Mobile journalism at RTP: production of news - using the smartphone as a tool for news production

The goal of this paper is to show case a practical resolution for the integration a ta greater scale of the Mobile Journalism philosophy, both in the production and in the consumption of news. The production-side concerns the use of the smartphone and other light equipment in the production of news, while the consumption-side concerns how the news are displayed and consumed on a smartphone. This work project was realized in syndication with RTP and was adjust and tailored to its respective needs, resources and objectives. In order to achieve this goal, several analysis were developed to address the external and internal environment, identifying the opportunities and threats of the broad casting industry and the strenggic recommendations that ensures a work able dissemination plan for Mobile Journalism

Matchmakers or tastemakers? Platformization of cultural intermediation & social media’s engines for ‘making up taste’

There are long-standing practices and processes that have traditionally mediated between the processes of production and consumption of cultural content. The prominent instances of these are: curating content by identifying and selecting cultural content in order to promote to a particular set of audiences; measuring audience behaviours to construct knowledge about their tastes; and guiding audiences through recommendations from cultural experts. These cultural intermediation processes are currently being transformed, and social media platforms play important roles in this transformation. However, their role is often attributed to the work of users and/or recommendation algorithms. Thus, the processes through which data about users’ taste are aggregated and made ready for algorithmic processing are largely neglected. This study takes this problematic as an important gap in our understanding of social media platforms’ role in the transformation of cultural intermediation. To address this gap, the notion of platformization is used as a theoretical lens to examine the role of users and algorithms as part of social media’s distinct data-based sociotechnical configuration, which is built on the so-called ‘platform-logic’. Based on a set of conceptual ideas and the findings derived through a single case study on a music discovery platform, this thesis developed a framework to explain ‘platformization of cultural intermediation’. This framework outlines how curation, guidance, and measurement processes are ‘plat-formed’ in the course of development and optimisation of a social media platform. This is the main contribution of the thesis. The study also contributes to the literature by developing the concept of social media’s engines for ‘making up taste’. This concept illuminates how social media operate as sociotechnical cultural intermediaries and participates in tastemaking in ways that acquire legitimacy from the long-standing trust in the objectivity of classification, quantification, and measurement processes

Play Together: How Watching the Cooperative Play of Violent Video Games Can Positively Influence Dyadic Relationships

Media effects research has shown that video games can have both antisocial and prosocial effects, depending on the content of the game. Individuals who play violent video games tend to display more aggressive attitudes and behaviors, while those who play games with prosocial content tend to display more prosocial, or helping, attitudes and behavior. The context in which a video game is played has also been shown to influence media effects, with competitive play leading to increased aggression while cooperative play leads to increased prosociality. However, the existing literature has not examined how these effects might influence the interpersonal relationships between those playing the video game. To test the effects of gaming context on interpersonal relationships, an experiment was conducted that compared two groups of participants exposed to two levels (competitive or cooperative) of a single factor (gaming context). In the competitive condition, participants watched gameplay footage of two individuals playing a video game competitively, while those in the cooperative condition watched gameplay footage of two individuals playing the same game cooperatively. After exposure, five dependent variables were examined to see how they differed between the two groups: state hostility, prosocial score, positive affect change, negative affect change, and change in perceived relationship quality. iii Upon initial analysis, only negative affect change was shown to significantly differ between the two conditions. However, this effect was actually due to an interaction between condition and sex. This study also identified that sex, personality, and media usage habits significantly covaried to some degree with all five dependent variables. These covariates provide evidence for how individual differences might influence the effects that result from watching a video game being played in different multiplayer contexts and, as an extension, how individual differences might influence the effects of gaming context in general

From Awareness to Action: Exploring End-User Empowerment Interventions for Dark Patterns in UX

The study of UX dark patterns, i.e., UI designs that seek to manipulate user behaviors, often for the benefit of online services, has drawn significant attention in the CHI and CSCW communities in recent years. To complement previous studies in addressing dark patterns from (1) the designer's perspective on education and advocacy for ethical designs; and (2) the policymaker's perspective on new regulations, we propose an end-user-empowerment intervention approach that helps users (1) raise the awareness of dark patterns and understand their underlying design intents; (2) take actions to counter the effects of dark patterns using a web augmentation approach. Through a two-phase co-design study, including 5 co-design workshops (N=12) and a 2-week technology probe study (N=15), we reported findings on the understanding of users' needs, preferences, and challenges in handling dark patterns and investigated the feedback and reactions to users' awareness of and action on dark patterns being empowered in a realistic in-situ setting.Comment: Conditionally Accepted at CSCW 202

Collaborative and Multi-Modal Mixed Reality for Enhancing Cultural Learning in Virtual Heritage

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Seeking the Will of God: The Information Seeking Experiences of the Leaders of Nova Scotia Churches in Transition

Christian Churches in Nova Scotia are facing economic, social, and theological stresses. In response many are engaged in processes of restructuring and renewal. Leaders are initiating and managing these change processes, and they are seeking information to make their decisions, and “God’s will for their churches.” Very little is known about how church leaders seek, gather, evaluate, and use information in their decision-making. In this study I asked the question: “Of the Nova Scotia churches in transition, what are the information seeking experiences of their leaders?” Using ethnographic methods at three church sites, I explored this particular context. I gathered data on church information sources and leaders’ source selections, identifying critical themes such as the impact of new technologies, prayer as a source of information, and the theology of information seeking. I developed a model of church information seeking that can be used as a foundation for further research on information seeking

The contribution of 360 deals to the recorded music industry

The present dissertation reflects on the contribution of 360 deals to the recorded music industry. This contractual form has been arising in order to easily recoup the investments provided by record labels to the artist and to explore other new revenue streams. The framework of the study is supported by the current state of the industry and an overview of the previous research concerning the recorded music market. Record labels have been struggling for the past years with the decrease of recorded music sales. The digital era has allowed a massification on music consumption, as the Internet has provided easier access to music, whether through new legal platforms but also through illegal downloading. A qualitative approach was carried out in order to comprehend the new concepts and challenges faced by the recorded companies. Six personal interviews with music executives were conducted, according to a structured guide elaborated, based on the literature review. Combining this data, some previous propositions were made in order to explain the current state of the industry and how 360 deals are being implemented in the industry, namely in Portugal, and its benefits and implications. This thesis shows exploratory directions, such as: the 360 deals are playing an important role on monetizing the investments from record labels, as the industry does not have to rely exclusively in recorded music sales anymore, participating active or passively on other income sources provided by this contractual form and, at the same time, diminishing the risk attached to the investment made.A presente dissertação reflecte a contribuição dos contratos 360 para a indústria discográfica. Esta modalidade contratual possibilita que os investimentos providenciados pelas editoras discográficas aos seus artistas sejam mais facilmente recuperados, bem como para que seja possível a exploração de outras fontes de receita. O âmbito deste estudo é fundamentado através do estado actual da indústria discográfica, bem como por investigação feita acerca deste mercado. As editoras discográficas têm enfrentado grandes dificuldades devido à diminuição da venda de música. A era digital permitiu que o consumo de música se massificasse, dado que a Internet garantiu um acesso mais fácil à música, seja através de novas plataformas legais, mas também através de descarga ilegal. Foi feita uma abordagem de estudo qualitativa, de forma a compreender estes novos conceitos e desafios enfrentados pela indústria discográfica. Foram feitas seis entrevistas a profissionais da área da música, de acordo com um guião estruturado, elaborado a partir da revisão de literatura. Combinando esta informação, foram definidas proposições de forma a explicar o estado actual da indústria e perceber de que forma os contratos 360 estão a ser implementados, nomeadamente em Portugal, bem como as suas vantagens e limitações. Esta tese demonstra que os contratos 360 têm um papel importante na monetização dos investimentos feitos pelas editoras discográficas, não tendo a indústria de depender exclusivamente da venda de música gravada. Assim, esta modalidade contractual permite que a editora participe activa ou passivamente noutras fontes de receita, diminuindo o risco associado ao investimento feito

IPTV data reduction strategy to measure real users’ behaviours

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia InformáticaThe digital IPTV service has evolved in terms of features, technology and accessibility of their contents. However, the rapid evolution of features and services has brought a more complex offering to customers, which often are not enjoyed or even perceived. Therefore, it is important to measure the real advantage of those features and understand how they are used by customers. In this work, we present a strategy that deals directly with the real IPTV data, which result from the interaction actions with the set-top boxes by customers. But this data has a very low granularity level, which is complex and difficult to interpret. The approach is to transform the clicking actions to a more conceptual and representative level of the running activities. Furthermore, there is a significant reduction in the data cardinality, enhanced in terms of information quality. More than a transformation, this approach aims to be iterative, where at each level, we achieve a more accurate information, in order to characterize a particular behaviour. As experimental results, we present some application areas regarding the main offered features in this digital service. In particular, is made a study about zapping behaviour, and also an evaluation about DVR service usage. It is also discussed the possibility to integrate the strategy devised in a particular carrier, aiming to analyse the consumption rate of their services, in order to adjust them to customer real usage profile, and also to study the feasibility of new services introduction

A model of key characteristics affecting consumer attitudes toward the usage of free legitimate ad-supported music download services.

Digital music file sharing has had a significant negative financial impact on the recorded music industry, causing multi-billion dollar losses over the past decade. In a world where file sharing is now an activity that can be carried out with ease, industry stakeholders are continuously looking for ways to profit from changing consumer behaviour. To date, literature has looked at why people illicitly download (e.g. motivations, ethical considerations), the financial impact of file sharing (e.g. lost revenue), legal approaches to combatting file sharing (e.g. what approaches work, if any), and new business models for paid services (e.g. price sensitivity, value propositions). Academic literature has thus far largely focused on how to eliminate file sharing and convert illicit downloaders to paid platforms, but has not examined the potential for converting illicit downloaders to a free legitimate, platform. This thesis is the first piece of academic literature to consider free legitimate adsupported music download services as a way of monetizing downloaders free consumption behaviour, specifically by identifying key service characteristics that influence consumers' attitudes toward using such services, and providing a rich contextual understanding of the perceived importance and value of such characteristics. A sequential mixed methods approach was used to explore this topic and develop and validate a conceptual model. The primary research stages consisted of in-depth interviews, group interviews, and an online survey. This thesis shows there is potential for mainstream consumer adoption of free legitimate ad-supported music download services, with the caveat that the services be as good as or better than those (free services) already used. Several characteristics were found to be important influencers of attitudes in this regard. Some characteristics were found to be very important (perception of a large enough music catalogue, freedom of use of downloaded files, delays caused by advertising not being perceived as excessive), some were found to be less important (ease of navigation/use, perceived trustworthiness of the service), and some were found to be not at all important (ability of the service to recommend music, social networking facilitation via the service). While this thesis identifies what an ideal service looks like for consumers, it also finds that tension exists in the economic relationship between consumer behaviour and ideals, and what industry is able to viably deliver in an ad-supported service. The structure and conditions of today's marketplace are such that the fundamental economic viability of free ad-supported music download services is brought into question, irrespective of whether such a service can meet consumers needs. While this thesis is specifically concerned with music download services, the model developed within it could be tested for other online content services such as streaming music or video, and video download services

The enchanted house:An analysis of the interaction of intelligent personal home assistants (IPHAs) with the private sphere and its legal protection

Abstract In less than five years, Alexa has become a familiar presence in many households, and even those who do not own one have stumbled into it, be it at a friend’s house or in the news. Amazon Alexa and its friend Google Assistant represent an evolution of IoT: they have an advanced ‘intelligence’ based on Cloud computing and Machine Learning; they collect data and process them to profile and understand users, and they are placed inside our home. I refer to them as intelligent personal and home assistants, or IPHAs.  This research applies multidisciplinary resources to explore the phenomenon of IPHAs from two perspectives. From a more socio-technical angle, the research reflects upon what happens to the private sphere and the home once IPHAs enter it. To do so, it looks at theories and concepts borrowed from history, behavioural science, STSs, philosophy, and behavioural design. All these disciplines contribute to highlight different attributes that individuals and society associate with the private sphere and the home. When the functioning of IPHAs is mapped against these attributes it is possible to identify where Alexa and Assistant might have an impact: there is a potential conflict between the privacy expectations and norms existing in the home (as sanctuary of the private sphere) and the marketing interests introduced in the home by IPHAs’ profiling. Because of the voice-interaction, IPHAs are also potentially highly persuasive, can influence and manipulate users and affect their autonomy and control in their daily lives. From the legal perspective, the research explores the application of the GDPR and proposal for e-Privacy Regulation to IPHAs, as legislative tools for the protection of the private sphere in horizontal relationships. The analysis focuses in particular on those provisions whose application to IPHAs is more challenging, based on the technology but also on the sociotechnical analysis above. Special attention is dedicated to the consent of users to the processing, the general principles of the GDPR, attributing the role of controllers or processors to the stakeholders involved, profiling and automated decisions, data protection by design and default, as well as spam and robocalls. For some of the issues, suggestions are offered on how to interpret and apply the legal framework, in order to mitigate undesired effects. This is the case, for instance, of determining whether the owners of IPHAs should be considered controllers vis-à-vis the data of their guests, or of the implications of data protection by design and default on the design of IPHAs. Some questions, however, require a wider debate at societal and political level. This is the case of the behavioural design techniques used to entice users and stimulate them to use the vocal assistants, which present high levels of persuasion and can affect the agency and autonomy of individuals. The research brings forward the necessity to determine where the line should be drawn between acceptable practices and unacceptable ones