quality of semi-synchronous bridged multi-modal internet protocol communication a social temporal...

Quality of Semi-Synchronous Bridged Multi-modal Internet Protocol

CommunicationA Social Temporal Addition to Quality

of Service Propagation Metrics via Critical Action Research in South Africa

William D. TuckerPhD student @ UCT with CVC

Senior Lecturer @ UWC with BANG

04/20/23 William D. TuckerComputer Science UCT & UWC

2

Semi-synchronous Bridged Multi-modal Communication

• Internet-based communication allows for multimedia, or multiple modalities

• Modalities are text, voice, video and Virtual Reality

• Bridging allows for conversion between communication modalities

• Bridging introduces additional delays • These delays force real-time services, like

talking on the phone, to become “almost” real-time, or semi-synchronous


3

Research Questions

Are current views about network delay sufficient to explain why so many people are using semi-synchronous services like email and Instant

Messaging? Would people use and pay for bridging services

when they involve so much delay?Is there a social aspect involved that makes

people want to use bridging services despite the inherent delay?

How do we measure and cater for this social phenomenon with software design?


4

Motivation and Relevance

• Current network management techniques do not really consider the end user of the system

• We introduce a notion called Communication Quality that expands on the accepted framework– Include a social angle to delay measurement– Addresses bridged services in “almost” real-time– Includes end users in the measurement of service

quality and therefore in the design of the services they actually require and will use


5

Research Hypothesis

• There exists a social component to bridged communication that impacts Communication Quality in addition to, and more significantly than, accepted views on network service delay.

• Further, this social component is a measurable phenomena


6

Methodological Approach

• The addition of a social component to standard delay measurements requires a “hybrid” approach

• A hybrid of Computer Science and Social Science

• Combine Critical Action Research (CAR) with the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)


7

Critical Action Research

• Do not hide the research objectives from the target community

• Determine end user needs with open and continuous interaction

• Involve end users in the software process by getting constant feedback

• Use that feedback to create usable software• Learn from the end users how to improve and

measure Communication Quality


8

More Research Questions

• What are semi-synchronous services?

• What are bridged services and how do we build them?

• Can social phenomena overcome delay problems in these services?

• Can CAR help us build usable services?

• Can CAR determine how to measure this social component?


9

How To Answer The Research Questions

• Demonstrate general applicability with three applications – Distance Learning tools– Rural & urban SMME applications– Telephone systems for the Deaf

• Target CAR to– The software design process – Human Access Points (HAPs) for effectiveness

• Learn from CAR how to – Build these services– Measure the social component


10

Anticipated Results

• The social component is more significant than current views on delay

• CAR will yield a “get what you pay for” model for bridged services

• CAR will yield an understanding and measurement of this social component


11

Testing Strategy and Implications

• Use a Null Hypothesis to show that the current accepted view is more significant than the social approach to measuring Communication Quality

• If the Null Hypothesis is proven correct, then the current approach is justified in the context of Internet Protocol services

• If the social component is shown to be the primary factor of system design, then the current approach is deficient and must be changed.


12

Bibliography and Previous Systems

• The closest service is Universal Messaging, but it is not a real-time service

• We have used targeted CAR to create several Deaf Telephony prototypes (Glaser)

• Rural and Urban Distance Learning and SMMEs community telecentres failed due to lack of CAR (www.bridges.org)

• Social aspect of “place” as opposed to space (Dourish)


13

Unique Contribution(s)

• Addition of social temporal component to Quality of Service temporal metrics to define Communication Quality

• Targeted Critical Action Research via Human Access Points to build bridging services for South Africa

• Use of Critical Action Research to measure the extent of social effect on Communication Quality


14

The Bigger Picture

• Towards Real-time Universal Messaging• InfluenceTelecommuncations policy in South

Africa (and the rest of the 3rd world)• Leap frogging the 3rd world into the 1st world• Blend of social and computer science to yield

innovative telecommunications services• Communications applications and platforms that

bridge and scale across multiple Digital Divides (communication modality, networks, enduser capabilities, user interface, etc.)


15

Related Work (in progress at UCT)

• SoftBridge Platform – John Lewis

• Wireless VoIP Community Access Points – Marshini Chetty

• Laid Back Computing – Richard Schroder

• Deaf Telephony – Meryl Glaser


16

Related Work (in progress at UWC)

• Hand-held Fast-track Feedback & Presence – Adesemowo Kayode

• Hybrid Text/Voice Web Board – Anita Benjamin

• Handheld VR for QoS Management – Clement February

• SoftBridge over Softswitch – Tao Sun

• COLLAN – Tania Paulse


17

Links for more Information

• www.cs.uct.ac.za/~btucker

• www.cs.uct.ac.za/cvc

• www.cs.uwc.ac.za/~btucker

• www.cs.uwc.ac.za/bang

http://www.cs.uct.ac.za/~btucker

http://www.cs.uct.ac.za/cvc

http://www.cs.uwc.ac.za/~btucker

http://www.cs.uwc.ac.za/bang

http://www.cs.uwc.ac.za/bang

quality of semi-synchronous bridged multi-modal internet protocol communication a social temporal...

Documents