Internet Cyber-Holidays

Today I’m going off on a very slight tangent from my usual cyber-speech to talk about booking a holiday online.

As my better half (MBH) lives in England it seemed simple enough to book a last minute deal online. So when I am booking, I spot a deal, I take note of price, place, date, flight times etc etc.

I narrow down the search to about 2 places, which I then report to MBH, when I re-check, the prices have gone up again! And they continue to rise the more I look at a particular deal! Websites such as First Choice, Freedom Direct, ontheBeach, all seem to have randomly rising prices!

Now, I know what some of you are thinking, price rises with the demand, but I’m not talking about a couple of hours, or days, I’m talking more like, 20-30 minutes later and prices have risen by 30pounds.

I wonder if these systems, which are all very similar, track IP addresses? For example, they spot my address, looking at the same holiday once or twice, and realise that I will return to look at it once more, and all of a sudden flights and/or accommodation have jumped up 20pounds! Perhaps leaving the buyer with a feeling of urgency, as the prices have risen once, will they rise again?! I have to buy my holiday quick!!

So, not only do they then purchase their holiday, they also pay more for it…

Clever companies these online travel agents…

New Facebook group & YouTube Video

Facebook

In spirit of the Facebook fanpage I put up for the last post, I was inspired to set up a group on Facebook. Hopefully this link will get you there, you need to sign up for Facebook in order to take part in the group proceedings.

YouTube Video

Below is a video of Andrew Power, Head of School of Creative Technologies in IADT giving an interview on TTV about the MSc.

Currently that’s all for today, look out for an update soon. Don’t forget to join the group – - and contribute! I think a good research proposal would be on why people sign up to groups and then go completely inactive for months. Lurkers are one thing – thats fine, I think a lot of people can understand that, but people who sign-up to everything and then never return… serial sign-uppers.

Research proposal title: The inspirations and motivations of serial sign-uppers. (copyrighted) *

* may not be actual research proposal.

PCLive! Magazine & Facebook Group

This months (June) issue of PCLive! magazine has published a two page spread about Cyberpsychology, featuring interviews with Grainne Kirwan, Andrew Power and Marion Palmer, all who are involved in the Cyberpsychology MSc in Dunlaoghaire. The article is about the area of Cyberpsychology, and also has a lot of information about the course and the students.

A well written article, a must-have for anyone interested in the area and/or the course.

Also, check out this Facebook group on Cyberpsychology

If anyone has any more information, groups, or forums on Cyberpsychology leave a comment and let me know, I may do a review on it!

Msc Cyberpsychology

The MSc in Cyberpsychology is an innovative psychology programme. It aims to provide graduates with an in-depth understanding of how humans interact with technology and in an online environment.

IADT provides this MSc which has had a very successful first year – currently 16 students are taking the course part time over two years, and more applications have been accepted for the 2008 entry.

Modules studied in first year: Human Computer Interaction, Computer Mediated Communication, Social Psychology of the Internet, Internet Research Methods, Consumer Cyberpsychology.

Second year will provide further innovative subjects such as Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Environments, as well as Applied Cyberpsychology and a major research project.

The course provides ways that a student can apply psychological theories to what is currently happening on the internet between individuals in online environments, how technology is affecting the way we think, and how technology is changing how we live.

This unique MSc is the first of it’s kind, and therefore IADT is currently at the forefront of the field. Interested applicants should contact Grainne Kirwan at IADT.