July Blog Challenge Results: O.R. and Social Networking; September’s Blog Challenge: O.R. and the Environment

First, I would like to apologize for being woefully remiss in my blog facilitation duties. But, on the bright side, we have some great things for you that have been keeping us busy here at the home office. Most of the summer was occupied by the conversion of the Highwire platform from H10 to H20, so you have a better user experience when you view your journals online. We are also getting ready for 2012 membership renewals to start, with some exciting additions to your member benefits. You will now have two online journals included (print will have a small surcharge) with your membership, so start thinking about which journal you want to pick; perhaps choose our new addition, Service Science? In order to encourage members to be green and renew online, we will be having a drawing for an iPad for members who renew online between October 3 and October 21.

But now, on to the good stuff… The last challenge was O.R. and Social Networking, and has become quite the hot topic around the INFORMS office. In August, the INFORMS Board of Directors highlighted social networking in one of their official strategic goals and priorities, which states, “INFORMS will provide up-to-date ONLINE systems that enable and encourage access, collaboration, and effective exchange of information, content, services, and benefits to and among our members, potential members, and those interested in knowing more about OR/MS and analytics.” INFORMS maintains accounts on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and an “unofficial” Google + account listed under our fearless leader, Melissa Moore. These have become great places to connect and share with fellow O.R. and analytics people. At the upcoming 2011 INFORMS Annual Meeting, there will be a session held on Monday, November 14 entitled, “Bringing O.R. into the 21st century with Social Networking and Web 2.0 Tools” with Bjarni Kristjansson (@bjarnimax), Tim Hopper (@tdhopper), Laura McLay (@lamclay), Paul Rubin (@parubin), and Michael Trick (@miketrick). Try to attend and do some live-real-time social networking, and keep an eye on the @INFORMS2011 twitter feed for some impromptu “tweet-ups.”

September Blog Challenge: O.R. and the Environment. Please send entries to graphics@mail.informs.org.

O.R. and Social Networking

Anna Nagurney

• Social Networking and a Great INFORMS Student Chapter
• The INFORMS Speakers Program and Social and Professional Networking

Paul Rubin

• USENET: A Remembrance
• Social Networks at Work

David Smith

• I remember when networks used the mail
• Networks and social networks

Nathan Brixius

• O.R. and social networking: A Solver Foundation MIP model to suggest Twitter followers

Marianela Pereira

• Online Social Networks… Creating data with every click

Michael Trick

• Social Networks and Operations Research

Thiago Serra

• When the Network becomes Social: Small World Graphs and O.R.

Tallys Yunes

• Can We Use Social Networks to Identify Poor Decision Making?