2005/04/02 by Joseph F. McCarthy, danah boyd · 89 citations
Computer Science · Decision Sciences · #Computer science #Focus (optics) #Human–computer interaction #Innovative Human-Technology Interaction #Instant messaging #Internet privacy #Multimedia #Personal Information Management and User Behavior #Physical space #Shared space #Space (punctuation) #The Internet #Usability and User Interface Design #Variety (cybernetics) #World Wide Web
paper · doi:10.1145/1056808.1056986
openalex publication_date 2005/04/02 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
There are a variety of digital tools for enabling people who are physically separated by time and space to communicate and collaborate. Widespread use of some of these tools, such as instant messaging and group chat, coupled with the increasingly availability of wireless Internet access, have created new opportunities for using these collaboration tools by people sharing physical spaces in real time. Such 'digital backchannels' affect interactions and experiences in a variety of ways, depending on the spaces, the participants, and the relationships among them. We focus on the space of an academic conference, a physical space designed for voluntary participation by people with shared interests, seeking to share knowledge and connect with others. We present and analyze system logs and interview data from a recent conference, highlight some of the advantages and disadvantages experienced both by those who used the tools and by those who did not, and discuss implications and considerations for future use and research.