Context-Awareness The missing block of Social Networking Laboratoire Hubert Curien, St Etienne, 13/11/2008 Adrien JOLY 1,2 , Pierre MARET 3 and Johann DAIGREMONT 1 1 Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs France, Applications Domain, Social Commmunications Dpt. 2 Université de Lyon, LIRIS (CNRS UMR5205) / INSA-Lyon 3 Université de Lyon, Laboratoire Hubert Curien (CNRS UMR5516), Saint-Etienne

Motivation New trend: Social Networking Sites (SNS)  more communication New trend: Allways-on connectivity  communication on the move Fact: SNS communication is triggered by sharing/managing information Issue: Sharing and managing social information is a burden Proposition: Use context-awareness to improve SNS communication Share more, type less => better social communication 

New trend: Social Networking Sites (SNS)

 more communication

New trend: Allways-on connectivity

 communication on the move

Fact: SNS communication is triggered by sharing/managing information

Issue: Sharing and managing social information is a burden

Proposition: Use context-awareness to improve SNS communication

Share more, type less => better social communication 

Outline Introduction and Background How do SNS work? How can context-awareness help? Conclusions

Introduction and Background

How do SNS work?

How can context-awareness help?

Conclusions

Introduction and Background How do we communicate? Social Networking Sites (SNS) Context-awareness

Introduction and Background

How do we communicate?

Social Networking Sites (SNS)

Context-awareness

How do we communicate? Introduction Spontaneous communication : Serendipitous encounters Written communication : Letters, Telegraphs, Emails, SMS, IM Synchronous communication : Walkie-talkie, phones, IM Public communication : Blog, forums, chatrooms, virtual worlds, MMO*G Mobile devices and ubiquitous wireless connectivity  new usages SMS as a discreet way to keep in touch in (almost) any situation Recurrent « where are you? » phone calls Broadcasting « what are you doing? » in real-time on Twitter Convergent communication paradigm: Social Networking Sites  keep in touch and interact with a community of contacts over the web  Introduction & Background How do SNS work ? Context-Aware SNS Conclusions

Spontaneous communication : Serendipitous encounters

Written communication : Letters, Telegraphs, Emails, SMS, IM

Synchronous communication : Walkie-talkie, phones, IM

Public communication : Blog, forums, chatrooms, virtual worlds, MMO*G

Mobile devices and ubiquitous wireless connectivity  new usages

SMS as a discreet way to keep in touch in (almost) any situation

Recurrent « where are you? » phone calls

Broadcasting « what are you doing? » in real-time on Twitter

Convergent communication paradigm: Social Networking Sites

 keep in touch and interact with a community of contacts over the web

Introducing Social Networking Sites (SNS) Background (1/2) Main concepts: Contacts / friends : mutual connection User profile / space : page visible by contacts  Community = mutually connected contacts/friends Main actions: Profile personalization Profile messaging (« wall ») Photos + comments + « tagging » Notification of status and interactions Successful SNS surveyed here:  Introduction & Background How do SNS work ? Context-Aware SNS Conclusions

Main concepts:

Contacts / friends : mutual connection

User profile / space : page visible by contacts

 Community = mutually connected contacts/friends

Main actions:

Profile personalization

Profile messaging (« wall »)

Photos + comments + « tagging »

Notification of status and interactions

Successful SNS surveyed here:

Introducing Context-Awareness Background (2/2) Prediction => Pro-activity and Decision Support Situation recognition Context management (sensors: bluetooth, GPS, agenda, currently opened documents…)  Introduction & Background How do SNS work ? Context-Aware SNS Conclusions

Prediction => Pro-activity and Decision Support

Situation recognition

Context management (sensors: bluetooth, GPS, agenda, currently opened documents…)

How do Social Networking Sites work ? Meaning of relationships User profiles New social interaction modalities Feeds of social updates User profile enhancement – Applications Many opportunities to communicate

How do Social Networking Sites work ?

Meaning of relationships

User profiles

New social interaction modalities

Feeds of social updates

User profile enhancement – Applications

Many opportunities to communicate

Meaning of relationships How do SNS work? (1/6) Like for IM: mutual connection for communication Classmates.com (1995) => obvious  Myspace.com => weak mutual friendship (music/artist fans, teenage ego boost…) => social browsing Facebook.com => real mutual friendship (to keep in touch with acquaintances/friends) => social searching Linkedin.com => mutual connection mostly colleagues + potential collaborators => « 6-degrees » effect Twitter.com => « followers » are notified, twitters write for their followers (like blog) friends friends followers contacts Introduction & Background  How do SNS work ? Context-Aware SNS Conclusions

Like for IM: mutual connection for communication

Classmates.com (1995) => obvious 

Myspace.com => weak mutual friendship (music/artist fans, teenage ego boost…) => social browsing

Facebook.com => real mutual friendship (to keep in touch with acquaintances/friends) => social searching

Linkedin.com => mutual connection mostly colleagues + potential collaborators => « 6-degrees » effect

Twitter.com => « followers » are notified, twitters write for their followers (like blog)

User profile How do SNS work? (2/6) Profile picture Profile information Friends Application gadgets Content (e.g. videos) « Wall » messages Introduction & Background  How do SNS work ? Context-Aware SNS Conclusions

New social interaction modalities How do SNS work? (3/6) Profile messaging / wall Simple message  public announcement to one’s community New rituals: « thanks for the add » message, recommendations… Bulletins / posted items Announcements visible to all contacts (e.g. events) « Poke »: notified proof of attention + temporary friendship Gifts: distinctive sign of affection, can be bought to a friend Others Tagging of people, comparizon and matching of user profiles (e.g. movies, music, books etc…) and quizz results, games (e.g. poker), etc… Introduction & Background  How do SNS work ? Context-Aware SNS Conclusions

Profile messaging / wall

Simple message  public announcement to one’s community

New rituals: « thanks for the add » message, recommendations…

Bulletins / posted items

Announcements visible to all contacts (e.g. events)

« Poke »: notified proof of attention + temporary friendship

Gifts: distinctive sign of affection, can be bought to a friend

Others

Tagging of people, comparizon and matching of user profiles (e.g. movies, music, books etc…) and quizz results, games (e.g. poker), etc…

Feeds of social updates How do SNS work? (4/6) « What are you doing? » status message (twitter.com, 2006) « Micro-blogging » 140-long messages, usable by SMS  mobile SNS Uses: share opinions & mood, spread news, buzz marketing, earthquakes! Social interactions history Profile changes (e.g. current job position, marital status change) Public messages and comments Application specific notifications (e.g. invitations, results…) History feeds One’s profile history (public): his interactions One’s social history (personal): interactions of his community  Viral spreading of community updates without explicit advertisement + respect of precise privacy preferences = social feeling of the community Introduction & Background  How do SNS work ? Context-Aware SNS Conclusions

« What are you doing? » status message (twitter.com, 2006)

« Micro-blogging » 140-long messages, usable by SMS  mobile SNS

Uses: share opinions & mood, spread news, buzz marketing, earthquakes!

Social interactions history

Profile changes (e.g. current job position, marital status change)

Public messages and comments

Application specific notifications (e.g. invitations, results…)

History feeds

One’s profile history (public): his interactions

One’s social history (personal): interactions of his community

 Viral spreading of community updates without explicit advertisement + respect of precise privacy preferences = social feeling of the community

User profile enhancement – Applications How do SNS work? (5/6) 2007: Facebook platform for third-party social applications Developers create apps  new kinds of interactions Users « add » apps to their profile to show/use them Apps. leverage the user’s social network and personal info.  Adoption of the « platform » architecture by competitors Google  OpenSocial An open API to create interoperable social apps One application  several SNS (OpenSocial compliant) Adopted by LinkedIn, Orkut, Bebo, Hi5 + many other popular SNS Facebook’s API is still proprietary  no plans for interoperability Introduction & Background  How do SNS work ? Context-Aware SNS Conclusions

2007: Facebook platform for third-party social applications

Developers create apps  new kinds of interactions

Users « add » apps to their profile to show/use them

Apps. leverage the user’s social network and personal info.

 Adoption of the « platform » architecture by competitors

Google  OpenSocial

An open API to create interoperable social apps

One application  several SNS (OpenSocial compliant)

Adopted by LinkedIn, Orkut, Bebo, Hi5 + many other popular SNS

Facebook’s API is still proprietary  no plans for interoperability

Many opportunities to communicate How do SNS work? (6/6) SNS = generalization of comment-based communication (blogs, forums etc…) A friend posts an item (bulletin, photo, quizz result…)  you are notified You can respond relevantly to this item  you comment Your community is notified about your comment  they can join  A social conversation has just started, in the context of the post The value is in the conversation; the post is the trigger Benefits of SNS increase with contributions (posts) BUT contribution costs time  Entreprises want to benefit from SNS but they fear productivity issues Introduction & Background  How do SNS work ? Context-Aware SNS Conclusions

SNS = generalization of comment-based communication (blogs, forums etc…)

A friend posts an item (bulletin, photo, quizz result…)  you are notified

You can respond relevantly to this item  you comment

Your community is notified about your comment  they can join

 A social conversation has just started, in the context of the post

The value is in the conversation; the post is the trigger

Benefits of SNS increase with contributions (posts)

BUT contribution costs time

 Entreprises want to benefit from SNS but they fear productivity issues

Towards context-aware Social Networking Sites Opportunities of improvement Assisting SNS content sharing Assisting SNS contact mgt. & awareness

Towards context-aware Social Networking Sites

Opportunities of improvement

Assisting SNS content sharing

Assisting SNS contact mgt. & awareness

Towards context-aware Social Networking Sites (1/3) SNS become popular  sharing more information with more people Sharing (e.g. photo) = trigger for contextualized communication BUT sharing has no added value + it’s time-consuming Contact management & awareness becomes tedious Browsing the contacts must be reworked (e.g. visualization as a graph?) Too many « social updates » to follow  filter by relevance Proposition : leverage sampled context information to… Assist sharing of information Assist contact management and awareness Introduction & Background How do SNS work ?  Context-Aware SNS Conclusions

SNS become popular  sharing more information with more people

Sharing (e.g. photo) = trigger for contextualized communication

BUT sharing has no added value + it’s time-consuming

Contact management & awareness becomes tedious

Browsing the contacts must be reworked (e.g. visualization as a graph?)

Too many « social updates » to follow  filter by relevance

Proposition : leverage sampled context information to…

Assist sharing of information

Assist contact management and awareness

2) Assisting SNS content sharing with context information Towards context-aware Social Networking Sites (2/3) SNS conversations are comments in context of some shared content Context-aware devices can provide content such as: owner’s location, activity, surrounding people, agenda…  Conversations could be triggered by sharing context samples Examples: Get tips from friends when travelling (context: location) Contact proximity notification (location, social network analysis) Activity planning assistance (social network analysis, agenda) Social matchmaking and advertizing Introduction & Background How do SNS work ?  Context-Aware SNS Conclusions

SNS conversations are comments in context of some shared content

Context-aware devices can provide content such as: owner’s location, activity, surrounding people, agenda…

 Conversations could be triggered by sharing context samples

Examples:

Get tips from friends when travelling (context: location)

Contact proximity notification (location, social network analysis)

Activity planning assistance (social network analysis, agenda)

Social matchmaking and advertizing

Assisting SNS contact management & awareness Towards context-aware Social Networking Sites (3/3) Issues with SNS contact management & awareness: A list of 50 contacts is OK, but what about 200+ contacts? How to represent contacts (e.g. as a graph?) How to select/filter contacts (e.g. context of meeting?) Need to filter social notifications/updates when too many How to select interesting/relevant updates? How to summarize updates according to social proximity? Context fills the gap between the SNS and real-world situation Context-awareness can improve the SNS experience By bringing more relevance in social awareness And thus, less burden and « social noise » towards more effective communication Introduction & Background How do SNS work ?  Context-Aware SNS Conclusions

Issues with SNS contact management & awareness:

A list of 50 contacts is OK, but what about 200+ contacts?

How to represent contacts (e.g. as a graph?)

How to select/filter contacts (e.g. context of meeting?)

Need to filter social notifications/updates when too many

How to select interesting/relevant updates?

How to summarize updates according to social proximity?

Context fills the gap between the SNS and real-world situation

Context-awareness can improve the SNS experience

By bringing more relevance in social awareness

And thus, less burden and « social noise » towards more effective communication

Conclusion and future works

Conclusion and future works Identified 2 opportunities to enhance SNS with context-awareness: Assist sharing of contextual information to trigger conversations Assist contact management and awareness User can focus on conversation, instead of SNS management Future works Study relevance of social updates within user’s context Design a context-aware view of social updates Mining SNS interactions to identify communication patterns, in order to recommend applications with specialized social workflow E.g. assist the creation of an event when a contacts are exchanging messages dealing with meeting dates and places Experiment the assisted sharing of contextual samples to trigger SNS conversations Introduction & Background How do SNS work ? Context-Aware SNS  Conclusions

Identified 2 opportunities to enhance SNS with context-awareness:

Assist sharing of contextual information to trigger conversations

Assist contact management and awareness

User can focus on conversation, instead of SNS management

Future works

Study relevance of social updates within user’s context

Design a context-aware view of social updates

Mining SNS interactions to identify communication patterns, in order to recommend applications with specialized social workflow

E.g. assist the creation of an event when a contacts are exchanging messages dealing with meeting dates and places

Experiment the assisted sharing of contextual samples to trigger SNS conversations

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