. This will be augmented by anecdotal evidence through interviews done with representatives of organisations sampled from the dataset. It will be shown that co-location in Australia does not offer the necessary resources for survival as predicted by locational economics. Rather, organisational networks that transcend physical displacements are of more importance in ensuring organisational survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the treatment of chronic diseases, programs that use the internet as a medium are becoming more and more important as a complement to classical intervention techniques. Since 1998, a non-profit information and online consulting service for patients with eating disorders and their friends and relatives (www.ab-server.de) has existed. This was established by members of the Deutsche Forschungsinitiative Essstörungen e.V. (DFE) [German Research Initiative for Eating Disorders] and members of the Clinic of Psychiatry, University of Leipzig, Germany. For the present study, 2,176 e-mail requests from users of the online consultation service were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively in order to better understand the differences between different types and groups of users. The analysis was related to the social field of the person requesting the consultation, the type of disorder reported, and the content of the e-mail request. Three main user groups could be identified: people who described themselves as having an eating disorder (57.2%), people who were related socially to the affected person (32.4%), and interested persons (9.8%). The consulting service was predominantly used by persons suffering from bulimia nervosa or their families and friends (63.1%). One third (33.3%) of the posted e-mails were related to behavioral patterns in dealing with the illness and the affected person. They were followed by inquiries for information about the disease (18.7%) and by those seeking help in finding specialized clinics/therapists and places in therapies. The increasing use of the online consulting service indicates that there is a substantial need for information and help in persons with eating disorders and in their relatives, who are able to easily contact professionals using this online service. Online consulting has a high potential for complementary care of affected people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to investigate the characteristics of the Internet users in Croatia related to seeking health information, which information they seek, the reasons, and the outcomes of that information on them. We surveyed the users of the Internet health portal ‘Cybermed’, in spring 2003 and autumn 2004. Responses were collected from a pop-up questionnaire, which appeared at every website visit. There were 369 respondents in 2003 and 580 respondents in 2004. Most respondents were women (82% in 2003 and 80% in 2004). While more than half of the respondents (55%) in 2003 had a college or university degree, this changed in 2004, when only 40% of respondents had a college or university degree (P < 0.001). Also, we recorded a significant age-related change, suggesting that the average age of the respondents increased in 2004 (P < 0.001). The leading motivation for seeking medical information was ‘unanswered questions after visiting a physician’. Most respondents (90% in 2003, 87% in 2004) went online to seek information on a specific illness or condition. Women sought information for friends and colleagues more often than men (42% vs. 28%, P = 0.031) in 2003, while these differences were diluted in 2004. Approximately half of all respondents discussed the information they found online with their physicians. Patients who feel they were given insufficient information, or simply seek more information than the physician provided, turn to using online health information, which no longer seems to be reserved to those with the highest education degrees. Health-care providers should consider creating health-related Internet portals, supplementing the information they provide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Internet use by the public to obtain medical information and services continues to grow. In 1999, we found cost of general physician visits was 15% higher, and cost of medications was 10% greater via the Internet than from community providers. The goal of this study was to re-examine changes in product availability and costs to consumers four years later.Design. We searched multiple websites 1 June 2003 – 31 August 2004, offering physician consultations and prescription medications. We compared mean cost of Internet physician visits and price per pill to costs of community-based general physicians and pharmacies in the Philadelphia region.Results. We found 144 sites worldwide providing physician services and prescription medications. Mean charge for an Internet physician consultation was $55, 8.3% lower than for a comparable visit to a community practitioner. Mean cost per pill across 204 available medications was 36.7% higher at Internet sites than at local pharmacies. Shipping and handling (S&H) added a mean of $15.40. Total cost to Internet consumers was similar whether or not Internet sites charged for a physician consultation and/or S&H. Obtaining physician visits and medications over the Internet was about 40% more costly than in the local community.Conclusion. The Internet continues to hold great promise for provision of health and medical care services by expanding access. However, increased access to physician care and medications entails higher cost, and quality of physician services and pharmaceuticals provided remain controversial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the development of a Web site for a small business. Factors to consider before designing a Web site; Differences between Web site building and design; Selection of Web consultants.

The papers in this First Monday special issue were originally part of the final symposium of the research project ADAM (Architecture Distribuée & Applications Multimédias, French acronym of Distributed Architectures and Multimedia Applications). This introduction elaborates on the issues at stake in the study of distributed network architectures beyond engineering sciences; it explores their political, social and legal implications and shows, by introducing the papers, the important challenges distributed architectures pose to our societies, economic systems, legal norms and collective behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents five considerations for choosing an electronic business consultant. Includes partnering with a firm having a holistic electronic business strategy; Validating initiatives against defined overall business plans; Selecting a partner with proven project management methodologies and technical skills.