An Additional Set of (Automated) Eyes: Chatbots for Agile Retrospectives

Recent advances in natural-language processing and data analysis allow software bots to become virtual team members, providing an additional set of automated eyes and additional perspectives for informing and supporting teamwork. In this paper, we propose employing chatbots in the domain of software development with a focus on supporting analyses and measurements of teams' project data. The software project artifacts produced by agile teams during regular development activities, e.g. commits in a version control system, represent detailed information on how a team works and collaborates. Analyses of this data are especially relevant for agile retrospective meetings, where adaptations and improvements to the executed development process are discussed. Development teams can use these measurements to track the progress of identified improvement actions over development iterations. Chatbots provide a convenient user interface for interacting with the outcomes of retrospectives and the associated measurements in a chat-based channel that is already being employed by team members.Comment: Accepted at the 1st International Workshop on Bots in Software Engineering (May 28th, 2019, Montreal, Canada), collocated with ICSE 2019 (https://botse.github.io/

‘Our newsroom in the cloud’: Slack, virtual newsrooms and journalistic practice

Virtual newsrooms have enormous potential: enabling journalists around the world to pool their knowledge, skills and perspectives within joint projects, such as the Panama Papers. These virtual newsrooms are supported by Online Collaborative Software (OCS), the most popular of which is Slack. But although many of the world’s top news organisations now use Slack, there is no empirical research examining its impact on workplace processes or culture. This article presents the results of a year-long ethnographic study of a global digital news outlet, whose remote journalists collaborate, almost exclusively, via Slack. We found that the platform deepened relationships and enabled new creative practices across geographic regions. However, it also contributed to the erasure of the line between private and professional spheres for workers, and introduced new opportunities for management to shape newsroom culture. We argue that the concept of ‘space’ as developed by Harvey can helpfully frame the analysis of these new, important digital platforms

The Future of Our Seas: Marine scientists and creative professionals collaborate for science communication

To increase awareness of the current challenges facing the marine environment, the Future of Our Seas (FOOS) project brought together the expertise of scientists, public engagement experts and creatives to train and support a group of marine scientists in effective science communication and innovative public engagement. This case study aims to inspire scientists and artists to use the FOOS approach in training, activity design and development support (hereafter called the ‘FOOS programme’) to collaboratively deliver novel and creative engagement activities. The authors reflect on the experiences of the marine scientists: (1) attending the FOOS communication and engagement training; (2) creating and delivering public engagement activities; (3) understanding our audience; and (4) collaborating with artists. The authors also share what the artists and audiences learned from participating in the FOOS public engagement activities. These different perspectives provide new insights for the field with respect to designing collaborative training which maximizes the impact of the training on participants, creative collaborators and the public. Long-term benefits of taking part in the FOOS programme, such as initiating future collaborative engagement activities and positively impacting the scientists’ research processes, are also highlighted

The Future of Our Seas: Marine scientists and creative professionals collaborate for science communication

To increase awareness of the current challenges facing the marine environment, the Future of Our Seas (FOOS) project brought together the expertise of scientists, public engagement experts and creatives to train and support a group of marine scientists in effective science communication and innovative public engagement. This case study aims to inspire scientists and artists to use the FOOS approach in training, activity design and development support (hereafter called the ‘FOOS programme’) to collaboratively deliver novel and creative engagement activities. The authors reflect on the experiences of the marine scientists: (1) attending the FOOS communication and engagement training; (2) creating and delivering public engagement activities; (3) understanding our audience; and (4) collaborating with artists. The authors also share what the artists and audiences learned from participating in the FOOS public engagement activities. These different perspectives provide new insights for the field with respect to designing collaborative training which maximizes the impact of the training on participants, creative collaborators and the public. Long-term benefits of taking part in the FOOS programme, such as initiating future collaborative engagement activities and positively impacting the scientists’ research processes, are also highlighted

Community-led comparative genomic and phenotypic analysis of the aquaculture pathogen Pseudomonas baetica a390T sequenced by Ion semiconductor and Nanopore technologies

Pseudomonas baetica strain a390T is the type strain of this recently described species and here we present its high-contiguity draft genome. To celebrate the 16th International Conference on Pseudomonas, the genome of P. baetica strain a390T was sequenced using a unique combination of Ion Torrent semiconductor and Oxford Nanopore methods as part of a collaborative community-led project. The use of high-quality Ion Torrent sequences with long Nanopore reads gave rapid, high-contiguity and -quality, 16-contig genome sequence. Whole genome phylogenetic analysis places P. baetica within the P. koreensis Glade of the P. fluorescens group. Comparison of the main genomic features of P. baetica with a variety of other Pseudomonas spp. suggests that it is a highly adaptable organism, typical of the genus. This strain was originally isolated from the liver of a diseased wedge sole fish, and genotypic and phenotypic analyses show that it is tolerant to osmotic stress and to oxytetracycline.Microbial Biotechnolog

Channel Overload: Can Less be More?

This qualitative research study used a thematic approach and semi-structured interviews to explore the phenomenon of Channel Overload. The Cybernetic Tradition frames the study and Systems Theory guides the data analysis and the fundamental underpinnings of how communication functions. Systems Theory is used as the guiding theory as it provides a framework to evaluate how different systems work together, influencing each other and creating noise. This study shows the impact of Channel Overload on individuals and organizations. Further implications include concepts of organizational Channel Overload and suggest the need for internal strategic organizational communication policies to protect people and organizations from the adverse effects of Channel Overload. Future studies that examine Channel Overload should examine the impact of interventions and could include case studies and ethnographic studies examining the consequences of internal strategic organizational communication policy implementation

Kiriku töötajate kommunikatsioonivajaduste kaardistamine ja e-lahenduste soovitused tajutud kitsaskohtade ületamiseks Eesti Evangeelse Luterliku Kiriku konsistooriumi näitel

Läbiviidud uurimuse eesmärk oli välja selgitada, milliseid Eesti Evangeelse Luterliku Kiriku töötajate kommunikatsioonivajadusi on võimalik rahuldada elektrooniliste infosüsteemide ja e-kommunikatsioonikanalite abil. Uuring püüdis anda lähtematerjali nii EELK elektrooniliste infokanalite arendamiseks ja kommunikatsioonistrateegia koostamiseks, kui ka võimalikeks uuringuteks kirikliku kommunikatsiooni vallas laiemalt. Et kirikute sisekommunikatsiooni iseloomustavad keerukad võimusuhted, töövaldkondade mitmekesisus ning hajutatus ajas ja ruumis, on IKT vahendite tormiline areng viimastel aastakümnetel kaasa toonud mitmeid väga tervitatavaid võimalusi niisuguse organisatsiooni juhtimisel esinevate kommunikatsiooniprobleemide lahendamiseks. Alati värskeimat infot sisaldav kalendrisüsteem, e-infokirjad ning e-kommunikatsiooniplatvormide kasutuselevõtt on vaid mõned näited tehnoloogiatest, mis saavad kaasa aidata kiriku töötegijaile vajaliku ühtse infovälja ning kaasatusetunde loomisele. Infosüsteemide loomise ja arendamisega peavad kaasas käima ka info jagamise hea tava loomine, kasutajate koolitamine ning ümberkorraldused personali vallas, et tehnilised lahendused oleksid täidetud õigeaegselt ja korrektse sisuga ning et kasutajad neile pakutavaid võimalusi ka maksimaalse tõhususega suudaksid tarvitada. Samuti on oluline, et kiriku IKT-lahenduste arendamine ei jääks ühekordseks ettevõtmiseks, vaid et tegu oleks pideva uuringutele ja analüüside toetuva protsessiga. Tulemusteni jõudmiseks viidi läbi ja analüüsiti kakskümmend üks-ühele intervjuud EELK kirikujuhtide, konsistooriumi töötajate, allasutuste esindajate, praostide ning koguduste vaimulikega, samuti üks fookusgrupi intervjuu koguduste vaimulikega. Lisaks toimus kvantitatiivne mini-uuring EELK tegevvaimulike seas selgitamaks välja, kui laialt levinud on e-koostööplatvormide kasutamine koguduste igapäevaelus. Järelduste tegemisel kasutas autor nii kasutatud teoreetilist kirjandust, kui ka viimase kaheksateistkümne aasta jooksul EELK struktuurides töötamise käigus omandatud isiklikke kogemusi. Nagu mittetulundusühingute puhul sageli juhtub, on ka EELK e-lahenduste arendamine seisnud mitte soovimatuse vaid ennekõike rahapuuduse taga. Autori lootus on, et käesolevas töös sõnastatud konkreetsed ootused ning võimalike teenuste kirjeldused aitavad kaasa sobivate rahastamisvõimaluste leidmisele ning viimaks ka vajalike lahenduste loomisele.http://www.ester.ee/record=b4685465*es

A Digital Periegesis: Implementing Spatial Research Infrastructures for Classical History and Archaeology

Over the past ten years the spatial turn in the humanities in Scandinavia has resulted in a growing number of infrastructural projects aimed at facilitating interdisciplinary research into spatial aspects of a rich variety of materials, place-names, early modern inventories and cadastral maps, medieval literature and art, as well as Viking-Age and medieval runic inscriptions, to name just a few. This intensive development has brought about a number of challenges, as these projects differ with regard to their agendas, setups, and customized approaches to data, theories, and methods. This volume provides the research community with an opportunity to revisit traditional research questions in the context of new infrastructural environments. Although primarily aimed at medievalists and scholars of the early modern period, the volume offers a broader spatial and temporal scope with a contribution from classical studies. The classics have in many ways pioneered the application of digital methods to narrative spatial analysis and developed strong collaborative engagement with infrastructure, producing Pelagios, an ever-growing platform for a plethora of spatial databases and gazetteers, as well as Recogito, a digital annotation tool. These two successful examples show a pressing need for community building around SRIs for early modern and medieval Scandinavia to ensure sustainable design, long-term preservation, and further collaborative developmen