Thanks and Tweets: Comparing Two Public Displays (CSCW 2011)
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This document summarizes a study comparing two public displays at a school of information - a Thank You Board and an SI Display. The Thank You Board had a highly directed and structured use, only allowing posts from an official website form. The SI Display had a more open ethos, allowing posts on Twitter. Analysis found the Thank You Board posts were all thanks, directed at specific people, while the SI Display had more diverse categories of posts not directed at individuals. Interviews revealed uncertainty around the purpose and audience of the SI Display due to the open design and use of Twitter. Recommendations included introducing displays with suggested uses, adding discussion prompts, a feedback mechanism, filtering outdated content, and providing options to
![Analysis of posts
Code posts by category and audience
Category ank You Board SI Display
Event Announcements <1% 32%
Congratulations / praise 6% 6%
anks 100% 4%
Greetings 2% 9%
Questions & Discussion prompts <1% 14%
Information sharing 2% 34%
Adam saysanother post
Response to thanks to 1% 8%
[whoever put this monitor to know how many links
Referencing the display (Now,
use] for having a clue are saved in delicious or
1% 16%
can we set up some displays
Directed to the display how i would access such
0% 6%
to non-invasively broadcast information?
To a specific person or people 57% 8%
pressing questions a la
To a specific SIstuff?)
Zephyr and subgroup 17% 8%](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/thankstweets-cscw-slideshare-110902122221-phpapp02/85/Thanks-and-Tweets-Comparing-Two-Public-Displays-CSCW-2011-16-320.jpg)
![issues with how SI Display was introduced
emphasis on usability over uses
no example uses given
uncertainty about purpose the
You may have noticed that How to post
[display] is displaying public &
thankhave no freakingthankI really don’t. displays] can be used for
“I yous. You can clue. “[the” (P9)
someone, too! Just go to sharing short, public
http://si.umich.edu/thanks. messages.”](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/thankstweets-cscw-slideshare-110902122221-phpapp02/85/Thanks-and-Tweets-Comparing-Two-Public-Displays-CSCW-2011-26-320.jpg)
Thanks and Tweets: Comparing Two Public Displays (CSCW 2011)
- 1. Thanks and Tweets: Comparing Two Public Displays @smunson, @emirose, @presnick
- 2. Matt Rife, Flickr: meddygarnet Flickr: Confidence, Comely
- 3. C3C (McCarthy et al 2008) IM Here (Huang et al 2004) Plasma Poster Network Notification Collage (Greenberg and Rounding 2001) (Churchill et al 2003)
- 4. this study Matt Rife, Flickr: meddygarnet Flickr: Confidence, Comely
- 5. this study Thank You Board Highly directed, structured use; post from official website. Matt Rife, Flickr: meddygarnet Flickr: Confidence, Comely
- 6. this study Thank You Board SI Display Highly directed, structured use; Use le open to interpretation by post from official website. community, post using existing social network site (Twitter) Matt Rife, Flickr: meddygarnet Flickr: Confidence, Comely
- 7. 1.5 miles the site: school of information, university of michigan
- 8. School of Information North PhD students, staff, faculty ank You Board: 17 inch display in entryway SI Display: large touchscreen in lunch room West Hall Masters students, staff, faculty, administration ank You Board: 17 inch display in main stairwell SI Display: 17 inch display in main stairwell, large touchscreen in student lounge the site: school of information, university of michigan
- 9. Thank You Board SI Display
- 10. ank You Board • Clear expectation for how it would be used • Post via web form • Structured input • Randomly show a message from the 10 most recent, every 6 seconds
- 11. SI Display • No expectations for how it would/should be used. • Post via Twitter (@sidisplay) • Unstructured input (except for Twitter limitations) • Cycle through 8 most recent messages, or all from the last 24 hours, whichever is greater. Morgan Keys making so/ware available: h6ps://github.com/morgankeys/ATdisplay
- 12. Methods
- 13. Analysis of posts 196 posts from 100 posters 251 posts from 58 posters 25 February 2007 – 8 August 2008 5 November 2009 – 2 April 2010 120 100 80 Posts 60 40 20 0 Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar
- 14. Analysis of posts Code posts by category and audience Category ank You Board SI Display Event Announcements <1% 32% Congratulations / praise 6% 6% anks 100% 4% Greetings 2% 9% Questions & Discussion prompts <1% 14% Information sharing 2% 34% Response to another post 1% 8% Referencing the display 1% 16% Directed to the display 0% 6% To a specific person or people 57% 8% To a specific SI subgroup 17% 8%
- 15. Analysis of posts Code posts by category and audience Category ank You Board SI Display Event Announcements <1% 32% Congratulations / praise 6% 6% anks 100% 4% Greetings 2% 9% Questions & Discussion prompts <1% 14% Information sharing 2% 34% Response to another post 1% 8% Referencing the display 1% 16% Directed to the display 0% 6% To a specific person or people 57% 8% To a specific SI subgroup 17% 8%
- 16. Analysis of posts Code posts by category and audience Category ank You Board SI Display Event Announcements <1% 32% Congratulations / praise 6% 6% anks 100% 4% Greetings 2% 9% Questions & Discussion prompts <1% 14% Information sharing 2% 34% Adam saysanother post Response to thanks to 1% 8% [whoever put this monitor to know how many links Referencing the display (Now, use] for having a clue are saved in delicious or 1% 16% can we set up some displays Directed to the display how i would access such 0% 6% to non-invasively broadcast information? To a specific person or people 57% 8% pressing questions a la To a specific SIstuff?) Zephyr and subgroup 17% 8%
- 17. Analysis of posts Code posts by category and audience Category ank You Board SI Display Event Announcements <1% 32% Congratulations / praise 6% 6% anks 100% 4% Greetings 2% 9% Questions & Discussion prompts <1% 14% Information sharing 2% 34% Response to another post 1% 8% Tobias says thanks to SI Career Referencing the display students Services for Helping 1% 16% New Oxford American manageto thesearches: Starting Directed job display Dictionary 20096% 0% Word of from resume creation etc. SI the Year: "Unfriend" To a specific personis one of the Career Services or people 57% 8% To a specificservices available to strongest SI subgroup 17% 8% students at SI!
- 18. Analysis of posts Code posts by category and audience Category ank You Board SI Display Event Announcements <1% 32% Congratulations / praise 6% 6% anks 100% 4% Greetings 2% 9% Questions & Discussion prompts <1% 14% Information sharing 2% 34% Response to another post 1% 8% Referencing the display 1% 16% Directed to the display 0% 6% To a specific person or people poor @sidisplay. I know aw 57% 8% To a specific SI subgroup what it's like to feel 17% 8% unrefreshed!
- 19. Analysis of posts Code posts by category and audience Category ank You Board SI Display Event Announcements <1% 32% Congratulations / praise 6% 6% anks 100% 4% Greetings 2% 9% Questions & Discussion prompts <1% 14% Information sharing 2% 34% Response to another post 1% 8% Referencing the display 1% 16% Directed to the display 0% 6% To a specific person or people 57% 8% To a specific SI subgroup 17% 8%
- 20. Semistructured Interviews Questions about: Participants • How they used the displays n = 14 • How they thought others should use them 9 masters students • Likes / dislikes about each 3 staff members 2 PhD students 13 with Twitter accounts 6 recalled the ank You Board 7 had posted to SI Display
- 21. Results
- 22. Results Designated use vs. open ethos | Twitter as posting mechanism
- 23. Results Designated use vs. open ethos | Twitter as posting mechanism
- 24. Participants valued flexibility of SI Display “open ethos” (P6) “serendipity” of unexpected things (P13)
- 25. Participants valued flexibility of SI Display “open ethos” (P6) “serendipity” of unexpected things (P13) … but had concerns about using it inappropriately. “I guess I would feel better if there were more established norms about it. If we knew more about what its purpose was and what are the goals and how people should use it.” (P13) “people are unsure how it’s supposed to be used … and because people, I’m a firm believer that if people don’t want to offend other people, they won’t do something they think might offend them and that might be use the board in a way they don’t think other people think it’s intended to be used for.” (P7)
- 26. issues with how SI Display was introduced emphasis on usability over uses no example uses given uncertainty about purpose the You may have noticed that How to post [display] is displaying public & thankhave no freakingthankI really don’t. displays] can be used for “I yous. You can clue. “[the” (P9) someone, too! Just go to sharing short, public http://si.umich.edu/thanks. messages.”
- 27. issues with how SI Display was introduced emphasis on usability over uses no example uses given uncertainty about purpose “I have no freaking clue. I really don’t.” (P9)
- 28. issues with how SI Display was introduced emphasis on usability over uses no example uses given uncertainty about purpose “I have no freaking clue. I really don’t.” (P9) uncertainty about audience Couldn’t remember all locations Not sure if it was for students, the entire SI community, or for external visitors to see but norms did not develop over the months of use
- 29. issues with how SI Display was introduced emphasis on usability over uses no example uses given uncertainty about purpose “I have no freaking clue. I really don’t.” (P9) uncertainty about audience Couldn’t remember all locations Not sure if it was for students, the entire SI community, or for external visitors to see but norms did not develop over the months of use
- 30. Results Designated use vs. open ethos | Twitter as posting mechanism
- 31. ank You Board had required too much memory for how to post and these steps were too disconnected from seeing the display SI Display used Twitter to make posting easier, but did require that posters have a Twitter account
- 32. Twitter as posting mechanism: easier, but not without issues Further confounded audience: Twitter users or broader? Twitter syntax made some posts hard to read. Sometimes hard to link Twitter usernames and avatars with identity in community. Some community members did not want to use Twitter on principle. Others did not want to reveal their personal Twitter account to their professional colleagues. Feelings of exclusion for some community members, while others felt it was more inclusive.
- 33. Twitter as posting mechanism: easier, but not without issues Further confounded audience: Twitter users or broader? Twitter syntax made some posts hard to read. Sometimes hard to link Twitter usernames and avatars with identity in community Some community members did not want to use Twitter on principle. Others did not want to reveal their personal Twitter account to their professional colleagues. Feelings of exclusion for some community members, while others felt it was more inclusive.
- 34. Twitter as posting mechanism: easier, but not without issues Further confounded audience: Twitter users or broader? Twitter syntax made some posts hard to read. Sometimes hard to link Twitter usernames and avatars with identity in community Some community members did not want to use Twitter on principle. Others did not want to reveal their personal Twitter account to their professional colleagues. Feelings of exclusion for some community members, while others felt it was more inclusive.
- 35. Twitter as posting mechanism: easier, but not without issues Further confounded audience: Twitter users or broader? Twitter syntax made some posts hard to read. Sometimes hard to link Twitter usernames and avatars with identity in community Some community members did not want to use Twitter on principle. Others did not want to reveal their personal Twitter account to their professional colleagues. Feelings of exclusion for some community members, while others felt it was more inclusive.
- 36. Twitter as posting mechanism: easier, but not without issues Further confounded audience: Twitter users or broader? Twitter syntax made some posts hard to read. Sometimes hard to link Twitter usernames and avatars with identity in community Some community members did not want to use Twitter on principle. Others did not want to reveal their personal Twitter account to their professional colleagues. Feelings of exclusion for some community members, while others felt it was more inclusive.
- 37. Twitter as posting mechanism: easier, but not without issues Further confounded audience: Twitter users or broader? Twitter syntax made some posts hard to read. Sometimes hard to link Twitter usernames and avatars with identity in community Some community members did not want to use Twitter on principle. Others did not want to reveal their personal Twitter account to their professional colleagues. Feelings of exclusion for some community members, while others felt it was more inclusive.
- 38. Design Implications Authoritative vs. User Interpretations Content Lifespan Twitter as posting mechanism Social Context
- 39. Design Implications Authoritative vs. User Interpretations Content Lifespan Twitter as posting mechanism Social Context
- 40. With SI Display, we created discomfort by going too far toward emphasizing usability over use (Sengers and Gaver 2006). Confounded by a lack of reification of community expectations; no clear feedback process. Recommendations: • Introduce display with suggested uses (& an invitation to use it other ways) • Post discussion prompts / content invitations to Twitter or the display • Add a feedback mechanism (voting posts up and/or down)
- 41. Design Implications Authoritative vs. User Interpretations Content Lifespan Twitter as posting mechanism Social Context
- 42. SI Display had more time sensitive content, but the “staleness” of outdated announcements became an issue. Recommendation: Parse posts for time; filter out dates in the past.
- 43. Design Implications Authoritative vs. User Interpretations Content Lifespan Twitter as posting mechanism Social Context
- 44. Twitter as posting mechanism easier for most barrier for non-Twitterers jargon mixing contexts Recommendations: • continue using, but give non-Twitter users a way to post (web form, SMS, etc). • Arguments for accepting some jargon and syntax, or filtering it out / replacing it
- 45. Design Implications Authoritative vs. User Interpretations Content Lifespan Twitter as posting mechanism Social Context
- 46. Social context Where are the displays? Who will see them? Mixing of audiences Recommendations: • Map of displays, or video links between them. (also not without problems!) • Control over to which display one posts, e.g.,: – @sidisplay: to all of them – @sistudents: Master’s student lounge – @sistafffac: staff, faculty, and PhD student lunchroom – @sipublic: displays in public spaces
- 47. Social context how to drive adoption? where are displays? who will look at them? Conclusions Recommendations: • Contests vs. open ethos: open ethos preferred over structured Designated useat launch or to drive particular kinds of posts • Consider go too far in not specifying locations make potential content, but canadding maps of display use; need toor video feeds users feel comfortable with appropriateness ofaudience less for of who is looking at them to make their posts. Need reification. “imagined” • Keep displays from reaching too and easier than the ank Twitter as posting mechanism: appreciatedbroad of an audience You Board form, but also caused some feelings of exclusion that should be mitigated in future deployments.
- 48. Thanks and Tweets: Comparing Two Public Displays Sean Munson samunson@umich.edu @smunson Emily Rosengren emirose@umich.edu @emirose Paul Resnick presnick@umich.edu @presnick anks to Erica Willar and Alex Burrell, research assistants Jim Leach, Michael Hess, and SI Computing for helping deploy the displays Morgan Keys, for continuing to push this forward Funded by the National Science Foundation under grant IIS-0916099.
Editor's Notes
- #4: Even before their digital versions, public displays have had an important role in the communication of communities and organizations. They might take the form of a place to post public thank yous other members of the community, or they might be general purpose displays used for announcements, information sharing, or showing favorite comics.
- #5: Public displays have also been major part of CSCW research. They’ve often been used with the goal of strengthening workgroups, through collaboration, sharing news, or increasing cohesion by raising awareness about both work related activities and unrelated interests. Showing up everywhere now, more relevant.
- #7: 530 students, faculty, staff. 500 person community vs. workgroup. Not homogenous. Larger than many other deploymentsunmet need (michi poster, c3c). Didn't work very well.
- #9: goals for designingwhy we need two more very directed open. alternative posting mechanism (parasitic)
- #11: Similar to displays featured at some confereneces
- #21: OVERALLThank You Board: liked, fostered sense of politeness and appreciationSI Display: fun, helped connect different groups (e.g. SI career office with students; the two campuses), bur purpose remained unclear
- #24: Clear ideas of what not to post (profanity, negative posts about community members). Not clear about what should be posted.Self censorship rather than a sense that posts were inappropriate.
- #25: Clear ideas of what not to post (profanity, negative posts about community members). Not clear about what should be posted.
- #27: “too many steps” (P13) or as requiring them to “go out of [their] way” (P05),
- #28: Syntax example: Names in thank yous on SIDisplay often were twitter usernames rather than real names
- #29: “too many steps” (P13) or as requiring them to “go out of [their] way” (P05),
- #30: “too many steps” (P13) or as requiring them to “go out of [their] way” (P05),
- #31: “too many steps” (P13) or as requiring them to “go out of [their] way” (P05),
- #32: “too many steps” (P13) or as requiring them to “go out of [their] way” (P05),
- #33: More inclusive – offered window into a conversation they otherwise could not see.
- #34: Mostly going to talk about these around a future deployment of SI Display, the preferred system.
- #36: Possibly predicted by Huang et al “systems introduced for the sake of promoting specific collaboration or information sharing tasks generally were more successfully adopted than those introduced for general collaboration purposes,” Feedback already used on C3C
- #40: Addresses exclusion as well as some audience issues, maybe.
- #43: But for now, it’s just running in the student lounge.