Category: Internet

When we search for websites on Google and Bing, we get relatively efficient results of what we are searching for just based on keywords. However for both candidates as well as companies, searching across jobs and resumes is tougher because most job portals do not have the chops to invest in algorithmic unstructured text search. Instead we encounter a scenario where the entire industry of recruitment agencies and consultants exist so that manual intervention reduces the inefficiency of this particular case of search. Even recruitment agencies have a checklist of questions to ask and they store the data in CRM software

Why is this possible? Economics is the study of incentives and a big chunk of paying customers for Job Portals is recruitment consultants. Making Job and Resume search much more efficient would enable both candidates and companies to bypass the traditional model of going via agencies and consultants.

Perhaps the only company with a strong enough database is LinkedIN with Google and Facebook as close behinds. This is a billion dollar industry, it is ripe for disruption, and the bits and pieces for fixing this basic mathematical search problem already exist. Perhaps what is needed is a database with enough data, activity captured through large enough agencies or HCRM software, integrated with algorithms.

The basic problem is Spammy or Outdated results in both resume search and job search. Spam should be fixed in a cutting way, dont you think?

I work with Lyx http://www.lyx.org/, the GUI for Latex http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaTeX, for writing my books. 18 years of writing in MS Word, and yes I have rightly criticized for my bad formatting. I hope to do a better job for R for Cloud Computing. Someday I will learn Latex and Sweave http://www.stat.uni-muenchen.de/~leisch/Sweave/ as well (sighs)

Sweave is a tool that allows to embed the R code for complete data analyses in latex documents. The purpose is to create dynamic reports, which can be updated automatically if data or analysis change. Instead of inserting a prefabricated graph or table into the report, the master document contains the R code necessary to obtain it. When run through R, all data analysis output (tables, graphs, etc.) is created on the fly and inserted into a final latex document. The report can be automatically updated if data or analysis change, which allows for truly reproducible research.

Where can I get it?

The Sweave software itself is part of every R installation

But alternatives to Lyx for a browser only version of Latex do exist.

There are two three of them right now

1) https://www.sharelatex.com/ ShareLaTeX is now open source! ShareLaTeX is an online real-time collaborative LaTeX editor, and you can now run your own local version where you can host, edit, collaborate in real-time, and compile your LaTeX documents. You can run  the hosted version at http://www.sharelatex.com,

2) http://fiduswriter.org/  Fidus Writer is an online collaborative editor especially made for academics who need to use citations and/or formulas. The editor focuses on the content rather than the layout, so that with the same text, you can later on publish it in multiple ways: On a website, as a printed book, or as an ebook. In each case, you can choose from a number of layouts that are adequate for the medium of choice.

3) https://www.writelatex.com/

All are equally good and equally nascent. I like that Writelatex has an API

 

I like the Fidus Writer interface more but the ShareLatex has a bigger set of templates. I think Write Latex is more evolved than Fidus Writer but will still need to catch up with Share Latex

Both are available on Github for tinkering.

https://github.com/fiduswriter/fiduswriter and

https://github.com/sharelatex/sharelatex and

https://github.com/sweenzor/writelatex-compile

Maybe I will have to wait for Google Docs for creating an application for Latex typesetting. In the meantime, we shall Lyx.

(Hat tip – S Boucher for pointing me to write latex)