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Everyday Favors: A Case Study of
a Local Online Gift Exchange System
Emmi Suhonen, Aalto University School of Science and Technology!
Airi Lampinen, Helsinki Institute for Information Technology!
Coye Cheshire, Berkeley School of Information!
Judd Antin, Yahoo! Research!

2. We all have skills and possessions that others need
but do not have. At the same time, we often lack
some resources ourselves, and can benefit from
seeking others who can help…!

4. Aspects that render Kassi interesting!
1. A geolocated community:
students on a university campus!
2. Online – offline interaction!
3. Generalized exchange!
4. System allows many different
ways to participate in collective
action!

5. Profile!
What can we do?! What items can we lend?!
Favors! Items!
How can we help each other?! What is sold or given away?!
Listings!

8. Users' motivations to contribute to !
an online gift exchange system !
within a geolocated community!
• What reasons do people have for participation? !
• What affects the quantity of participation? !
• How can gift exchange systems be designed to encourage
positive participation? !

9. RESEARCH MATERIAL!
Usage Logs!
Two-wave survey!
• September 2009 (N=72) & March 2010 (N=84)!
• Open ended questions !“Why did you or didnʼt listed favors in your profile?”"
• Likert-scale questions ! !“Kassi is a useful service in a campus setting”"

10. USAGE PATTERNS!
User activity! Favor! Item! Other!
Posting a listing 38 (8%)! 362 (79%)! 59 (13%)!
(N=459)!
Adding a profile 120 (36%)! 210 (64%)! N/A!
offering (N=330)!
Completing an 34 (32%)! 68 (65%)! 3 (3%)!
exchange (N=103)!
Total (N=984)! 192 (22%)! 640 (72%)! 62 (7%)!

11. ATTITUDES TOWARDS KASSI!
Frequent Infrequent
Statement! All (N=84)!
(N=19)! (N=28)!
Kassi is a useful service in a campus
88%! 95%! 82%!
setting.!
Kassi is a useful service for me
39%! 56%! 18%!
personally.!
I wish Kassi had more users.! 87%! 100%! 82%!
I think Kassi is easy to use.! 71%! 84%! 61%!

12. REASONS TO USE KASSI!
1. “Just for fun”!
2. “Itʼs nice to help”!
3. The service is local: trust and
ease of exchanging with oneʼs
community!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcinmoga/4240686102/lightbox/!

13. USERSʼ REASONS NOT TO USE KASSI!
Number of instances
Reasons related to user!
(N=181)!
Difficulty of figuring out what items and
71!
favors to list.!
Nothing to offer (no items or skills).! 42!
Difficulty of completing the exchanges
19!
offline and not worth it.!
Doesnʼt live close enough.! 11!
Reasons related to service!
Not interested in the service.! 26!
Uncertainty of the service.! 5!
Not knowing this is possible.! 7!

14. REASONS THAT INHIBIT
THE USE OF KASSI!
1. Lack of practices and social
culture for gift exchange with
strangers!
©DrJohnBullas (Flickr)
2. Lack of operational information!
3. Lack of examples!
4. Social inconvenience!
©DrJohnBullas (Flickr)

15. INVISIBLE EXCHANGES!
1. Problematic for research
and design !
2. …but not necessarily for
end-users – their goals can
be achieved effectively!
3. Challenge: How to give
people feedback & show the
activities in the system
without complicating use?!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/supersonicphotos/4483487579/!

16. RECIPROCITY!
1. Generalized exchange can
feel puzzling – incentives?!
2. Asking for help may feel
awkward even when others
have explicitly stated their
willingness to help!
3. Contextual interest and/or
geo-location helps, especially
when completing exchanges
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeff-bauche/2230236391/! requires meeting face-to-face!

17. INTERPRETATION & INTERVENTION!
1. How the existing culture should
be taken in account?!
2. How can we create a culture of
generalized gift exchange?!
! Balance between interpreting and
changing culture!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/m0php/530526644/!

18. CONCLUSIONS!
1. Online exchange is a rising phenomenon
and attitudes towards it are favorable but
there are challenges to tackle!
2. Interplay of online and offline interaction!
3. Participation requires learning and shared
understanding!
– Items vs favors! http://www.flickr.com/photos/supersonicphotos/4483487579/!
– Generalized exchange may feel puzzling
or awkward!
– Feedback and examples!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcinmoga/4240686102/lightbox/!

19. THANKS!!
Emmi Suhonen, Aalto University School of Science
and Technology, emmi.suhonen@tkk.fi!
Airi Lampinen, Helsinki Institute for Information
Technology HIIT, airi.lampinen@hiit.fi!
Coye Cheshire, UC Berkeley, School of Information,
coye@ischool.berkeley.edu !
Judd Antin, Yahoo! Research, jantin@yahoo-inc.com!