Mashing up Visual Languages and Web Mash-ups

Research on web mashups and visual languages share an interest in human-centered computing. Both research communities are concerned with supporting programming by everyday, technically inexpert users. Visual programming environments have been a focus for both communities, and we believe that there is much to be gained by further discussion between these research communities. In this paper we explore some connections between web mashups and visual languages, and try to identify what each might be able to learn from the other. Our goal is to establish a framework for a dialog between the communities, and to promote the exchange of ideas and our respective understandings of humancentered computing.published or submitted for publicationis peer reviewe

Decentralized platform ecosystems - development barriers and their implications on design approaches

The recent emergence of blockchain technology is empowering an evolutionary step in the design of platform ecosystems. While proprietary platforms have been dominant so far, new ecosystem structures are under development that are no longer controlled by a single entity. Instead, the aim is to decentralize the technical and organizational infrastructure with the intent to transfer agency to all actors in the ecosystem. This study investigates the challenges that Web 3.0 platforms are facing in the process of decentralization. The objective is to identify barriers and derive possible implications for new design approaches that can meet the needs in this new problem space. The current discourse focuses heavily on the technological aspects of emerging blockchain-enabled ecosystems. This study aims to contribute towards the less represented human-centered perspective on the matter. The research framework is built around constructive grounded theory and a novel approach to ecosystem research through the lens of complex adaptive systems theory. Qualitative data was collected in a single-case study format, including semi-structured in- interviews, netnography, and other available data sources. The research revealed five barriers that are currently hindering the process of decentralization. These barriers include 1) difficulties in accessing the Web 3.0 industry, 2) in-creased importance of communication between all stakeholders, 3) development of novel governance structures, 4) conflicting motivations towards the value of the project-specific token, and 5) an increased complexity and unpredictability induced by a multi-layered system’s architecture. From the findings, implications for service designers in the Web 3.0 environment were derived. The identified possible areas of contribution include the support of communication and collaboration, increasing the diversity of actors, as well as enhancing the active acknowledgment of contributions from participants in the ecosystem. The outcome of this study indicates that the development of new service design approaches could help to deconstruct the identified barriers and add to the successful growth and maturity of the Web 3.0 industry as a whole

Enabling IoT ecosystems through platform interoperability

Today, the Internet of Things (IoT) comprises vertically oriented platforms for things. Developers who want to use them need to negotiate access individually and adapt to the platform-specific API and information models. Having to perform these actions for each platform often outweighs the possible gains from adapting applications to multiple platforms. This fragmentation of the IoT and the missing interoperability result in high entry barriers for developers and prevent the emergence of broadly accepted IoT ecosystems. The BIG IoT (Bridging the Interoperability Gap of the IoT) project aims to ignite an IoT ecosystem as part of the European Platforms Initiative. As part of the project, researchers have devised an IoT ecosystem architecture. It employs five interoperability patterns that enable cross-platform interoperability and can help establish successful IoT ecosystems.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Government as a social machine in an ecosystem

The Web is becoming increasingly pervasive throughout all aspects of human activity. As citizens and organisations adopt Web technologies, so governments are beginning to respond by themselves utilising the electronic space. Much of this has been reactive, and there is very little understanding of the impact that Web technologies are having on government systems and processes, let alone a proactive approach to designing systems that can ensure a positive and beneficial societal impact. The ecosystem which encompasses governments, citizens and communities is both evolving and adaptive, and the only way to examine and understand the development of Web-enabled government, and its possible implications, is to consider government itself as a “social machine” within a social machine ecosystem. In this light, there are significant opportunities and challenges for government that this paper identifies

Models for an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries

This document is one outcome from a workshop held in Gizo in October 2010 attended by 82 representatives from government, NGO's private sector, and communities. The target audience for the document is primarily organizations planning to work with coastal communities of Solomon Islands to implement Community-Based Resource Management (CBRM). It is however also envisaged that the document will serve as a reference for communities to better understand what to expect from their partners and also for donors, to be informed about agreed approaches amongst Solomon Islands stakeholders. This document does not attempt to summarize all the outcomes of the workshop; rather it focuses on the Solomon Islands Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) National Plan of Action (NPoA): Theme 1: Support and implementation of CBRM and specifically, the scaling up of CBRM in Solomon Islands. Most of the principles given in this document are derived from experiences in coastal communities and ecosystems as, until relatively recently, these have received most attention in Solomon Islands resource management. It is recognized however that the majority of these principles will be applicable to both coastal and terrestrial initiatives. This document synthesizes information provided by stakeholders at the October 2010 workshop and covers some basic principles of engagement and implementation that have been learned over more than twenty years of activities by the stakeholder partners in Solomon Islands. The document updates and expands on a summary of guiding principles for CBRM which was originally prepared by the Solomon Islands Locally Managed Marine Area Network (SILMMA) in 2007