Registr* - An event registration/event search application

Even Cheng

Even Cheng
CS225-Next Generation Search Systems
Jun 13, 2010

Registr*
Abstract
There is a saying, “A near friend is better than a far-dwelling kinsman.” So when you need
help timely, instead of asking your friends from miles away, why not check out your neighbors?
Like carpool to concert, go shopping, or want to have a coffee with someone in a sleepless night.
Then Registr* is the application that comes to your mind. Throw your needs on to Registr* and
Registr* help you find perfect neighbors to join in your event together.

1. Features event holder and our users, and at last forms

In short, Registr* is an event registration
application as well as an event search engine
combined with geographical data that helps
event holder find potential participants, and
for the participants, they find interesting
events to join in.
There are three factors affect the search
result that system delivers to our users:
distance, preference, and time.. We will
discuss each of them in the following
sections.
1.1. Geographical Search
Registr* believes your good neighbor
worth the equal weight as your friends, so
when a user start posting event on Registr*,
it is put on our categorical, yellow-pages-like
bulletin with graphical icon and proper
layout that will show up in a list for his/her
n e i g h b o r s ’ s e a r c h . Re g i s t r * s t o r e s
geographical data if a mobile device
supports it, or a pre-specified location by
user’s input. When a user goes online, the
system searches events from database and
sorts the result by the distance between the
a recommendation list of events.
1.2. Customized
Recommendation
Users can pick up event topics they may
feel interests in our setting section. Topics
will divide into various categories and each
category can contain sub-categories if apply.
Registr* also reinforces our recommendation
system from a user’s behavior by giving
thumbs up or thumbs down (responding/
ignoring) to an event. A user can switch
views between his/her neighbor and friends,
or a combination view of both of the two. A
block button is offered to get rid of some
annoying events from user who is not likely
to be a polite neighbor.
1.3. Real-time Computing
The recommendation list is always
updating when a user logs into our
application in order to reflect the dynamic
world. An event on one’s recommendation
list can be removed when the event expires
itself or it is shown on the user’s search result
after a period of time or a couple of times
but receives no attention from the user, or

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Even Cheng

more new events comes up. However, a user by the weight of distance and and the weight
can always searches all unexpired events in of preferred categories.
our database by category if he/she has the
need. 2.4. Invitation Status

2. Function List For a event holder, he/she can invite

people to join or remove unwanted guests
2.1. Event Form from list. For a event participant, he/she can
respond to the event by Yes/Maybe/No
A event holder can fill out an event form options.
on Registr* to start broadcasting the event to
his/her neighbors and friends. Data fields of 2.5. Settings
the event form will include:
Users can set their preference here so the
• Event name recommendation system will fetch the
• Type of event settings and compute the recommendation
• Start time list. Users can highlight specific party host so
• End time the system will return more search results
• Location of the event related to the host.
• Address of the event
• Description of the event 3. Technical Specs
• Image related to the event
3.1. Client-side:
2.2. Privacy Level
We will use following applications to
Registr* offers different types of privacy create client-side of Registr* on iPhone:
level for users’ choice:
• Xcode
• Broadcast to a city/multiple cities (can • Interface Builder
be a feature which charges advertising fees • iPhone Simulator
in future) • Instruments.
• Neighbors, friends, and friends of
friends (default) Plus, the programming language of
• Neighbors Registr* on iPhone is objective C.
• Friends
• Friends of friends Currently, there are function pages we
• Friend and friends of friends planned to bring to users in this phase of
• Invite only Registr*:

2.3. Recommendation List • User registration page

As mentioned, Registr* uses three factors
include the distance, preference and time.
The list will be generated by extracting data
filtered with only preferred categories. The
final result will be ordered in a fashion mixed
• Event registration page (event form)
• Event invitation page
• Recommendation List (can be filtered
again by various privacy level)
• Complete categorized event list page
• Detailed information page for a user-
chosen event

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• Setting page
3.2. Server-side:
In the server side, a web-host that runs
on Linux system is preferred. Sufficient
outward bandwidth of network power and
computing power is required. Server must
support for php and MySQL database for
data storage and control.
Threat
• In social search, Facebook has
dominated most social connection
websites. If Registr* cannot make good
use of geographical data, it has nothing
different from the event page in Facebook.
• The mechanism is very easy to be copied
and brought to any other service provider.

4. SWOT Analysis 5. Review of Existing Search

Systems
4.1 Strength
• Registr* proposed a value to encourage Media Analysis
people start to have closer interaction with
their neighbors.
5.1 Facebook
• The developer has previous experience
on dynamic webpage construction Facebook is the most
including php web page writing and influential social media on
MySQL database management. the web, and it provides
function for users to register
• Business model can be developed by Challenges events. Accompanied with
providing extra features that charges some the inherent user database,
money to users. we can say Facebook will
keep dominate the market
4.2 Weakness of social search.
• It’s the first time the developer himself
write programs on mobile platform and Although Facebook have
codes in objective-C. strong user database and
function to create event on
• It is a one-man project while this system it, however, Facebook does
demands a lot of programming work. Our not pay its full attention in
Advantages the event search field and it
• No financial support and funding while will be our advantage if we
network service and web host cost money. can make use of API of
Facebook to bring Registr*
4.3 Opportunity onto Facebook.
• It is an unexplored field with no
competitor in event registration/search
combine with geographical data.

• UCI and Donald Bren School of ICS

have sufficient resources to support such a
research project.

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Media Analysis Media Analysis

5.2 craigslist 5.3 microblogs: twitter, tumblr,

and plurk
There are 30 million Ads
created and 20 billion page So many people nowadays
view per month on are fascinated in using
craigslist. So craigslist does microblogs such as twitter,
deserve to be a respectable tumblr and plurk. Although
learning example. craigslist there are so many people
Challenges
provides detailed categories on them, however, these
which have been predefined microblogs are good at
for discussion purpose and broadcasting events to only
Challenges the users’ followers, fans,
announcing events like hire
or trade. Also, craigslist are and friends.
segmented into various
areas such as Orange Using microblogs to
County as its sub-domain bring up a event is an
so the search results will unpractical thought. It is
return to users only the hard to compute how
results in (a specified) many people have retweet
neighboring area. the invitation tweet. One
of our advantage wins
Our
craigslist has been an old- microblogs is, we do not
Advantages
fashioned product which limit 140 characters in a
still requires users to message, and users don’t
provide their query instead have to stuff all
of predicting what users information into
want. Also users on segmented, while
craigslist are anonymous, abbreviated and trimmed
while Registr* wish to use sentences.
Our the “trust” mechanism
Advantages through human beings to
virtual IDs. Registr* can
help users judge whether an
event is fraud by the
reputation of holder’s
virtual ID, and it helps
people trust our system and
also more willing to involve
into our event search.

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Even Cheng

Media Analysis Media Analysis

5.4 Radio/newspaper/television 5.5 Community Bulletin

commercials
Community bulletin and be
It takes users who the easiest way for letting
decided to announce their your neighbors know you
events on radio/ are going to hold a garage
newspaper / television sale or make post about
commercials more expense missing cats. It is limited in
than all the above three Challenges
its broadcasting area, but it
Challenges method. The only one that has powerful strength while
still fits to everyone’s need a painless way to bring your
is the classified ads section event to your community
in newspaper. However, it whoever using a computer
is not easy to measure how or not.
influential the commercials
are. The advantage of Registr*
is, by entering some data
Re g i s t r * i s m o re fields related to the event, a
e f fi c i e n t t o d e l i v e r user can save a box of
c o m m e rc i a l p rov i d e r s paper, glue, and efforts to
words to their customers. walk from bulletin to
And to lower the budget, bulletin. And one more
Registr* never sends the Our benefit of it is, the whole
commercial message to Advantages city (or neighboring cities)
Our whom is totally not will also see the post!
Advantages interested in one field. Comparing to the
Also, on Registr*, community bulletin, users
commercial provider can now can easily acquire
easily track how many more potential participants
people have viewed the for their event by using
message, and how many Registr*.
people have joined in the
event.

6. System Requirements
To run Registr* (application), you need
to have an iPod with wifi connection or an
iPhone with wifi/3G connection to the
internet. Firmware version has to be 3.1 or
later.

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Even Cheng
Registr*
Registr* -- An
An event
event registration/event
registration/event search
search application
application Even
Even Cheng
Cheng

InInbeta
betaversion
versionarts
artswill
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the application looks
looks more
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arevery
are veryfew
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problem, and no major defects. raw
website ofof Registr*
website Registr* that
that provide
provide the
the same
same
functions is prepared in beta version.
functions is prepared in beta version.
7.4.Release
7.4. Release Version
Version
InIn release
release version,
version, the
the application
application hashas
beentested
been testedbybyour ourinvited
invitedtesters
testerstotoensure
ensure
there is no flaws in programming-wise
there is no flaws in programming-wise that that
stop user
stop user toto create
create anan event
event oror do
do event
event
search. Small improvement
search. Small improvement is done is done
accordingthe
according thefeedback
feedbackfrom
fromtesters.
testers.Official
Official
website of Registr* is ready to
website of Registr* is ready to launch.launch.

8.8. Implementation
Implementation
Figure1:
Figure1: the
the control
control menu
menu of
of Registr*
Registr*
8.1.Main
8.1. Main Menu
Menu
7. Deliverable
7.
7. Deliverable
Deliverable
InInthis
thisreport
reportwe
wewill
willcover
covermost
mostfeatures
features
7.1.pre-Alpha
7.1.
7.1. pre-Alpha
pre-Alpha Version
Version ininpre-Alpha
pre-Alphaversion
versionmentioned
mentionedininprevious
previous
section. There are five views provided
section. There are five views provided now,
The
The project
The project in
project inin itsits pre-alpha
its pre-alpha version
pre-alpha version
version
expects
expects to
expects toto deliver
deliver an
deliver anan iphone
iphone application
iphone application
application
which
whichprovides
which providesuser
provides userto
user totoregister
registerhis/her
register his/herevent
his/her event
event
anddo
and
and dosome
do somesimple
some simplesearch
simple searchfrom
search fromdatabase.
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database. ItIt
willbe
will
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finals week.
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7.2.Alpha
7.2.
7.2. Alpha
Alpha Version
Version
Recommendation
Recommendation list,
Recommendation list, user
list, user preference,
user preference,
preference,
adding
adding friends,
adding friends, and
friends, and like/block
and like/block function
like/block function isisis
function
implemented
implementedin
implemented ininalpha
alphaversion.
alpha version.The
version. Theresults
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results ofof
recommendation
recommendationlist
recommendation listcan
list canbe
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be notso
not sosopredictive
predictive
predictive
or
or simply
simply implemented
implemented by
by naive
naive prediction.
prediction.
or simply implemented by naive prediction.

7.3.
7.3.Beta
7.3. Beta Version
Beta Version
Figure 2: the screen to Registr* one’s event.
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Registr* - An
- An event
event registration/event
registration/event search
search application
application





Even
Even Cheng
Cheng

Registr* - An event registration/event search application AAsearch

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and Gamereturns
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near UCI, and Game night at UCI. three
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8.5. Map
8.5.
MapMap
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Figure 3: A compact list for showing all Map is a function that is still on its way of
development.
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illustrate all eventsbyby
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and respectively Map,
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8.2. Registr*
8.2. Registr*
8.2. Registr*
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time,time,
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some personalized
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description it. it.

8.3. List
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8.4.
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Even Cheng
Registr* - An event registration/event search application Even Cheng

flag these events by red pins and show the

name of event to user when the user tap of
one of those events. The location of user will
be flagged by a glowing blue dot.

9. Future Work
For time concern, there are still some
ideas not brought to Registr* in the
deliverables mentioned above.

• A button the can easily pushes the event

news/summary to Facebook, Twitter,
Plurk, and other micro-blog websites.

• Event holder can send messages to all

participants.

• Participants can be notified when a event

updates.
Figure 5: Searching results for searching “UCI” in Figure 6: A map view to indicate locations of
• “Validated neighbor”: events in this feature,
our event database. participants can rate the event holders and
h application Even Cheng event
flag these events by red pins and show the based holders
on ratingcan
howrate
manytheir participants.
other users trust
name of event to user when the user tap of This feature exhibits
the user is a nice person.an idea of “trust”
one of those events. The location of user will based on rating how many other users trust
be flagged by a glowing blue dot. the• user
Crossis a platform.
nice person.If this project is
successful, bringing it to other platform like
9. Future Work • Cross platform.
Blackberry If this project
or Android is successful,
is plausible and it
bringing
will again boost the amount of users. like
it to other platfor m
For time concern, there are still some Blackberry or Android is plausible and it
ideas not brought to Registr* in the will Conclusion
10. again boost the amount of users.
deliverables mentioned above.
10. Registr*
Conclusion
provides a whole new way to
• A button the can easily pushes the create connections among people by making
event news/summary to Facebook, Twitter, useRegistr* provides a data
of the geographical wholeto new
locateway to
events.
Plurk, and other micro-blog websites. create connections among people
Also, Registr* helps to find participants toby making
use
joinofinthe
an geographical
event, and it data to locate
is a good wayevents.
to stay
• Event holder can send messages to all Also, Registr* helps to find participants
connected with precious friends by sharing to
participants. join
whatin events
an event, and itis isgoing
a user a good to way to stay
participate.
connected with precious friends
With Registr*, it is easy to find a perfect by sharing
• Participants can be notified when a what events
neighbor whoa user
sharesis the
goingsame to habit
participate.
to join
event updates. With Registr*, it
your event together! is easy to find a perfect
neighbor who shares the same habit to join
• “Validated neighbor”: in this feature, your event together!
“UCI” in Figure 6: A map
participants canview
ratetothe
indicate
eventlocations
holdersofand
events
event holders can rate their participants.
This feature exhibits an idea of “trust”
show the based on rating how many other users trust
er tap of the user is a nice person. 8/8
user will 8/8
• Cross platform. If this project is
successful, bringing it to other platform like