Reputation and Online CommunicationVisualizing Reputational Power to

Promote Collaborative Discussions

Karin Hansson, Harko Verhagen, Petter Karlström, Aron LarssonDepartment of Computer and System Science, Stockholm University

07/04/2023

Democracy

Ideal• Participants are equal

• Set the agenda together

• Can fully participate

• Same status when decisions are taken

• Enlightened understanding

/ Karin Hansson, Department of Computer and System Science

07/04/2023

Democracy

Ideal• Participants are equal

• Set the agenda together

• Can fully participate

• Same status when decisions are taken

• Enlightened understanding

Real life• Participants are unequal

• The agenda is set by a few

• Can’t participate fully

• Unequal status when decisions are taken

• Different pictures

/ Karin Hansson, Department of Computer and System Science

07/04/2023 / Karin Hansson, Department of Computer and System Science

07/04/2023

Research questions

• How should a system based on diversity be conceived?

• How is it possible to visualize and communicate power structures in the system’s design without emphasizing or simplifying them?

/ Karin Hansson, Department of Computer and System Science

07/04/2023

Democratic meeting techniques

• Traditional meeting techniques: – Agenda, rules for speaking, voting

• Observation of the dialogue– Who is speaking– Who gets recognition

• A way of maintaining a reflexive process

/ Karin Hansson, Department of Computer and System Science

07/04/2023 / Karin Hansson, Department of Computer and System Science

How to formalize informal structures?

07/04/2023 / Karin Hansson, Department of Computer and System Science

07/04/2023 / Karin Hansson, Department of Computer and System Science

07/04/2023

What is new?

Many reaction mechanisms = ubiquitous voting

“Game rules” open to the users

Rules can be changed by the users

Roles and rights can be set dynamically

/ Karin Hansson, Department of Computer and System Science

07/04/2023

What worked?

+Scoring triggered discussion

Focus on reaction fostered behavior IRL

-Navigation

Open rule setting

/ Karin Hansson, Department of Computer and System Science

07/04/2023

Conclusion

A groupware that emphasize inequality

Status = action + reaction

Visualizes presence of structuring factors

Hierarchy to motivate participation

/ Karin Hansson, Department of Computer and System Science

07/04/2023 / Karin Hansson, Department of Computer and System Science

Future development