Experimental Results in Face to Face Informal Communication Using the Cyber IRORI Prototype

摘要

In this paper we discuss results of a three week observation experiment on informal communication and the specific circumstances in which it typically occurs. Informal communication is a very elusive phenomenon, but since often the most valuable ideas are bom out of casual and coincidental encounters it is insightful to investigate the dynamics that govern such informal encounters. In previous research we discovered the existence of so-called "Raison d'Etre objects" that seem to have the soothing effect of diminishing proxemics pressure and hence can be said to trigger informal communication in shared spaces. For the present experiment a prototype system called "Cyber IRORI" was designed, and tested in a shared informal space regularly used by 13 test subjects. Within this setting, we placed a prototype Cyber 'fireplace' ('iron'), which is traditionally associated with the sort of encounters we attempt to recreate in the experiment. The IRORI itself is connected to the test subjects' PCs through a proxy server and allows users to manipulate abstract visualizations of some relevant web content through a series of computer graphics. Data from the observation experiment appears to confirm that the IRORI system does indeed exhibit the above-mentioned Raison-d'Etre properties, meaning that it can successfully be used to trigger informal communication between test subjects in a common space. Moreover, the IRORI system seems to exhibit such catalytic effects without distracting the test subjects away from the conversation itself and thus hampering the original purpose of the exchange, a trend much observed with similar objects like puzzles or comics.