Tuesday, September 9, 2003Tuesday, September 9, 2003Aspects of Pervasive ComputingAspects of Pervasive ComputingSlide 1Slide 1

Using Digital but Physical Surrogates Using Digital but Physical Surrogates to Mediate Awareness, to Mediate Awareness,

Communication and Privacy in Media Communication and Privacy in Media Spaces Spaces

– A Critique– A Critique

Saul GreenbergSaul Greenberg(Computer Science, University of Calgary, Canada)(Computer Science, University of Calgary, Canada)

Hideaki KuzuokaHideaki Kuzuoka(Engineering, University of Tsukuba, Japan)(Engineering, University of Tsukuba, Japan)

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Their Broad GoalsTheir Broad Goals Leverage “digital but physical” surrogates Leverage “digital but physical” surrogates

to…to… Support the smooth transition from Support the smooth transition from

awareness, to casual encounters, to awareness, to casual encounters, to conversation and to workconversation and to work

Mitigate privacy and distraction concerns Mitigate privacy and distraction concerns endemic to most awareness systemsendemic to most awareness systems

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The Paper’s GoalsThe Paper’s Goals Describe the idea of digital but physical Describe the idea of digital but physical

surrogates and how they can facilitate surrogates and how they can facilitate casual casual interactioninteraction between intimate collaborators between intimate collaborators BenefitsBenefits Design goals & tradeoffsDesign goals & tradeoffs Their own surrogatesTheir own surrogates Some ‘reasoning’ on their effectivenessSome ‘reasoning’ on their effectiveness System architectureSystem architecture Usage ‘experiences’Usage ‘experiences’ Issues and future workIssues and future work

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Casual InteractionCasual Interaction The hypothesisThe hypothesis

Casual interactionCasual interaction is backbone of everyday is backbone of everyday coordination and work between coordination and work between co-locatedco-located team members.team members.

The glue behind these interactions is The glue behind these interactions is informal informal awareness.awareness.• From Kraut et al and Cockburn/GreenbergFrom Kraut et al and Cockburn/Greenberg

The authors wish to facilitate this over a The authors wish to facilitate this over a distance (electronically)distance (electronically)

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Do they manage it?Do they manage it? Well… they say they do.Well… they say they do. But they also say that they only say they But they also say that they only say they

do.do. Is this enough?Is this enough? I’m not convinced.I’m not convinced.

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Eh?Eh? Some Quotes:Some Quotes:

We contend that surrogates can be designed We contend that surrogates can be designed to satisfy our first goal … by presenting a to satisfy our first goal … by presenting a progression of surrogates that we have built.progression of surrogates that we have built.

We contend that surrogates [satisfy our We contend that surrogates [satisfy our second goal] because they can portray limited second goal] because they can portray limited and abstracted representations of another’s and abstracted representations of another’s activities, and because they can present activities, and because they can present different degrees of salience.different degrees of salience.

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More quotesMore quotes Our prototypes … have not yet been Our prototypes … have not yet been

deployed outside our research group.deployed outside our research group. [The authors] were in a co-located space...[The authors] were in a co-located space... [The authors] [The authors] feltfelt that [they] were far more that [they] were far more

“connected” with one another.“connected” with one another. [The authors] [The authors] feelingsfeelings of connectivity of connectivity

were attenuated considerably during were attenuated considerably during system down-times.system down-times.

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What’s Missing?What’s Missing? Evaluations by uninvolved or, at the very least, Evaluations by uninvolved or, at the very least,

unbiased users.unbiased users. But they say this: (another quote)But they say this: (another quote)

Issue 6. Issue 6. Surrogate-based systems need thorough Surrogate-based systems need thorough evaluation. …evaluation. …

Nevertheless, it is hard to be convinced that any Nevertheless, it is hard to be convinced that any of their goals were achieved.of their goals were achieved.

They didn’t cover the “transition into work” or They didn’t cover the “transition into work” or “casual interaction over a distance” goals.“casual interaction over a distance” goals.

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They Make an Attempt…They Make an Attempt… One final experience we should mention is One final experience we should mention is

that visitors to our offices found this media that visitors to our offices found this media space both interesting and natural. They space both interesting and natural. They grasped its concept after a brief grasped its concept after a brief explanation, and were able to use it explanation, and were able to use it immediately.immediately.

That’s it.That’s it.

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Good BitsGood Bits Their approach is novelTheir approach is novel

I certainly want to whack surrogates of people I want I certainly want to whack surrogates of people I want to talk to on the head with a hammerto talk to on the head with a hammer

There is a good attempt at addressing privacy There is a good attempt at addressing privacy and distraction concerns in an automated wayand distraction concerns in an automated way No tolerance for webcam voyeursNo tolerance for webcam voyeurs There are still problems though [issues 3 & 1]There are still problems though [issues 3 & 1]

They have also addressed the need for explicit They have also addressed the need for explicit user controluser control But a cloth over the camera and a microphone gain But a cloth over the camera and a microphone gain

knob could have done the sameknob could have done the same

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More (recognised) IssuesMore (recognised) Issues Scalability (issue 4)Scalability (issue 4)

I have 157 people on my Trillian contact list…I have 157 people on my Trillian contact list… Maybe a dartboard…Maybe a dartboard…

Using surrogates to move from conversation into Using surrogates to move from conversation into work (issue 5)work (issue 5) À la shared whiteboardsÀ la shared whiteboards

Is the level of privacy reasonable (issue 7)Is the level of privacy reasonable (issue 7) What is the risk of subversion as a surveillance deviceWhat is the risk of subversion as a surveillance device Need some safeguardsNeed some safeguards

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More (unrecongnised) flawsMore (unrecongnised) flaws The iconic indicatorThe iconic indicator

They say it was rarely used because other windows obscured itThey say it was rarely used because other windows obscured it But they don’t mention any use of popups or tray icons to But they don’t mention any use of popups or tray icons to

resolve this.resolve this. The tablesThe tables

The fact that they are symmetric limits a lot of possible usage The fact that they are symmetric limits a lot of possible usage scenariosscenarios

• both collaborators need to be ‘available’ before any interaction can both collaborators need to be ‘available’ before any interaction can occur (this is deliberate, but the occasions might be rare [a hunch])occur (this is deliberate, but the occasions might be rare [a hunch])

They don’t even end up using table 2 for their own testsThey don’t even end up using table 2 for their own tests Nicer would have been a table showing unbiased user opinions Nicer would have been a table showing unbiased user opinions

and experiencesand experiences Many claims aren’t backed up with references/evidenceMany claims aren’t backed up with references/evidence

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Do you think it can work?Do you think it can work?

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What Have I Missed?What Have I Missed? The implementation frameworkThe implementation framework

Not worth mentioningNot worth mentioning Belongs in another paper (it’s too big anyway)Belongs in another paper (it’s too big anyway) ““phidgets” are necessary abstractionphidgets” are necessary abstraction

Psychological backgroundPsychological background The only reference papers from computer The only reference papers from computer

science converencesscience converences Anything else?Anything else?

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SummarySummary Novel and well-writtenNovel and well-written Recognises most of its own flaws and Recognises most of its own flaws and

mentions them under “future work”mentions them under “future work” Motivates a research agendaMotivates a research agenda

Probably should be split into two or more Probably should be split into two or more paperspapers

Glaring lack of empirical studies by Glaring lack of empirical studies by unbiased participantsunbiased participants

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ReferencesReferences Kraut R, Egido C, Galegher J. Kraut R, Egido C, Galegher J. Patterns of contact and communication in Patterns of contact and communication in

scientific collaborationscientific collaboration. ACM: Computer Supported Cooperative Work . ACM: Computer Supported Cooperative Work (1998)(1998)

Cockburn A, Greenberg S. Cockburn A, Greenberg S. Making contact: getting the group Making contact: getting the group communicating with groupwarecommunicating with groupware. ACM: Organisational Computing Systems . ACM: Organisational Computing Systems (1993)(1993)