Lookie - A Case Study of a Location Based Collaborative Application

摘要

In the age of smartphones, increased online social connectivity, and advanced technological capabilities, collaborative applications often take advantage of crowd resources in an effort to enhance the welfare of the community. Lookie is a collaborative application where users can ask other users to share up to date footage regarding their whereabouts. This paper presents the results of a field trial performed with Lookie, focusing on aspects of user experience, privacy, and participation. Analysis of system logs and questionnaires answered by the field trial participants produced the following key results: (1) users' perceived participation is biased toward their own active deeds, (2) appropriate timing of requests and personalized meaningful request messages improve user experience, (3) most users do not mind helping strangers by taking pictures or answering requests but many refrain from disclosing their location, and finally, (4) users that indicate privacy concerns and feel reluctant to reply to requests, have the same average response ratio as the rest of the community, although, they initiate less interactions.