4,146 research outputs found
Considering Human Aspects on Strategies for Designing and Managing Distributed Human Computation
A human computation system can be viewed as a distributed system in which the
processors are humans, called workers. Such systems harness the cognitive power
of a group of workers connected to the Internet to execute relatively simple
tasks, whose solutions, once grouped, solve a problem that systems equipped
with only machines could not solve satisfactorily. Examples of such systems are
Amazon Mechanical Turk and the Zooniverse platform. A human computation
application comprises a group of tasks, each of them can be performed by one
worker. Tasks might have dependencies among each other. In this study, we
propose a theoretical framework to analyze such type of application from a
distributed systems point of view. Our framework is established on three
dimensions that represent different perspectives in which human computation
applications can be approached: quality-of-service requirements, design and
management strategies, and human aspects. By using this framework, we review
human computation in the perspective of programmers seeking to improve the
design of human computation applications and managers seeking to increase the
effectiveness of human computation infrastructures in running such
applications. In doing so, besides integrating and organizing what has been
done in this direction, we also put into perspective the fact that the human
aspects of the workers in such systems introduce new challenges in terms of,
for example, task assignment, dependency management, and fault prevention and
tolerance. We discuss how they are related to distributed systems and other
areas of knowledge.Comment: 3 figures, 1 tabl
Reputation Agent: Prompting Fair Reviews in Gig Markets
Our study presents a new tool, Reputation Agent, to promote fairer reviews
from requesters (employers or customers) on gig markets. Unfair reviews,
created when requesters consider factors outside of a worker's control, are
known to plague gig workers and can result in lost job opportunities and even
termination from the marketplace. Our tool leverages machine learning to
implement an intelligent interface that: (1) uses deep learning to
automatically detect when an individual has included unfair factors into her
review (factors outside the worker's control per the policies of the market);
and (2) prompts the individual to reconsider her review if she has incorporated
unfair factors. To study the effectiveness of Reputation Agent, we conducted a
controlled experiment over different gig markets. Our experiment illustrates
that across markets, Reputation Agent, in contrast with traditional approaches,
motivates requesters to review gig workers' performance more fairly. We discuss
how tools that bring more transparency to employers about the policies of a gig
market can help build empathy thus resulting in reasoned discussions around
potential injustices towards workers generated by these interfaces. Our vision
is that with tools that promote truth and transparency we can bring fairer
treatment to gig workers.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, The Web Conference 2020, ACM WWW 202
Innovation is created by humans, not by systems: an exploration of user involvement in living labs: user motivation versus lead user criteria
The past few years companies have become more interested in involving users during the production process of their products. On the other hand, a group of users started to innovate on their own. Users also became interested in becoming part of the production processes themselves. Certain users experience certain needs earlier than others and they enjoy finding solutions for these needs. They are called Lead Users (von Hippel, 2005). Living Labs are one possibility for users to realize this interest to innovate. iLab.o, the Living Lab division of iMinds, has been organizing Living Lab research since 2009. To get a better view on the motivations of this panel, we analyzed the behavior of the involved users from September 2009 to December 2013. We tried to detect Lead Users, but it is not obvious to define people as Lead Users because of the different used definitions. Instead, we divided this panel into three types of users based on the intensity of their involvement: passive, sleeping and active users. A small group of users is extremely active and are been defined as “alpha users”. Based on interviews with these alpha users in November and December 2013, a better view on their motivations to keep participating in Living Lab research was made. In this paper we focus on the participation of these different user types in one research phase type within Living Lab research, more specifically co-creation sessions. By means of a comparative case study, we tried to get a better understanding of the behavior of the different user types. It became clear that in order to keep the panel involved it is important to focus on community building
Organizational Learning with Crowdsourcing: The Revelatory Case of LEGO
Extant organizational learning theory conceptualizes organizational learning as an internal, member-based process, sometimes supported by, yet often independent of, IT. Recently, however, several organizations have begun to involve non-members systematically in their learning by using crowdsourcing, a form of open innovation enabled by state-of-the-art IT. We examine the phenomenon of IT-enabled organizational learning with crowdsourcing in a longitudinal revelatory case study of one such organization, LEGO (2010-14). We studied the LEGO Cuusoo crowdsourcing platform’s secret test in Japan, its widely recognized global launch, and its success in generating top-selling LEGO models. Based on an analysis of how crowdsourcing contributes to the organizational learning at LEGO, we propose the “ambient organizational learning” framework. The framework accommodates both traditional, member-based organizational learning and IT-enabled, non-member-based organizational learning with crowdsourcing
Aplikacije utemeljene na mnoštvu i društveni izazovi
The spread of mobile technology and ubiquitous connectivity have opened great possibilities for
the implementation of applications that leverage data generated by normal users’ interactions
on the web. As a consequence, there is a growing interest in crowd-based applications, namely
those programs that involve people in a participatory or opportunistic way.
In many cases, data can be gathered automatically without user intervention and, in some
cases, even without their explicit knowledge. The possibility to elude a users’ awareness
fosters concerns regarding the potential risks hidden inside crowd-based applications. These
applications might compromise the privacy of citizens, whilst data collected by them might
be used to manipulate people’s opinions.
The governance of technology is a controversial area, and there is a wide array of different
positions on the matter. There are those who dogmatically argue the positive value of
technology, while others interpret the ongoing digital advancements as a dystopian menace.
This article focuses on crowd-based applications, highlighting some societal challenges and
risks that they may present.
Technology runs so fast that it is challenging to keep pace with the changes brought by the
digital revolution. However, an effort is required to extend the depth of digital knowledge of
citizens and involve them in the use of the new technologies, and in this endeavor, greater
knowledge is an essential step in any critical process.Širenje mobilne tehnologije i sveprisutna povezanost otvorili su velike mogućnosti za upotrebu
aplikacija koje iskorištavaju podatke generirane normalnim interakcijama korisnika na webu.
Kao posljedica toga, sve je veći interes za aplikacije utemeljene na mnoštvu (engl. crowd-based
applications), za one programe koji uključuju ljude na participativni ili oportunistički način.
U mnogim se slučajevima podaci mogu prikupljati automatski, bez djelovanja korisnika, a
u nekim slučajevima čak i bez njihova izričitog znanja. Mogućnost izbjegavanja svjesnosti
korisnika potiče zabrinutosti u vezi s potencijalnim rizicima koji su skriveni u aplikacijama
utemeljenim na mnoštvu. Te aplikacije mogu ugroziti privatnost građana, dok bi se
prikupljeni podaci mogli koristiti za manipuliranje stavovima ljudi. Upravljanje tehnologijom
kontroverzno je područje i o tom pitanju postoji mnoštvo različitih stajališta. Neki dogmatski
zastupaju pozitivne vrijednosti tehnologije, dok drugi digitalni napredak tumače kao
distopijsku prijetnju. Rad se usredotočuje na aplikacije utemeljene na mnoštvu, ističući neke
društvene izazove i rizike koje mogu predstavljati. Tehnologija napreduje tako brzo da je
izazovno biti u tijeku s promjenama koje je donijela digitalna revolucija. No, potrebno je
pokušati produbiti digitalno znanje građana i uključiti ih u upotrebu novih tehnologija, a u
tom je poduhvatu veće znanje temeljni korak u svakom kritičnom procesu
Supporting Answerers with Feedback in Social Q&A
Prior research has examined the use of Social Question and Answer (Q&A)
websites for answer and help seeking. However, the potential for these websites
to support domain learning has not yet been realized. Helping users write
effective answers can be beneficial for subject area learning for both
answerers and the recipients of answers. In this study, we examine the utility
of crowdsourced, criteria-based feedback for answerers on a student-centered
Q&A website, Brainly.com. In an experiment with 55 users, we compared
perceptions of the current rating system against two feedback designs with
explicit criteria (Appropriate, Understandable, and Generalizable). Contrary to
our hypotheses, answerers disagreed with and rejected the criteria-based
feedback. Although the criteria aligned with answerers' goals, and crowdsourced
ratings were found to be objectively accurate, the norms and expectations for
answers on Brainly conflicted with our design. We conclude with implications
for the design of feedback in social Q&A.Comment: Published in Proceedings of the Fifth Annual ACM Conference on
Learning at Scale, Article No. 10, London, United Kingdom. June 26 - 28, 201
Co-producing Knowledge Online
Knowledge production today relies increasingly on exchanges between groups of people who connect through the Internet. This can happen in many forms that include, for example, consulting and amending Wikipedia entries, engaging in Twitter conversations about a certain topic, or developing research software by building on existing code released under a license that allows free sharing, modification and reuse. Other kinds of collaborative research are enabled by more bespoke websites built for specific institutions or groups, such as the Smithsonian Transcription Centre, which was created to involve interested volunpeers (volunteers who are viewed as peers) in the digitisation of collections that support multiple research agendas. The British Library has also recently embraced a similar goal, setting up the LibCrowds platform, while adventure seekers can connect to GlobalXplorer and inspect satellite images to identify signs of looting and assist with understanding the current state of preservation of archaeology-rich landscapes worldwide. For nature lovers, Snapshot Serengeti offers the possibility to ‘observe animals in the wild’ and help to answer questions about the ways in which competing species coexist. All of these processes have become possible thanks to the wide diffusion of the Internet, and the emergence of online public spaces from an interactive and interconnected World Wide Web. This kind of web has enabled new practices of data and information generation, sharing and aggregation, but, arguably, the collaborative production (and consumption) of knowledge is sometimes so deeply embedded in our personal and professional lives that we do not always pause to reflect on its nature and deeper implications. 1 The aim of this review is to bring attention to these issues by addressing a number of questions relating to online research collaborations established between stakeholders within and beyond the academy. How can collaborative research be strategically and effectively designed online? What are its roots and traditions? What values can it generate for participants? What effects does it have on those excluded? And what are its consequences in epistemological and ethical terms
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