April 2018 Summaries

Stream emphasizes the significance of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for organizations with customers in the European Union, highlighting the potential penalties for non-compliance, which include fines up to €20 million or 4% of global turnover. The GDPR mandates strict access control, data encryption, the ability to delete and download personal data, justified data storage and processing, and comprehensive audit logging. Stream has implemented measures such as limiting data access to essential personnel, enabling data deletion and download through its API, encrypting API communications and backups, and logging all data access. Additionally, Stream advises customers against sending personally identifiable information (PII) and has updated its terms and privacy policy to align with GDPR requirements. The company recommends consulting a lawyer for specific legal advice regarding GDPR compliance.

In the travel industry, major players like Expedia Group and Booking.com have adopted personalization techniques similar to those used by Amazon and Netflix to enhance user experience and drive conversions. Travelers today expect to access customized options via their devices, such as tailored flight, hotel, and activity recommendations, achieved through machine learning and personalization. Implementing an intelligent feed involves capturing explicit user preferences, tracking implicit user behavior, comparing users with similar profiles, and continuously refining the personalization engine to improve its recommendations. By doing so, travel companies can create engaging, self-service platforms that present relevant options, increasing user engagement and satisfaction, and potentially leading to more conversions.

Go's popularity as a programming language is reflected in the development of the official Go API client for the Stream service, which is now available on GitHub. This new client, a refined and more accessible iteration of the earlier community-contributed version by MrHenry and HyperWorks, boasts a significantly reduced codebase, utilizing about 57% fewer lines of code. Key features include comprehensive test coverage of Stream API endpoints, extensive use of functional options for clarity and future extensibility, and utilities for client initialization from environment variables. The client supports complete endpoints, offers pagination and filtering options, and allows activities to be added or removed from feeds. Moreover, the client is designed to follow Go's best coding practices, ensuring a clean and idiomatic interface.