Cole MiscellaneaThe uncategorizable -- from journalism to trains

Bizarre bazaar

Now on to the bottom line: Robert Guttman has been working in the MIT Media Lab's software agents group. The Kasbah product, a spinoff of the more mature MIT Bazaar, has potential as an on-line classified tool.

Software agents, which I imagine scuttling across the virtual universe in long robes and turbans, will buy and sell on the user's behalf. The user can set criteria including deadline for transaction completion, desired price, acceptable price, and negotiation strategy (anxious vs. greedy) which enable the agent to work with fair amounts of autonomy on the buyer's/seller's behalf.

Hotlinks:

  • http://guttman.www.media.mit.edu/people/guttman/

  • http://guttman.www.media.mit.edu/people/guttman/research/kasbah/kasbah.html

  • http://guttman.www.media.mit.edu/people/guttman/research/kasbah/screenshots/screenshots.html

  • http://mtu.www.media.mit.edu/people/mtu/survey.html

  • http://mtu.www.media.mit.edu/people/mtu/agents.html

  • http://mtu.www.media.mit.edu/people/mtu/references.html

  • http://www.hotwired.com/braintennis/96/29/index0a.html

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