Roy A. Rodenstein
Master's Thesis, June 2000, Program in Media Arts and Sciences
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Talking in Circles: Representing Place and Situation In an Online Social
Environment
Abstract
This thesis presents work focused on the creation of a sociable space for
communication online. Sociable communication requires the ability to converse
with others using simple and meaningful mechanisms, supporting flexibility and
expressiveness. Equally important is the ability for people to read the space
they inhabit and make sense of it in socially significant ways, such as
people-watching to observe others’ interests and interaction styles. A third
key to sociable communication is emphasis on identity and embodiment, giving
participants a strong sense of themselves and others through their online
representations.
These issues are approached through research in areas ranging from sociology
to urban architecture, directed at finding bases for the design of
capabilities that are useful and engaging in the context of computer support
for distributed multiparty communication. The result of this research is
Talking in Circles, a graphical audioconferencing environment that employs
abstract graphics for representation and provides lightweight access to
multiple expressive modes. This thesis discusses foundations for work towards
sociable communication online as well as the design and implementation
processes involved in the creation of the Talking in Circles system. User
experiences with the system, lessons learned and directions for further
research into sociable communication are then detailed.
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