computer science

Whrrl

Whrrl is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Whrrl rather than just read about it. In short: Whrrl was a social location-based service developed by the Seattle-based company Pelago, Inc. Whrrl had a recommendation engine that uses algorithms and users' votes to surface relevant recommendations.

Key takeaways

Whrrl belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Whrrl to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Whrrl from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Whrrl was a social location-based service developed by the Seattle-based company Pelago, Inc. Whrrl had a recommendation engine that uses algorithms and users' votes to surface relevant recommendations. On June 30, 2010, Whrrl launched its Society Rewards Program, designed to close the gap between a brand's online social media and real-world presence with its first partner, Murphy USA Oil. Groupon announced that it had purchased Whrrl on April 18, 2011. As Whrrl dissipates, it is being speculated that Groupon will leverage location based social networking or "check-ins" on their popular group coupon site.

Site overview The service was launched in October 2007 as a geosocial networking and discovery site that allows both web and mobile users to find, explore, share, meet up at, and rate points-of-interest in their cities. Pelago's first product, Whrrl, was launched on July 10, 2008. Whrrl v1.0 was a location-based social networking and discovery application for the iPhone, Blackberry and numerous other mobile phones. Pelago launched Whrrl 2.0, an 'on-the-go' storytelling application for the iPhone and web on March 16 at South by Southwest. Whrrl 3.0 was launched at SXSW on March 11, 2010 with a promise: "We'll save you from Farmville." Press release here [1] Archived August 9, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.

Pelago, Inc. The company was founded by Amazon.com veterans Jeff Holden and Darren Vengroff. In November 2006, Pelago, Inc completed Series A financing backed by Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers; Trilogy Equity Partners; and Bezos Expeditions. It is also the first product to be financially backed by the iFund. In May 2008, Pelago announced a second round of funding totaling US$15 million led by Deutsche Telekom, followed by India-based Reliance Technology Ventures and DAG Ventures. In April 2011, Pelago was acquired by Groupon and the Whrrl service was discontinued.

References

External links Official website Archived June 4, 2009, at the Wayback Machine

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Whrrl

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Whrrl claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Whrrl before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Whrrl ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Whrrl

In research: Whrrl appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Whrrl in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Whrrl is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics American review websites, American social networking websites, Android (operating system) software, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Whrrl outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Whrrl in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Whrrl means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Whrrl out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Whrrl in simple terms?

Why does Whrrl matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Whrrl?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Whrrl.