The Rise of Group Buying Websites and P2P Lending.

Co-authored with Eduardo Henrique Diniz. Chapter published in ICT HouseHolds and ICT Enterprises 2010 - Survey on the use of ICTs in Brazil

Curiosity surrounding the logic behind social networks is not new, dating from the 1940s. However, the penetration, speed and contagiousness of Web 2.0 are unprecedented. Blogs, chats, wikis, mashups, podcasts, Really Simple Syndication (RSS), highly interactive spaces and peer to peer3 communication are enabling new web-based businesses. This article discusses two types of businesses noted for their potential to aggregate widely spread customers and suppliers via Web, and whose accelerated growth has attracted a lot of attention in recent years, namely coupon websites or group-buying websites and credit communities based on Web 2.0 platforms (P2P lending).

Tecnologias Emergentes: organizações e educação

Capítulos 12 e 14

Capítulo 12: As Comunidades de Prática e o Problem-Based Learning como  Facilitador da Educação a Distância.

Capítulo 14: Articulações entre Educação Profissional Tecnológica e Educação a Distância: potencialidades para o desenvolvimento de Clusters no Brasil.

Solidary Collaborative Networks: a study about the Associação de Moradores do Conjunto Palmeiras - Fortaleza/CE (Master Dissertation)

Our society has been living a transformation process stimulated by the technological revolution. The current scenario is complex, with the predominance of global neoliberal vision and having its focus on market expansion and strong wealth generation despite people and their rights. This hegemonic system is perverse and pressures people to a bigger reflection on their values and commitments, as well as on alternatives that make possible a new human development perspective based on equity and sustainability – this perspective may privilege local communities and social capital. In this context, community networks initiatives combined with Solidary Economy drives through a fair way of life for a large portion of the excluded population. This combination is known as a Solidary Collaborative Network. The collaborative network approach increases collective interactions, integrates diversities and powers the Solidary Economy.
This thesis describes the Solidary Collaborative Network experience (ASMOCONP/Banco Palmas network) which is organized by Conjunto Palmeiras inhabitants association (ASMOCONP), a poor community from the periphery quarters of the city of Fortaleza (CE). The research has been carried out by a qualitative approach and is based on semi-structured interviews and bibliographic and documental studies in order to create a case study that maps the ASMOCONP/Banco Palmas network and describes its main protagonists, decision and management techniques. This work has also identified its benefits and impacts to the community and shows that its success is based on the community identity, social capital and the periphery quarters protagonist culture.
Final considerations discuss the challenges to be faced by the ASMOCONP/Banco Palmas network and alert to the insufficient government support which should be a more integrated public politics for the Solidary Economy