Optimizing Social Software System Design with Conceptual Graphs Aldo de Moor CommunitySense the Netherlands WWW.COMMUNITYSENSE.NL LIRMM, Montpellier, June 5, 2009

Outline Social software: from tools to systems Scenario: topic communities A conceptual model of functionality matching in collaborative communities The functionality matching process Discussion and conclusions

Social software: from tools to systems

Scenario: topic communities

A conceptual model of functionality matching in collaborative communities

The functionality matching process

Discussion and conclusions

Social software: so many tools…

Tools in socio-technical context Tool system Mass-media Governments Social system “ climate change policy making” ? Corporations NGOs Institutes Subject matter experts Citizens Journalists

Collaborative communities Examples Research communities, knowledge management teams, innovation platforms, environmental campaign networks Communities Strong, lasting interactions Bonds between members Common space Collaboration characteristics Common goals Effective/efficient communication Perform/coordinate work Community governance structures/processes Sense of community Common space: Internet + face-to-face

Examples

Research communities, knowledge management teams, innovation platforms, environmental campaign networks

Communities

Strong, lasting interactions

Bonds between members

Common space

Collaboration characteristics

Common goals

Effective/efficient communication

Perform/coordinate work

Community governance structures/processes

Sense of community

Common space: Internet + face-to-face

Tool systems Tool system the system of integrated and customized information and communication tools tailored to the specific information , communication , and coordination requirements of a collaborative community No standard solutions Socio-technical systems design Collaborative communities need to evaluate the functionalities in their unique context of use Understand the purpose of the technologies in this context Adopt a process view

Tool system

the system of integrated and customized information and communication tools tailored to the specific information , communication , and coordination requirements of a collaborative community

No standard solutions

Socio-technical systems design

Collaborative communities need to evaluate the functionalities in their unique context of use

Understand the purpose of the technologies in this context

Adopt a process view

Tool system functionalities Functionality A set of functions and their specified properties that satisfy stated or implied needs Functionality levels System Course system Tool Blackboard Module Announcement Function Post announcement Focus: Interfaces, info objects, info/comm processes

Functionality

A set of functions and their specified properties that satisfy stated or implied needs

Functionality levels

System

Course system

Tool

Blackboard

Module

Announcement

Function

Post announcement

Focus: Interfaces, info objects, info/comm processes

Usage context: goals Goals: activities, aspects Sense of purpose, drive people and processes, evaluation criteria Activities Operationalized goals: processes with concrete deliverable as outcome E.g. writing a call for papers, making a group assignment High-level workflows, interested in potential functionalities, not implementation details Aspects Abstract goals cutting across processes and structures E.g. legitimacy, interactivity, effectiveness, efficiency

Goals: activities, aspects

Sense of purpose, drive people and processes, evaluation criteria

Activities

Operationalized goals: processes with concrete deliverable as outcome

E.g. writing a call for papers, making a group assignment

High-level workflows, interested in potential functionalities, not implementation details

Aspects

Abstract goals cutting across processes and structures

E.g. legitimacy, interactivity, effectiveness, efficiency

Usage context: actors “ The user” does not exist Many stakeholders , with their own needs, interests, and goals Actor roles increasingly important responsibilities in workflows access to functionalities and information resources E.g. Role-Based Access Control paradigm

“ The user” does not exist

Many stakeholders , with their own needs, interests, and goals

Actor roles increasingly important

responsibilities in workflows

access to functionalities and information resources

E.g. Role-Based Access Control paradigm

Actor role typologies Currently mostly technology-focused Administrator, Facilitator, Member,... Need to become much more contextualized Customized responsibilities and access rights Examples Workflow-based Author, Reviewer, Editor, ... Organization-based Secretary, Manager, Team Leader, ... Domain-specific Env. Protection Agency, Corporation, NGO, ...

Currently mostly technology-focused

Administrator, Facilitator, Member,...

Need to become much more contextualized

Customized responsibilities and access rights

Examples

Workflow-based

Author, Reviewer, Editor, ...

Organization-based

Secretary, Manager, Team Leader, ...

Domain-specific

Env. Protection Agency, Corporation, NGO, ...

Usage context: domain Major influence on evaluation processes and tool system functionalities Still ill-understood Determinants Structure and size : e.g. distributed, centralized, small, large Setting : academic, corporate, gov, non-gov Financial : resources for customization or off-the-shelf software only? Political : certain software choices mandatory/prohibited?

Major influence on evaluation processes and tool system functionalities

Still ill-understood

Determinants

Structure and size : e.g. distributed, centralized, small, large

Setting : academic, corporate, gov, non-gov

Financial : resources for customization or off-the-shelf software only?

Political : certain software choices mandatory/prohibited?

The ESSENCE project

Scenario: Topic Community Socio-Technical System

Scenario: activities Select relevant concepts and their entries in the knowledge system For each discourse topic, conduct a discussion among relevant stakeholders, resulting in a consensus position Disseminate the consensus position to the general public

Select relevant concepts and their entries in the knowledge system

For each discourse topic, conduct a discussion among relevant stakeholders, resulting in a consensus position

Disseminate the consensus position to the general public

Why conceptual graphs? Rich enough for efficient expression of complex knowledge definitions Close link to natural language Powerful knowledge operations

Rich enough for efficient expression of complex knowledge definitions

Close link to natural language

Powerful knowledge operations

STS concept type hierarchy

Effective tool functionality axioms A functionality component can enable one or more functions The Compendium Create Node -module allows a user to create an issue, position, argument… Different functionality components can have partially overlapping functionality Both Compendium and Wikipedia allow users to create links Only Compendium allows to visually map debate, only Wikipedia to collaborative edit text All community members involved in a functionality requirement must have at least one enabling functionality component An editor needs to be able to create links. Both Compendium and Wikipedia support this.

A functionality component can enable one or more functions

The Compendium Create Node -module allows a user to create an issue, position, argument…

Different functionality components can have partially overlapping functionality

Both Compendium and Wikipedia allow users to create links

Only Compendium allows to visually map debate, only Wikipedia to collaborative edit text

All community members involved in a functionality requirement must have at least one enabling functionality component

An editor needs to be able to create links. Both Compendium and Wikipedia support this.

Enabled functionality Any function enabled by some functionality component for a particular actor role Example

Any function enabled by some functionality component for a particular actor role

Example

Required functionality Functions in their usage context as defined by the activity for which a function is used and the actor role involved Example

Functions in their usage context as defined by the activity for which a function is used and the actor role involved

Example

Assigned functionality: support-mapping A function supporting a functionality requirement Example

A function supporting a functionality requirement

Example

Assigned functionality: Required implementation A constraint that a certain functionality requirement is supported by a specific tool Example

A constraint that a certain functionality requirement is supported by a specific tool

Example

Functionality matching process Create a knowledge base of socio-technical system specifications Propose a change to the specifications Perform the match Formulate matching criteria Calculate the match Interpret the results

Create a knowledge base of socio-technical system specifications

Propose a change to the specifications

Perform the match

Formulate matching criteria

Calculate the match

Interpret the results

Scenario: functionality matching Proposed specification change Matching criteria graphs Expressed in terms of functionality mappings Often a sequence of graphs to be projected, joined…

Proposed specification change

Matching criteria graphs

Expressed in terms of functionality mappings

Often a sequence of graphs to be projected, joined…

Proposed specification change Succesful match Functionality matching example

Proposed specification change

Succesful match

Functionality matching steps (1) Determine set of potentially enabling functionalities Ef pot for selected functionality requirement fr Function-concept fr projects into that of ef i Actor-concept ef i projects into that of fr Determine the set of relevant required implementation mappings RI Activity-concept ri projects into that of fr

Determine set of potentially enabling functionalities Ef pot for selected functionality requirement fr

Function-concept fr projects into that of ef i

Actor-concept ef i projects into that of fr

Determine the set of relevant required implementation mappings RI

Activity-concept ri projects into that of fr

Functionality matching steps (2) Determine set of acceptable enabling functionalities Ef acc for selected functionality requirement fr Ef pot minus those ef i where none of the ri  RI has a tool-concept that projects into that of ef i Select one or more acceptable enabling functionalities from EF acc

Determine set of acceptable enabling functionalities Ef acc for selected functionality requirement fr

Ef pot minus those ef i where none of the ri  RI has a tool-concept that projects into that of ef i

Select one or more acceptable enabling functionalities from EF acc

Conceptual structures in practice

Discussion Basic concept type hierarchy Basic functionality mappings Socio-technical system reference models for different types of communities Quality aspects, e.g. legitimacy, efficiency Modeling standards, e.g. BPMN/BPEL Role of other CG operations, e.g. join? Implementation in CG tools

Basic concept type hierarchy

Basic functionality mappings

Socio-technical system reference models for different types of communities

Quality aspects, e.g. legitimacy, efficiency

Modeling standards, e.g. BPMN/BPEL

Role of other CG operations, e.g. join?

Implementation in CG tools

Conclusion Collaborative communities require systematic socio-technical system design Functionality mappings capture dependencies between usage context and tool system Conceptual graphs can be useful in optimizing this design process Towards integration in collaboratory/testbed development

Collaborative communities require systematic socio-technical system design

Functionality mappings capture dependencies between usage context and tool system

Conceptual graphs can be useful in optimizing this design process

Towards integration in collaboratory/testbed development