My blog is on air for almost one year. Despite having a modest audience, lots of data has been stored about its visits and it would be ironic if a blog about Operations Research and Analytics does not use such data to improve itself. Based on some data from 2011, I’d like to commit myself to give the audience more of what they expect in 2012 and share some conclusions with other bloggers interested in doing the same.
Top 5 most viewed posts (out of 26):
# 1 Drug discovery optimization: a meeting point for data mining, graph theory and operations research
(204 unique views)
Context:
- Motivated by an INFORMS blog challenge.
- It is something I like and worked with in the past.
- I found a catchy title (I guess).
- It was a family work (my mother-in-law has a ph.D. in organic chemistry).
- Referenced by the SYSOR Reddit channel (that made a huge difference).
# 2 Revisiting operations research elements – part I: problem, model and solution
(133 unique views)
Context:
- Motivated by crazy discussions about what a problem, a model and a solution are.
- I read a lot before writing.
- It was a family work [x2] (the discussions were started by my mother-in-law and Sabrina read my drafts until they were clear to someone outside the field).
- People look for those things on Google.
# 3 How Analytics makes Operations Research the next big thing
(111 unique views)
Context:
- Motivated by an INFORMS blog challenge [x2].
- It has something to do with my job.
- I found a catchy title (I guess) [x2].
- People look for those things on Google [x2].
# 4 Optimizing Public Policies for Urban Planning
(84 unique views)
Context:
- Motivated by an INFORMS blog challenge [x3].
- It is something I like and worked with in the past [x2].
- It was a family work [x3] (Sabrina has a degree in urban planning).
- People look for those things on Google [x3].
# 5 When the Network becomes Social: Small World Graphs and O.R.
(67 unique views)
Context:
- Motivated by an INFORMS blog challenge [x4].
- I read a lot before writing [x2].
- I found a catchy title (I guess) [x3].
Lessons learned:
- People love creative applications of O.R.
- Telling about what you like the most helps you writing better.
- Listening to a person around you is worth reading a dozen of papers.
- You can learn a lot by studying further the topic you want to post about.
- It is important to focus on being direct, concise and provide resources to those interested in more.
- Participating on INFORMS blog challenges is a win-win strategy.
Resolutions for 2012:
- Write more posts like those above.
- Use more visual resources and hands-on materials.
Thiago Serra 