Jason Tsay
MOBILE GROUPWARE
05-830 Advanced User Interface Software - Spring 2013
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Outline
1.
2.
3.
4.
Groupware
Mobile Groupware
Challenges
Multiple PDA Example
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GROUPWARE
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Groupware
• Computer-based systems that support groups
of people engaged in a common task (or goal)
and that provide an interface to a shared
environment
Ellis, Clarence A., Simon J. Gibbs, and Gail Rein. "Groupware: some issues and experiences." Communications of the ACM 34.1 (1991): 39-58.
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Examples
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Shared Virtual Whiteboards
Multi-user editors
Distributed brainstorming tools
Real-time network games
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Synchronous Groupware
Synchronous groupware systems allow
physically separated users to interact with one
another and with shared computational objects
in real time.
Phillips, W. Greg. "Architectures for synchronous groupware." Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada (1999).
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Critical Features for Toolkits
1.
2.
3.
4.
Run-Time Architecture
Programming Abstractions
Groupware Widgets
Session Management
Greenberg, Saul, and Mark Roseman. "Groupware toolkits for synchronous work." Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (Trends in
Software 7) (1999): 135-168.
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Critical Features for Toolkits
1. Run-Time Architecture
– Centralized vs Replicated Architectures
– Centralized: Single application across all
participants
•
Easy to bottleneck
– Replicated: Parallel applications
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Much harder to synchronize
Greenberg, Saul, and Mark Roseman. "Groupware toolkits for synchronous work." Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (Trends in
Software 7) (1999): 135-168.
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Critical Features for Toolkits
2. Programming Abstractions
– Unshared system – neither data nor view shared
•
•
Up to programmer to maintain model/view/controller
Ex: RPC
– Shared model – data model shared by system
– Shared view – both view and models are shared
Greenberg, Saul, and Mark Roseman. "Groupware toolkits for synchronous work." Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (Trends in
Software 7) (1999): 135-168.
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Critical Features for Toolkits
3. Groupware Widgets
– Modified Single User Widgets
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Synchronicity
Access Control
– Groupware Widgets
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Participant status
Telepointers
Greenberg, Saul, and Mark Roseman. "Groupware toolkits for synchronous work." Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (Trends in
Software 7) (1999): 135-168.
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Critical Features for Toolkits
4. Session Management
– End-user establishing groupware connections
Greenberg, Saul, and Mark Roseman. "Groupware toolkits for synchronous work." Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (Trends in
Software 7) (1999): 135-168.
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MOBILE GROUPWARE
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Why Mobile?
• Convenience
• Ubiquitous
• Pervasive Infrastructure
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Challenges of Mobile Groupware
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Communication
Architecture
Coordination
Data distribution/consistency
User interfaces
Security/Privacy
Realisation issues
Roth, J., 2002. Seven Challenges for Developers of Mobile Groupware. In: Workshop "Mobile Ad Hoc Collabora-tion", CHI 2002, Minneapolis.
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Challenges of Mobile Groupware
1. Communication
– Which technology/protocol to use
– Connecting devices
– Ad-hoc networks
2. Architecture
– Finding appropriate architecture
– Hard to detect pros/cons until implemented
3. Coordination
– Mobile users are often only loosely connected to
infrastructure
– Session management difficult
Roth, J., 2002. Seven Challenges for Developers of Mobile Groupware. In: Workshop "Mobile Ad Hoc Collabora-tion", CHI 2002, Minneapolis.
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Challenges of Mobile Groupware
4. Data distribution/consistency
– Distributing shared data
– Weakly connected devices
– Programming abstractions
5. User interfaces
– Fundamentally different compared to PCs
– Appropriate groupware widgets
Roth, J., 2002. Seven Challenges for Developers of Mobile Groupware. In: Workshop "Mobile Ad Hoc Collabora-tion", CHI 2002, Minneapolis.
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Challenges of Mobile Groupware
6. Security/Privacy
– Lost/stolen devices
– Intercepted transmissions
– Cryptography framework
7. Realisation issues
– Device limitations
– Platform considerations
Roth, J., 2002. Seven Challenges for Developers of Mobile Groupware. In: Workshop "Mobile Ad Hoc Collabora-tion", CHI 2002, Minneapolis.
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Challenges of Mobile Groupware
Roth, J., 2002. Seven Challenges for Developers of Mobile Groupware. In: Workshop "Mobile Ad Hoc Collabora-tion", CHI 2002, Minneapolis.
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MULTIPLE PDA EXAMPLE
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MMM Groupware
• Multi-Device, Multi-User, Multi-Editor
• Connect multiple PDAs to a PC
– Input devices
• Centralized Run-time Architecture
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Remote Commander
• Use PDA an input device for a PC
• Strokes = PC mouse
• Keyboard input = PC keyboard
Brad A. Myers, Herb Stiel, and Robert Gargiulo. "Collaboration Using Multiple PDAs Connected to a PC," Proceedings CSCW'98: ACM
Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work, November 14-18, 1998, Seattle, WA. pp. 285-294.
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Remote Commander: Coordination
• Relies on social protocols to control turn
• Found that people would “fiddle”
– Which interferes with work attempts
• PowerPoint mode
– User-specific colors
Brad A. Myers, Herb Stiel, and Robert Gargiulo. "Collaboration Using Multiple PDAs Connected to a PC," Proceedings CSCW'98: ACM
Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work, November 14-18, 1998, Seattle, WA. pp. 285-294.
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PebblesDraw
• Multi-cursor drawing program
– Single Display Groupware
• Independent actions per user
– Parallel input streams
– Amulet behavior/interactor
– Programming abstraction
Brad A. Myers, Herb Stiel, and Robert Gargiulo. "Collaboration Using Multiple PDAs Connected to a PC," Proceedings CSCW'98: ACM
Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work, November 14-18, 1998, Seattle, WA. pp. 285-294.
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PebblesDraw: User Interface
• Redesigned widgets
– User-specific selection handles
– Color feedback (palette)
• Groupware widgets
– User-specific cursors
Brad A. Myers, Herb Stiel, and Robert Gargiulo. "Collaboration Using Multiple PDAs Connected to a PC," Proceedings CSCW'98: ACM
Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work, November 14-18, 1998, Seattle, WA. pp. 285-294.
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Current Mobile Groupware
• Why not more prevalent?
– Technology has progressed
• Wireless protocol/technology
• Ubiquitous infrastructure
• Widely available authentication protocols
– Same challenges
• User interfaces for groupware
• Device limitations
• Platform considerations
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Questions?
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