Presentation of the Paper by Xinru Page, Bart P. Knijnenburg and Alfred Kobsa at the Ubicomp 2013 conference in Zurich

1. Xinru Page
@xinrup
Bart P. Knijnenburg
@usabart
Alfred Kobsa
FYICommunication Style Preferences
Underlie Differences in Location-Sharing
Adoption and Usage

2. 1

3. Q: What is a key user characteristic that
drives user adoption and participation in
location-sharing social networks (LSSN)?
A: Successful LSSN users prefer to use a
communication style we call FYI

4. Introduction
Why do people (not) use LSSN?
The role of personality
The FYI communication style
Studies and results
Linking FYI to demographics and LSSN adoption
Linking FYI to personality and LSSN usage
Conclusions
Designing for those who use FYI and those who
don’t

5. Why do people use LSSN?
? LSSN usage

6. Studying use and non-use
Location-sharing is possible...
A majority of Americans have a smartphone
86% have used Location-Based services (e.g. GPS, location-
based search)
...but few people are doing it
“Geo-social” services are not vey popular
Only 10% of smartphone users have used LSSN
We need to study this “non-use” pattern
It is important to also ask: Why do people not use LSSN?

7. Personality?
personality LSSN usage

8. Conflicting results
Extraverts use more social media!
Correa et al. 2010, Rosen & Kluemper 2008, Ryan & Xenos 2011
No effect of extraversion
Junglas & Spitzmuller 2006
Extraverts are less likely to disclose
or spend time online
Landers & Lounsbury 2006
It may be too broad to be a direct predictor

9. Beyond personality
?personality LSSN usage

10. Communication style
Willingness to communicate
More useful for understanding offline communication
than personality traits
McCroskey 1992, Richmond & Roach 1992
More useful for understanding social media usage
than personality traits
Ross et al. 2009
Online communication has a different style
Communication without real-time verbal interaction
Burke et al. 2011, Spitzberg 2006

11. Developing FYI
FYI LSSN usage

12. Interview study
21 participants (21 to mid 40’s, 4 females)
0 7 were currently using Google Latitude
0 4 had abandoned Google Latitude
0 3 were planning to use it in the future
0 7 chose not to use it
Asked about Latitude adoption and usage
Two types of responses...

13. The first type...
...wanted to know how others were doing
without asking them directly
...did not want others to initiate interactions
“I’d rather just share with them, ‘Hey, here’s where I am’. I
could share without them actually calling me.” (P2)
...used LSSN to make inferences and inform
others of their status without direct
interaction
FYI

14. The second type...
...were bothered by too much information
“I think people abuse Twitter and Facebook…status update
doesn’t mean I want to know exactly what you’re doing at
all times of every day…it’s too much information.”
...clearly preferred direct interaction
...did not like to communicate via LSSN
“Isn’t all this a case of you’re trying to invent some fancy
tool when really a much simpler tool solves the problem,
right? Which is [to] give her a call.”
o FYI

15. Nationwide survey
1021 participants
18-73 years old, 66.6% females, geographically balanced
Goals:
0 Measure FYI
0 Relate it to smartphone ownership, LSSN adoption
0 Look for demographic differences

16. FYI communication style
I want others to know how I’m doing without having to tell
them.
I want others to know where I am without them having to
bother me by asking.
I want to know where others are without having to bother
them by asking.
More information is always good.

17. Results
FYI has a positive effect on LSSN intention to use,
which in turn has a large impact on actual usage
FYI has a negative effect on desire to call others
Older people are less likely to be FYI
communicators, but parents are more likely to
be FYI communicators
LSSN increases with smartphone ownership,
and older people and non-FYI communicators are
less likely to have a smartphone

18. Intention to
use LSSN
Children
-0.593***
FYI
Age
LSSN usage
Smartphone
ownership
I'd rather call
than use LSSN
0.755***
0.425***
0.560***
-0.272***
0.192***
-0.268*** 0.271***
Results - model

19. FYI has a positive effect on LSSN intention to
use, which in turn has a large impact on actual
usage
Intention to
use LSSN
Children
-0.593***
FYI
Age
LSSN usage
Smartphone
ownership
I'd rather call
than use LSSN
0.755***
0.425***
0.560***
-0.272***
0.192***
-0.268*** 0.271***
Intention to
use LSSN
FYI
LSSN usage
0.755***
0.425***

20. FYI has a negative effect on desire to call others
Intention to
use LSSN
Children
-0.593***
FYI
Age
LSSN usage
Smartphone
ownership
I'd rather call
than use LSSN
0.755***
0.425***
0.560***
-0.272***
0.192***
-0.268*** 0.271***
-0.593***
FYI
I'd rather call
than use LSSN

21. Older people are less likely to be FYI
communicators, but parents are more likely to
be FYI communicators
Intention to
use LSSN
Children
-0.593***
FYI
Age
LSSN usage
Smartphone
ownership
I'd rather call
than use LSSN
0.755***
0.425***
0.560***
-0.272***
0.192***
-0.268*** 0.271***
Children FYI
Age
-0.272***
0.192***

22. LSSN increases with smartphone ownership,
and older people and non-FYI communicators
are less likely to have a smartphone
Intention to
use LSSN
Children
-0.593***
FYI
Age
LSSN usage
Smartphone
ownership
I'd rather call
than use LSSN
0.755***
0.425***
0.560***
-0.272***
0.192***
-0.268*** 0.271***
FYI
Age
LSSN usage
Smartphone
ownership
0.560***
-0.268*** 0.271***

23. Intention to
use LSSN
Children
-0.593***
FYI
Age
LSSN usage
Smartphone
ownership
I'd rather call
than use LSSN
0.755***
0.425***
0.560***
-0.272***
0.192***
-0.268*** 0.271***

24. Follow-up expanded survey
180 participants
18-69 years old, 41.7% females
Goals:
0 Further develop the FYI construct (my vs. others’ location)
0 Test its external validity, relate it to extent of participation (via
“Signaling”)
0 Integrate personality traits (big-5)

25. FYI for my location
Others should be able to get my location when they feel they
need it.
I want others to know where I am, without my having to
bother to tell them.
I would prefer to share my location with everyone in case
anyone wants it.
FYI for others’ location
Rather than wait for others to tell me where they are, I would
like a way to know someone’s location whenever I need it.
I want to know where others are without having to bother
them by asking.
It would be useful to me if others would make their location
available to everyone.

26. Signaling
FYI communicators were adept at signaling
nonverbal cues in online interactions
People use nonverbal cues to signal the
true meaning of their message
In online interactions, people must adopt
new ways of signaling these cues
e.g. “Busy” status message
FYI communicators are better at this

27. Signaling
I find that posting updates about myself is an effective way to
keep others informed.
Others get a good idea of whether I am free or busy using my
online posts or status.
Social Media poorly captures how or what I am doing.

28. Extent of participation
Online signalers...
...have confidence in using social media
...share on social media without limitations
Non-signalers...
...are afraid others will misunderstand their status or
current activities
...limit their social media activity and share very little

29. Limited participation
I limit how I use social media because I worry about what
others will do.
I limit my activity on social media to keep others from
interacting with me.
Involved participation
I share everything on social media because I am not worried
about who will see it.
I never hold back on what I say or do with others online.

30. Results
The effects of model 1 are confirmed
FYI increases Signaling, which in turn
increases Participation
Emotionally Stable pps disliked using FYI
to learn others’ location; Extraverts liked
using FYI to share their own location
Effects are driven by FYI for my location
(although correlated with FYI for others’ location)

31. Intention to
use LSSN
Emotional
Stability
-0.422***
F.Y.I. style
my
location
Extravert LSSN usage
Smartphone
ownership
I'd rather call
than use LSSN
0.646***
0.512***
0.457***
F.Y.I. style
others'
location
-0.313***
Signaling
Limited
participation
Involved
participation
0.800***
-0.258**
0.247**
0.348***
-0.519***0.617***
0.542***
-0.485***
Results - model
Intention to
use LSSN
Emotional
Stability
-0.422***
F.Y.I. style
my
location
Extravert LSSN usage
Smartphone
ownership
I'd rather call
than use LSSN
0.646***
0.512***
0.457***
F.Y.I. style
others'
location
-0.313***
Signaling
Limited
participation
Involved
participation
0.800***
-0.258**
0.247**
0.348***
-0.519***0.617***
0.542***
-0.485***

32. Intention to
use LSSN
Emotional
Stability
-0.422***
F.Y.I. style
my
location
Extravert LSSN usage
Smartphone
ownership
I'd rather call
than use LSSN
0.646***
0.512***
0.457***
F.Y.I. style
others'
location
-0.313***
Signaling
Limited
participation
Involved
participation
0.800***
-0.258**
0.247**
0.348***
-0.519***0.617***
0.542***
-0.485***
The effects of model 1 are confirmed
Intention to
use LSSN
-0.422***
F.Y.I. style
my
location
LSSN usage
Smartphone
ownership
I'd rather call
than use LSSN
0.646***
0.512***
0.457***
-0.313***
0.348***

33. Intention to
use LSSN
Emotional
Stability
-0.422***
F.Y.I. style
my
location
Extravert LSSN usage
Smartphone
ownership
I'd rather call
than use LSSN
0.646***
0.512***
0.457***
F.Y.I. style
others'
location
-0.313***
Signaling
Limited
participation
Involved
participation
0.800***
-0.258**
0.247**
0.348***
-0.519***0.617***
0.542***
-0.485***
FYI increases Signaling, which in turn increases
Participation
F.Y.I. style
my
location
Signaling
Limited
participation
Involved
participation
-0.519***0.617***
0.542***
-0.485***

34. Intention to
use LSSN
Emotional
Stability
-0.422***
F.Y.I. style
my
location
Extravert LSSN usage
Smartphone
ownership
I'd rather call
than use LSSN
0.646***
0.512***
0.457***
F.Y.I. style
others'
location
-0.313***
Signaling
Limited
participation
Involved
participation
0.800***
-0.258**
0.247**
0.348***
-0.519***0.617***
0.542***
-0.485***
Emotionally Stable pps disliked using FYI to
learn others’ location; Extraverts liked using FYI
to share their own location
Emotional
Stability
F.Y.I. style
my
location
Extravert
F.Y.I. style
others'
location
-0.258**
0.247**

35. Intention to
use LSSN
Emotional
Stability
-0.422***
F.Y.I. style
my
location
Extravert LSSN usage
Smartphone
ownership
I'd rather call
than use LSSN
0.646***
0.512***
0.457***
F.Y.I. style
others'
location
-0.313***
Signaling
Limited
participation
Involved
participation
0.800***
-0.258**
0.247**
0.348***
-0.519***0.617***
0.542***
-0.485***
Effects are driven by FYI for my location
(although correlated with FYI for others’ location)
F.Y.I. style
my
location
F.Y.I. style
others'
location
0.800***

36. Intention to
use LSSN
Emotional
Stability
-0.422***
F.Y.I. style
my
location
Extravert LSSN usage
Smartphone
ownership
I'd rather call
than use LSSN
0.646***
0.512***
0.457***
F.Y.I. style
others'
location
-0.313***
Signaling
Limited
participation
Involved
participation
0.800***
-0.258**
0.247**
0.348***
-0.519***0.617***
0.542***
-0.485***
Intention to
use LSSN
Emotional
Stability
-0.422***
F.Y.I. style
my
location
Extravert LSSN usage
Smartphone
ownership
I'd rather call
than use LSSN
0.646***
0.512***
0.457***
F.Y.I. style
others'
location
-0.313***
Signaling
Limited
participation
Involved
participation
0.800***
-0.258**
0.247**
0.348***
-0.519***0.617***
0.542***
-0.485***

37. Wrap up: FYI and Signaling
FYI as a driver of LSSN adoption and usage
A mediator of demographic and personality-based effects
An important factor for user research
Signaling as a way to regulate interactions
Those who don’t use it tend to participate less overall
These factors likely extend beyond LSSN to
social media in general!

38. Designing for non-FYI users
Those who do not use FYI...
...want more direct communication
...think signaling leads to misunderstandings
Maybe they should just call others?
Many want to use social networks too!
Idea: a more co-constructive protocol
Negotiate a “location offer” that serves a specific purpose
E.g. “I’m in town this week; let’s share location to see if we
can meet up”

39. Successful LSSN users prefer to use a
communication style we call FYI
We should account for the FYI style in our
research and design practice
Designing for non-FYI users may kindle
new growth in LSSN usage and adoption