Build an MLM Engine with Neo4j and MassPay, Part I by John Wheeler.
From the post:
I. What is multi-level marketing?
Multi-level marketing (MLM), or network selling is a strategy for maximizing sales through a network of distributors. Distributors are paid commissions for personal sales and the sales of others they recruit. A heirarchy forms where new recruits are placed under distributors who recruit them, and commissions are paid several levels up. Consequently, the earlier a person joins, the larger his or her downline and potential commission will be.
MLM strategies come in different shapes and sizes and vary in sophistication. We implement one called the unilevel plan, which is easy to understand. Basically, distributors recruit as many as they can into their frontlines, and frontlines recruit as many as they can into second-lines, and so on. Further examples of MLM strategies are the binary plan in which frontlines can have no more than two distributors apiece and the forced matrix plan, which stipulates a maximum downline width and depth, for example 3×9. These two plans usually involve membership fees paid upline as new recruits spillover into leaf positions.
Unless you have been living under a rock all your life, you have probably heard of or encountered “multi-level marketing.” Some that come to mind (feel free to contribute others) are Amway, Avon, Electrolux, Tupperware. You may be interested in the Wikipedia article Multi-level marketing.
Multi-level marketing is a subject of some controversy but I mention this post because is is a good illustration of using Neo4j.
Just out of curiosity, I wonder how you could make data mining a multi-level marketing activity with a topic map? That is to say information researchers could recruit other researchers, which roll up the line to an organization that has the contacts to sell information either in pieces or in bulk. Like a news feed but curated and linked to other data.
It is one thing to have a report of Princess Y with some X but quite another to have that report with identification of X (say from a photo) along with background information, etc., delivered as a package.
I suppose news bloggers add information but it isn’t packaged. My impression is that you have to winnow a lot of chaff and repetition. I have very little interest in chaff and repetition. How about you?