Faculty of Information

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The telepresence integrated interactive intermedia facility
(Ontario Telepresence Project, 1992-05) Milligan,
The iiif system is a base to support the use of interactive media. It is intended to serve as the utility on which a number of interactive media services are based. Examples of the types of services that the facility is intended to support include a media space, a video document handling system and, of course, traditional video conferencing. The iiif system has the dual purpose of providing a base utility to support re-searchers, and is the subject of research in and of itself. The general research objec-tive is to investigate how multimedia technology can be applied to support HCI research objectives, including the support of cooperative work. The hub of the utility consists of computer controllable A/V equipment, computer controlled A/V switches (much like telephone switches) and a server computer to provide control. The server computer is accessible to people at workstations through the same networks used for other electronic communications. The iiif system originated at Rank Xerox's EuroPARC laboratory in 1988. It was given to the Cavecat project at the University of Toronto in early 1990. The server was adopted by the CAVECAT project as the basis for its media space. The iiif server along with other CAVECAT resources were transfered to the Ontario Telepresence Project at the University of Toronto. This note documents the current state of iiif evolution at the University of Toronto. The design includes server software, device support, network communications and client stub implementations for common workstations. It does not inciude a user interface for the administrator or the users of the facility. The iiif server provides the infrastructure necessary for other servers to function. The Smart Server uses the information within iiif in order to update a user's interface with a correct representation of the state of the media space. The Video and Voice servers will use iiif to retrieve and present different tvpes of media clips such as snapshots of a person's office or speech through iiif's audio visual network. The iiif server is written in C. There are approximately 38,000 lines of code divided into operation specific modules. Berkley System Unix is the operating system for which the iiif server has been developed.
Social science models and strategies for telepresence user studies
(Ontario Telepresence Project, 1993-02) Moore, Gale
A basic premise of the Ontario Telepresence Project is that information and communication technologies are inherently social in nature. Consequently, it is essential in the design of these technologies to take advantage of the social skills and the knowledge of social protocols that the future users alreidy possess, building on existing skills rather than demanding or forcing entirely new beiraviours. similirly, we need to incorporate an understanding of work and workplace variables in the design. The specification and elaboration of the relationships among work variables is a primary goal of our research. One size is unlikely to fit all and the successful development, adoption and diffusion of the Telepresence system must take into account existing work practices and organizational culture. The first year of ontario Telepresence Project ended on Dec. 31, 1,992. It is important, however, to note that the social sciences component only became institutionalized in the project in July 1992 when a full-time social scientist was appointed.
Telepresence user interface design issues and solutions
(Ontario Telepresence Project, 1993-02) Mantei, Marilyn
The user interface team has been given the role of developing the user interfaces for the Telepresence project. To do this they are working with the social science team and developing interfaces for each of the field trials. They are updating these interfaces based on data gathered in the field trials. The knowledge acquired from their design activities will be used to design a final general flexible interface for Telepresence and to generate recommendations to the coporate members of the Telepresence project on the types of technology that need to be developed underneath to make the interfaces work effectively. A seiondary focus of the user interface team is that of determining effective design and implementation strategies for encouraging the adoption of the telepresence technology. They are also investigating how to apply the information gathered in the social science field studies to the evaluation of the interface designs and the generation of new designs. Human communication is not an area covered by the traditional cognitive psychology approaches to interface design so that the exploration of sociological data as a predictor of design is being examined. This report details the current user interface designs and user studies that have been conducted and lays out the proposed requirements for future designs and user studies that are being planned. It closes with a set of deliverables and a time line for when these deliverables can be expected from the work of this team.
Technology / methodology inventory
(Ontario Telepresence Project, 1993-06) A, N
One of the outputs of the Ontario Telepresence Project is a stream of innovations which may be relevant of the products and services of the Project's Industrial Partners. These innovations manifest themselves as hardware, software, system prototypes and methodologies. This document gives a brief description of some of the technologres and methodologies that have been developed internally or adopted from outside sources. For more information on any of these, contact the Managing Director of the Ontario Telepresence Proiect.
Social impacts of electronic mail in organizations: a review of the research literature
(Ontario Telepresence Project, 1993-11) Garton, Laura E. ; Wellman, Barry
E-mail is a communication network operating on a computer network that supports social networks. It combines iocatiornl flexibility, rapid transmission to muitiple others across time and spa.ce, and the ability to store and process information. We review research into how e-mail shapes - and is shaped by - organizational structures and processes. Although social phenomeru strongly affect the use of e-mail, many discussions of media use have treated it as a voluntary, individual act of matching task to media. They have paid less attention to the influence of organizational power, group perceptions, and social network relations. E-mail provides fewer cues than FTF communication about interactions, physical context or social roles. As this fosters status equalization, there is less awareness of group members' organizational niche and power, or ascribed characteristics. People are more uninhibited, non-conformist and conflictual when using email; groups are more polarized and take longer to reach consensus. However, groups using e-mail tend to produce more diverse opinions and better decisions. E-mail increases access to new people; weakens spatial, temporal and status barrien; and provides access to information that would otherwise be unavailable. Whm people conmunicate electronically, work groups become more fluid. People can participate actively in more groups, and those on the periphery get more involved.
Videoconferencing 1990s style: sharing faces, places and spaces
(Ontario Telepresence Project, 1994-07-12) Moore, Gale ; Schuyler, Ken
ln the fall of 1992 Provitel, Inc., a telecommunications organisation,established a working relationship with the Ontario Telepresence Project (OTP). One of the outcomes of this collaboration was the installation of a Telepresence Media Space (TMS) system in May 1993 between the offices of two members of CSG, a client supPort group in the organisation. At the same time VISIT2 systems were being deployed to a number of members of CSG including the participants with the media space. This provided a unique opportunity to evaluate these two systems - one a commercial product, i.e.,VISIT, the other, a futuristic prototype system, i.e., TMS. Part I of the report provides an overview of videoconferencing in the 1990s and a discusslon of the factors that distinguish the 1990s from the 1960s and 1970s when the first wave of videoconferencing technologies failed to have the predicted impact. The concept of a media space is introduced in Part II and the Ontario Telepresence Project model of research and development is described. Part III reports on the experiences of the early adopters of videoconferencing in CSG and provides a comparison of the two systems used. The focus is not technical, but rather on gaining early insights into the impact of and opportunities created by this new class of technology. The results demonstrate the need for: - an ecological approach to understanding videoconferencing technologies. Successful deployment, adoption, continued use and growth of the technology require a 'goodness of fit' between the organisation's culture(s) and the work practices of employees' - a better understanding of the role of video.Image quality and size and image location are all important factors affecting use' In addition, the ability to make a distinction betvveen background awareness and foreground interaction is highly valued. The primary point to be made is that bandwidth on demand - the ability to scale video images dynamically - coupled with a price structure that is affordable - (and unlikely to be a linear relationship between bandwidth and cost) - Presents both a major chailenge and a major market opportunity for the network provider positioned to understand the potential of video.
A tale of two cities : a study of conference room videoconferencing
(Ontario Telepresence Project, 1994-12) Moore, Gale
ln late 1992 ResCorp purchased a CLI videoconferencing unit. The primary objectives were to enhance communication and increase productivity as opposed to cutting travel costs. In September 1993 several members of the Ontario Telepresence Project (OTP) visited ResCorp as guests of the Manager of Research Operations to discuss some of the challenges they were facing as an early adopter of videoconferencing technology. After several discussions it was agreed that OTP would carry out a field study at ResCorp and a Core Group was established to monitor the process and facilitate the research. The primary focus of the study was to gain early insights into the ways in which commercial videoconferencing is used in a real world situation. We wished to consider its impact on the work and work practices of members of the group, the opportunities created by this new class of technology, and the problems and unanticipated consequences of using this new communication medium. There was general consensus that a technical working group which holds biweekly videoconferences with staff at DevCorp would be the group studied. DevCorp and ResCorp have a history of interaction: there is co-publication of patents between the sites, and DevCorp has a videoconferencing facility that is compatible with ResCorp technically. The group has already had some experience with videoconferencing and the scientific leader at ResCorp was both willing to participate and as an early adopter glad to have support to explore ways in which this medium could be used effectively. The social scientist attended the biweekly meetings to observe the working group meetings in progress and following the observation period carried out a series of interviews with selected participants from both ResCorp and DevCorp. The use of videoconferencing was appreciated by all the participants in terms of the time saved and the travel deferred, but there were a number of issues - social, technical and organisationai - that had a major impact on the successful use of videoconferencing. A number of recommendations are presented on pp. 51-58. Overall, the technical problems were easy to see and relatively easy to diagnose. The social and organisational issues and problems, on the other hand, were less visible. While less attention is generally paid to this aspect of videoconferencing, it is the resolution of this class of problem that will,in the long run, determine whether the organisation not only recovers the cost of its investment, but maximises the long term benefit to both the organisation and the employees.
The influence of warrant on the acceptance and credibility of the functional requirements for recordkeeping
(Author, 1996) Duff, Wendy
This research study tested a method of increasing acceptance of a set of twenty functional requirements for electronic recordkeeping identified by the University of Pittsburgh Electronic Recordkeeping Project. It suggested that functional requirements accompanied by "literary warrant" would receive a rating of importance that was significantly different than the rating given a functional requirement by itself. For the purpose of this study, the phrase literary warrant was defined as the justification for a functional requirement for recordkeeping systems that was drawn from the literature of professional standards, regulations and best practices that direct the conduct of lawyers, auditors, and information specialists. This study comprised three different stages. In the first stage of the study, legal, auditing, and information technology sources that contained requirements for recordkeeping were located, and the authority of each source was checked. In the second stage, statements that supported the functional requirements were extracted from the authoritative sources and the degree to which these statements supported the requirements was verified. In the final stage, the importance of the research found that literary warrant significantly influenced the acceptance of two functional requirements. This study found evidence that legal warrant is more influential than auditing or information technology warrant and that warrant tended to have its greatest influence on lawyers. It also found that the ratings of importance given by the different professional groups were significantly different for two functional requirements. Moreover, the study found mild correlations between the ratings of importance given to the functional requirements and the subject's knowledge of, and experience with, computers.
Is there a place in cyberspace: the uses and users of public Internet terminals
(Knowledge Media Design Institute, 2002-10-16) Boase, Jeffrey ; Wenhong, Chen ; Wellman, Barry ; Prijatelj, Monica
Towards an Evaluative Framework for Community Learning Networks: Bibliography of Selected Resources
(Canadian Research Alliance for Community Innovation and Networking, 2003) Shade, Leslie Regan
The following annotated bibliography is a compilation of selected resources that examine the following broad areas: articles about Public Policy and Programs related to digital divide initiatives; evaluations of community networking and telecentres; issues and definitional stances surrounding the digital divide; various studies on design & usability of networked services; and studies which measure the impact of community networking and Internet initiatives on social capital.
Situating privacy online: complex perceptions and everyday practices
(Knowledge Media Design Institute, 2003-03-16) Viseu, Ana ; Clement, Andrew ; Aspinall, Jane
Media and research reports point to the issue of privacy as the key to understanding online behaviors and experiences. However, it is well recognized within privacy advocacy circles that ?privacy? is a loose concept encompassing a variety of meanings. In this paper we view privacy as mediating between individuals and their online activities and not standing above them; as being constantly redefined in actual practice. It is necessary to ask, therefore, what individuals are reacting to when asked about online privacy and how it affects their online experience. This paper is based on data generated in the Everyday Internet study, a neighborhood based ethnographic project being conducted in Toronto, Canada that investigates how people integrate online services in their daily lives. We further propose that there are three organizing ?moments? of online privacy perceptions: the moment of sitting in front of the computer, the moment of the interactions with it, and the moment after the data has been released in ?cyberspace?. We argue that while the third has been given much media coverage, mainly through surveillance?Big Brother?reports and stories the other two moments have not been sufficiently researched. This may be crippling the formulation of effective privacy principles and practices by policy makers and the public.
First Nations SchoolNet Regional Management Organization (RMO) Backgrounder
(Canadian Research Alliance for Community Innovation and Networking, 2004) Fiser, Adam
This working paper explores a history of policy change in Canada’s federal “Connecting Canadians” agenda. It focuses on the Information Highway Applications Branch of Industry Canada and its First Nations SchoolNet (FNS) program. The policy change in question culminated in 2002, when the FNS program devolved to a model of Regional Management Organizations (RMO). This paper explores why the change occurred, and emphasizes how it reflects broader trends in Canada’s federal connectivity policy for rural and remote First Nations communities.
Social Capital and Community Networking: Ethno-Cultural Use of Community Networking Initiatives in Canada
(Canadian Research Alliance for Community Innovation and Networking, 2004) Doody, Maureen
Under the umbrella of the SSHRC funded Canadian Research Alliance for Community Innovation and Networking (CRACIN) research study, this paper examines issues of social capital, social inclusion and cohesive and sustainable communities for new immigrants within the context of the federal government’s various Community Networking (CN) initiatives. The first of a two part study, this paper provides a theoretical background to the following questions: i) What do we mean by social capital and information communication technology?; and ii) What do we mean by Community Informatics? Lastly, this paper proposes a research framework on the methodology of how to measure and analyze these questions. In essence, this study seeks to answer the following question: Has providing technical ‘connectedness’ via public access to community-oriented internet services promoted sustainable social, cultural and economic ‘connectedness’ and development for Canada’s new immigrants and ethno-cultural communities? This study is an attempt at examining the potential for ICTs as an enabling tool for the development of social capital in the creation of more cohesive and sustainable communities.
Community Networking and Public Benefits
(Canadian Research Alliance for Community Innovation and Networking, 2004) Cordell, Arthur ; Romanow, Paula
This paper sets out to determine which investment decisions are likely to yield the greatest benefits from community networking. It will do so by first of all ascertaining to what extent the concept of "public benefit" arising from community networks has been addressed to date; this will take the shape of an exploration of the concept of social capital, followed by a discussion of whether or not ICTs help to generate positive social ties. Secondly, drawing upon the existing literature, the paper will attempt to create a "taxonomy of public benefits" by identifying both tangible and intangible indicators of both healthy and less healthy community networks. Finally, some recommendations will be made which identify some potential viable funding models that will ensure that the public goods aspects of community networks are optimized.
Short Summary Paper: Introducing Ile Sans Fil
(Canadian Research Alliance For Community Innovation And Networking, 2004) powell, Alison
Ile Sans Fil is a non-profit community group, which seeks to promote free public wireless internet access in Montreal, Canada. The group also hopes to use wireless internet technology to build community. In order to accomplish these goals, the group has partnered with Montreal businesses and community groups to provide wireless internet “hot spots.”
Information and Communication Technology Development in Nova Scotia's Western Valley: A Backgrounder
(Canadian Research Alliance for Community Innovation and Networking, 2004) MacNeil, Ryan
In 1994, the Western Valley Development Agency (WVDA) was the first regional development authority to be established in Nova Scotia. Its mission is: "Building on our diverse cultural heritage, the Western Valley Development Authority (WVDA) will work with the community to create a vital, prosperous, and self-reliant region where the people have ample opportunity for a full and satisfying life." This document is intended to accompany “The Western Valley Development Agency: A Backgrounder”. Therefore, a general discussion of the WVDA’s history will be foregone. Instead this document will describe the WVDA’s information and communication technology development projects over the past decade.
Information and Communication Technologies and Community Economic Development: Lessons for Governance at the Western Valley Development Agency
(Canadian Research Alliance for Community Innovation and Networking, 2004) MacNeil, Ryan
The Western Valley Development Agency (WVDA) is seen by many third-party observers as a dynamic innovator in the world of community economic development. The WVDA was formed in 1994 through a partnership between seven local municipalities, the provincial and federal governments. It was the first of 13 “Regional Development Authorities” to be created in Nova Scotia. The agency is tasked with creating economic prosperity within the context of local socio-cultural and environmental values. The organization has been involved in supporting the formation of some 35 Community Access Program sites, the creation of 3 digital collections websites, the delivery of a VolNet program to support technology adoption in voluntary organizations, implementation of a Smart Community Demonstration Project, creation of a virtual community resource centre, and most recently the introduction of an e-business support program.
The Western Valley Development Agency: A Backgrounder
(Canadian Research Alliance for Community Innovation and Networking, 2004) Larkman, Janet ; MacNeil, Ryan
Ten years ago, the seven municipalities in Annapolis and Digby counties came together, in partnership with the provincial and federal governments, and created a new organization called the Western Valley Development Authority. Annapolis and Digby counties were the first to create a Regional Development Authority in Nova Scotia. This document is intended to provide background information for those unfamiliar with WVDA’s community economic development activities.
Assignment or grade appeals
(2004-01-05T16:52:37Z) Adams-Webber, Tamsin ; Devakos, Rea
Instructions for appealing assignments, grades and/or due dates.
Search assignment 2
(2004-01-05T17:02:21Z) Adams-Webber, Tamsin ; Devakos, Rea

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