Wolfram|Alpha: The Official Launch

WolframAlpha
13 May 201905:06

TLDRThe official launch of Wolfram|Alpha marks a significant moment as the computational knowledge engine goes live in test mode, garnering 22.7 million unique queries from around the world. With an impressive 75% satisfaction rate, the platform is already being utilized for serious work and enjoyment. The community is growing rapidly, with feedback and discussions flourishing on various platforms. The team behind Wolfram|Alpha is committed to continuous improvement and tuning, with updates being made based on user feedback, as they embark on this journey towards further development.

Takeaways

  • 🚀 Wolfram|Alpha was launched on Friday at 8:48 p.m. Central Time, initially in test mode.
  • 🔧 The system was continuously improved and tuned throughout the weekend to handle the influx of queries.
  • 📈 The compute cluster was operating at full capacity with test loads, indicating high demand and performance.
  • 🌐 There was significant global interest in Wolfram|Alpha, with 22.7 million unique queries processed.
  • 🎯 Approximately 75% of the queries were considered to provide satisfactory results by the internal systems.
  • 🛠 The platform was already being used for serious work by many users, even in its early test phase.
  • 😄 Many users also found enjoyment in using Wolfram|Alpha in various ways.
  • 👥 A community around Wolfram|Alpha began to form, both on the official website and on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
  • 🗣️ The team received about 22,000 pieces of feedback, which they found to be extremely helpful for the system's development.
  • 🔄 The team acknowledged the beginning of a long journey and the ongoing process of tuning and updating the system.
  • 🎉 Wolfram|Alpha was officially declared launched, with thanks given to all contributors and partners, especially Dell, the primary launch partner.

Q & A

  • When was Wolfram|Alpha officially launched to the world in test mode?

    -Wolfram|Alpha was launched to the world in test mode at 8:48 p.m. Central Time on Friday.

  • What was the purpose of running Wolfram|Alpha in test mode over the weekend?

    -The purpose of running in test mode was to tune and improve the system continuously.

  • Can you describe the state of the compute cluster as mentioned in the script?

    -The compute cluster was running at full capacity with test loads, with all clusters completely full with computations, as indicated by the yellow dots representing computations.

  • How many queries did Wolfram|Alpha receive over the weekend?

    -Wolfram|Alpha received a total of 22.7 million queries over the weekend.

  • What was the nature of the queries received by Wolfram|Alpha?

    -The queries were almost all unique and specific, with only an infinitesimal fraction being repeats of other queries.

  • What was the satisfaction rate of the results provided by Wolfram|Alpha during the test period?

    -About three out of four queries gave what was considered to be satisfactory results.

  • How did people start engaging with Wolfram|Alpha shortly after its launch?

    -People began using Wolfram|Alpha for serious work and also for fun, with a community developing around it on various platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and independent websites.

  • How many feedbacks did Wolfram|Alpha receive over the weekend?

    -Wolfram|Alpha received about 22,000 feedbacks over the weekend.

  • What is the team behind Wolfram|Alpha like?

    -The team behind Wolfram|Alpha is globally distributed, consisting of people working both in the control room and on the content of the system.

  • Who were the launch partners that helped assemble the supercomputer clusters for Wolfram|Alpha?

    -Dell was the primary launch partner that helped assemble the supercomputer clusters for Wolfram|Alpha.

  • What updates were made to Wolfram|Alpha based on the feedback received?

    -Several updates were made over the weekend based on the feedback, and more updates are planned to be implemented into Wolfram|Alpha every day as time goes forward.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Launch of WolframAlpha in Test Mode

The speaker begins by expressing gratitude for the audience's return and recounts the successful launch of WolframAlpha in test mode at 8:48 PM Central Time on Friday. Over the weekend, the system was continuously improved and tuned, with the compute clusters running at full capacity by Sunday night. The speaker highlights the impressive number of unique queries received, with over 22.7 million questions processed, and notes that approximately three-quarters of these resulted in satisfactory answers. The rapid growth of a community around WolframAlpha, both on and off the company's websites, is also mentioned, along with the substantial feedback received, which the team has been reviewing to enhance the system further.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Wolfram|Alpha

Wolfram|Alpha is a computational knowledge engine that was officially launched, as mentioned in the script. It is designed to generate answers to factual queries directly by computing the answer from a combination of built-in data, external curated data sources, and algorithms. The launch of this engine is the central theme of the video, with the speaker discussing the successful deployment and the public's response to it.

💡Launch

The term 'launch' in this context refers to the introduction of a new product or service to the public. In the script, the speaker talks about the successful launch of Wolfram|Alpha at 8:48 p.m. Central Time, marking the moment when it became accessible to users worldwide.

💡Test Mode

Test mode is a phase during which a product is made available to a limited audience to identify and fix issues before its full release. The script mentions that Wolfram|Alpha was initially launched in test mode to allow for tuning and improvement of the system based on user interactions and feedback.

💡Compute Cluster

A compute cluster is a set of computers that work together to perform large-scale computations. In the script, the speaker describes the state of their compute cluster, indicating that it was running at full capacity with test loads, which demonstrates the high demand and computational needs of Wolfram|Alpha.

💡Queries

In the context of the script, 'queries' refers to the questions or requests made by users to the Wolfram|Alpha system. The speaker mentions that the system processed 22.7 million queries, with an infinitesimal fraction being repeats, showcasing the diverse and unique inquiries users had.

💡Satisfactory Results

Satisfactory results are outcomes that meet the expectations or requirements of the users. The script states that about three out of four queries received satisfactory results, indicating a high success rate for Wolfram|Alpha in providing useful and accurate answers to its users.

💡Community

A community in this context refers to a group of people who share a common interest or purpose. The script mentions the development of a community around Wolfram|Alpha, which includes users engaging on the company's website, as well as on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

💡Feedback

Feedback is information received from users about their experiences and opinions regarding a product or service. The speaker mentions receiving about 22,000 feedbacks on Wolfram|Alpha, which is an essential part of understanding user needs and making improvements to the system.

💡Supercomputer

A supercomputer is a computer with a high level of performance compared to a general-purpose computer. The script refers to 'supercomputer class compute clusters,' which implies the use of highly powerful computing resources to support the complex computations required by Wolfram|Alpha.

💡Development

Development in this context refers to the ongoing process of improving and expanding a product or service. The script discusses the continuous development of Wolfram|Alpha, with updates being made based on user feedback and the ongoing work of the team.

💡Partners

Partners are individuals or organizations that collaborate on a project or venture. The speaker thanks the launch partners, particularly Dell, for their contribution to assembling the supercomputer clusters, highlighting the collaborative effort behind the successful launch of Wolfram|Alpha.

Highlights

Wolfram|Alpha was launched on Friday night in test mode at 8:48 p.m. Central Time.

The system continued to run in test mode through the weekend for tuning and improvement.

Compute clusters were running at full capacity with test loads by late Sunday night.

Wolfram|Alpha received 22.7 million unique queries in the first few days.

Approximately three-quarters of the queries resulted in satisfactory outcomes.

Wolfram|Alpha was used for serious work by many people, even in its early test phase.

A community around Wolfram|Alpha began to form on various platforms, including social media and independent websites.

The team received about 22,000 feedbacks on Wolfram|Alpha over the weekend.

Feedback was used to make several updates to the system over the weekend.

The team behind Wolfram|Alpha is globally distributed and worked on both the launch and content.

Wolfram|Alpha's launch partners, including Dell, helped assemble supercomputer clusters quickly.

The official launch of Wolfram|Alpha was declared, marking the beginning of its journey.

Updates to the system will continue to be made based on ongoing feedback.

The development of Wolfram|Alpha is a long-term project with continuous improvements planned.

The launch was a collaborative effort involving many contributors and partners.

Wolfram|Alpha's potential impact is recognized as it becomes a tool for work and fun.