Digital Backchannels in Shared Physical Spaces: Attention, Intention and Contention (Panel)

Organizers: Joseph F. McCarthy and danah boyd
Panelists: Elizabeth F. Churchill, William G. Griswold, Elizabeth Lawley and Melora Zaner Richard Hodkinson
ACM 2004 Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW 2004), 6-10 November 2004, Chicago
[Paper (PDF)]

Abstract:

There are a variety of digital tools for enabling people who are separated by time and space to communicate and collaborate on shared interests and tasks. The widespread use of some of these tools, such as instant messaging and group chat, coupled with the increasingly widespread availability of wireless access to the Internet (WiFi), have created new opportunities for using these collaboration tools by people sharing physical spaces in real time. The use of these tools to augment face-to-face meetings has created benefits for some participants and distractions - and detractions - for others. Our panelists will discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of these emerging uses of collaborative tools.

See also: