Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
SpringerLink
Log in

Where the Footprints Lead: Tracking Down Other Roles for Social Navigation

  • Chapter
Social Navigation of Information Space

Part of the book series: Computer Supported Cooperative Work ((CSCW))

Abstract

Collaborative filtering was proposed in the early 1990s as a way of managing access to large information spaces by capturing and exploiting aspects of the experiences of previous users of the same information. Social navigation is a more general form of this style of interaction, and with the widening scope of the Internet as an information provider, systems of this sort have moved rapidly from early research prototypes to deployed services in everyday use.

On the other hand, to most of the HCI community, the term “social navigation” is largely synonymous with “recommendation systems”: systems that match your interests to those of others and, on that basis, provide recommendations about such things as music, books, articles and films that you might enjoy. The challenge for social navigation, as an area of research and development endeavour, is to move beyond this rather limited view of the role; and to do this, we must try to take a broader view of both our remit and our opportunities.

This chapter will revisit the original motivations, and chart something of the path that recent developments have taken. Based on reflections upon the original concerns that motivated research into social navigation, it will explore some new avenues of research. In particular, it will focus on two: the first is social navigation within the framework of “awareness” provisions in collaborative systems generally; and the second is the relationship of social navigation systems to spatial models and the ideas of “space” and “place” in collaborative settings.

By exploring these two ideas, two related goals can be achieved. The first is to draw attention to ways in which current research into social navigation can be made relevant to other areas of research endeavour; and the second is to remotivate the idea of “social navigation” as a fundamental model for collaboration in information-seeking.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Engelbart, D. and English, W. A research center for augmenting human intellect. Proceedings of the Fall Joint Computer Conference (San Francisco, CA). Reston, VA: AFIPS, 1968, pp. 393 - 410.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Goldberg, D, Nichols, D., Oki, B. and Terry, D. Using collaborative filtering to weave an information tapestry. Communications of the ACM 35: 61 - 70, 1992.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Terry, D. A tour through tapestry. Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Organisational Computing Systems COOCS’93. New York: ACM, 1993, pp. 21 - 30.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Shardanand, U. and Maes, P. Social information filtering: algorithms for automating “word of mouth”. Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems CHV95. New York: ACM, 1995, pp. 210 - 217.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Hill, W., Stead, L., Rosenstein, M. and Furnas, G. Recommending and evaluating choices in a virtual community of use. Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems CHI’95. New York: ACM, 1995, pp. 194 - 201.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Dourish, P. and Chalmers, M. Running out of space: models of information navigation. Short paper presented at HC’94, Glasgow, 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Carlsson, C. and Hagsand, O. DIVE: a platform for multi-user virtual environments. Computers and Graphics 17: 663 - 669, 1993.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Greenhalgh, C. and Benford, S. Virtual reality tele-conferencing: implementation and experience. Proceedings of the European Conference on Computer-supported Cooperative Work ECSCW’95. Dordrecht: Kluwer, 1995, pp. 165 - 180.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Benford, S., Bowers, J., Fahlen, L, Greenhalgh, C., and Snowdon, D. User embodiment in collaborative virtual environments. Proceedings of the ACM Conference Human Factors in Computing Systems CHI’95. New York: ACM, 1995, pp. 242 - 249.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Hindmarsh, J., Fraser, M., Heath, C., Benford, S. and Greenhalgh, C. Fragmented interaction: establishing mutual orientation in virtual environments. Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Computer-supported Cooperative Work CSCW’98 (Seattle, WA). New York: ACM, 1998, pp. 217- 226.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Heath, C. and Luff, P. Collaboration and control: crisis management and multimedia technology in London Underground line control rooms. Computer Supported Cooperative Work 1: 69 - 94, 1992.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Heath, C., Jirotka, M., Luff, P. and Hindmarsh, J. Unpacking collaboration: the interactional organisation of trading in a city dealing room. Computer Supported Cooperative Work 3: 147- 165, 1994.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Tang, J., Isaacs, E. and Rua, M. Supporting distributed groups with a montage of lightweight connections. Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Computer-supported Cooperative Work CSCW’94. New York: ACM, 1994, pp. 23 - 34.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Donath, J. Visual who: animating the affinities and activities of an electronic community. Proceedings of the ACM International Multimedia Conference. New York: ACM, 1995, pp. 99- 107.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Fuchs, L., Pankoke-Babatz, U. and Prinz, W. Supporting cooperative awareness with local event mechanisms: the GroupDesk system. Proceedings of the European Conference on Computer- supported Cooperative Work ECSCW’95. Dordrecht: Kluwer, 1995, pp. 247 - 262.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Palfreyman, K. and Rodden, T. A protocol for user awareness on the world wide web. Proceedings of the ACM Conference Computer Supported Cooperative Work CSCW’96. New York: ACM, 1996, pp. 130 - 139.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Dourish, P. and Bellotti, V. Awareness and coordination in shared workspaces. Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work CSCW’92. New York: ACM, 1992, pp. 107 - 114.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Baecker, R., Nastos, D., Posner, I. and Mawby. K. The user-centered iterative design of collaborative writing systems. Proceedings of INTERCHI’93. New York: ACM, 1993, pp. 399 - 405.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Gutwin, C., Greenberg, S. and Roseman, M. Workspace awareness in real-time distributed groupware: framework, widgets and evaluation. In People and Computers XI: Proceedings of HCI’96, Sasse, Cunningham and Winder, editors. London: Springer, 1996, pp. 281 - 298.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Bellotti, V. and Sellen, A. Design for privacy in ubiquitous computing environments. Proceedings of the European Conference on Computer-supported Cooperative Work ECSCW’93. Dordrecht: Kluwer, 1993.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Dourish, P. and Bly, S. Portholes: supporting awareness in a distributed work group. Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems CHI’92. New York: ACM, 1992, pp. 541 - 547.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Hill, W., Hollan, J., Wroblewski, D. and McCandless, T. Edit wear and read wear. Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems CHI’92. New York: ACM, 1992, pp. 3 - 9.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Ackerman, M. and Starr, B. Social activity indicators: interface components for CSCW systems. Proceedings of the ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology UIST’95. New York: ACM, 1995, pp. 159 - 168.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Bly, S., Harrison, S. and Irwin, S. Media spaces: bringing people together in a video, audio and computing environment. Communications of the ACM 36: 28 - 47, 1993.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Ishii, H. TeamWorkStation: towards a seamless shared workspace. Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Computer-supported Cooperative Work CSCW’90. New York: ACM, 1990, pp. 13- 26.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Streitz, N., Hannemann, J. and Thuring, M. From ideas and arguments to hyperdocuments: travelling through activity spaces. Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Hypertext. New York: ACM, 1989, pp. 343 - 364.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Lakoff, G. and Johnson, M. Metaphors We Live By. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Harrison, S. and Dourish, P. Re-place-ing space: the roles of space and place in collaborative systems. Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Computer-supported Cooperative Work CSCW’96. New York: ACM, 1996, pp. 67 - 76.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Erickson, T. From interface to interplace: the spatial environment and a medium for interaction. Proceedings of COSIT93 (Elba), pp. 391 - 405, 1993.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Fitzpatrick, G., Kaplan, S. and Mansfield, T. Physical spaces, virtual places and social worlds: a study of work in the virtual. Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Computer-supported Cooperative Work CSCW’96 (Boston, MA). New York: ACM, 1996, pp. 334 - 343.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Benyon, D. and Hook, K. Navigating in information spaces: supporting the individual. Proceedings of INTERACT’97. London: Chapman and Hall, 1997, pp. 39 - 46.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Whyte, W. City: Rediscovering the Center. New York: Doubleday, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Fish, R., Kraut, R. and Chalfonte, B. The VideoWindow system in informal communication. Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Computer-supported Cooperative Work CSCW’90. New York: ACM, 1990, pp. 1 - 11.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Hutchins, E. The technology of team navigation. In Intellectual Teamwork: The Social and Technological Foundations of Cooperative Work, Galagher, Kraut and Egido, editors. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum, 1990, pp. 191 - 221.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Hutchins, E. Cognition in the Wild. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Wood, D. The Power of Maps. New York: Guilford Press, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Lynch, K. The Image of the City. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1960.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Chalmers, M., Ingram, R. and Pfranger, C. Adding imageability features to information displays. Proceedings of the ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology UIST’96,, New York: ACM, 1996, pp. 33 - 39.

    Google Scholar 

  39. Suchman, L. Plans and Situated Actions: The Problem of Human-Machine Communication. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Hutchins, E. Understand micronesian navigation. In Mental Models, Gentner and Stevens, editors. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum, 1983.

    Google Scholar 

  41. Benford, S., Snowdon, D., Brown, C., Reynard, G. and Ingram, R. The populated web: browsing, searching and inhabiting the WWW using collaborative virtual environments. Proceedings of INTERACT’97. London: Chapman and Hall, 1997, pp. 539 - 546.

    Google Scholar 

  42. Dourish, P. (editor). Interaction and collaboration in muds. Computer Supported Cooperative Work [special issue] 7(1/2), 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  43. MacLean, A., Carter, K., Moran, T. and Lovstrand, L. User-tailorable systems: pressing the issues with buttons. Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems CHI’90. New York: ACM, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  44. Cherny, L. The MUD register: conversational modes of action in a text-based virtual reality. PhD dissertation, Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Paul Dourish
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computing, Napier University, Canal Court, 42 Craiglockhart Avenue, Edinburgh, EH14 1LT, UK

    Alan J. Munro PhD, MA  & David Benyon PhD  & 

  2. Swedish Institute of Computer Science, Box 1263, S-164 28, Kista, Sweden

    Kristina Höök PhD, PhLic, MSc

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1999 Springer-Verlag London Limited

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Dourish, P. (1999). Where the Footprints Lead: Tracking Down Other Roles for Social Navigation. In: Munro, A.J., Höök, K., Benyon, D. (eds) Social Navigation of Information Space. Computer Supported Cooperative Work. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-0837-5_2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-0837-5_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-85233-090-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-0837-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation