Convivial Ambient Technologies: Requirements, Ontology and Design

Abstract

In this paper we discuss the use of the social concept 'conviviality' for computer science in general, and for the development of ambient technologies in particular. First, we give a survey of the use of the concept 'conviviality' in the social sciences. Conviviality is usually considered a positive concept related to sociability. However, further analysis reveals a negative side related to lack of diversity, privacy and ethical issues. Second, we argue that conviviality requirements for ambient intelligence are challenging, because ambient technologies give rise to a new virtual and social reality, and conviviality issues play a central role in applications that are concerned with the interaction of material, virtual and social realities. Conviviality highlights an important challenge that we illustrate with examples that emphasize ethical issues, such as privacy threats, surveillance of users and identity theft. Intelligent interfaces, for example, allow instant interactions and thereby create strong needs for coordination and regulation mechanisms that have to be addressed to ensure the safeguard of individuals against abuses, such as privacy intrusions and identity manipulations. Third, we propose a conviviality ontology by operationalizing the fuzzy concept of 'conviviality,' such that it can be used in computer science in the same way as other social concepts such as 'service,' 'contract' or 'trust' are used in this area. Conviviality is defined using dependence networks, and tools for conviviality are based on, what we call, conviviality masks. Fourth, we illustrate how convivial ambient intelligence applications can be designed using our operationalized concept of conviviality. We illustrate our arguments and contributions with a running example on the use of ambient technologies in digital cities, as a prototypical example where material reality such as ambient technologies interacts with virtual and social realities.

How to import the concept of conviviality to web communities

“…We look at digital cities from a social intelligence point of view, and, as an initial step towards obtaining measures for conviviality, present a case study describing interactions between users and agents using dependence graphs. Then, in 'convivial ambient technologies: requirement, ontology and design' (Caire and van der Torre, 2009a), we further develop the vision of conviviality as a key concept necessary to web communities by raising the question of, how to use the social concept of conviviality to develop user-friendly ambient intelligence applications? We present an analysis of conviviality requirements, propose a conviviality ontology, a dependence networks formalism and a design analysis based on coalition formation.…”

“…These ideas are further developed by Lamizet (2004) who characterises conviviality as both 'institutional structures that facilitate social relations and technological processes that are easy to control and pleasurable to use'. An important use for conviviality today is for digital cities as a mechanism to reinforce social cohesion and as a tool to reduce miscoordinations between individuals (Caire and van der Torre, 2009a;Caire, 2009;Caire, 2008).…”

Information Dependencies in MCS: Conviviality-Based Model and Metrics

“…In this context the concept of conviviality is defined as reciprocity, in Caire et al [9,10,12]. Dependence based coalition formation is analyzed by Sichman [25], while other approaches are developed in [24,16,4].…”

Enhancing Cooperation in Distributed Information Systems Using Conviviality and Multi-Context Systems

“…Tools for conviviality are concerned in particular with dynamic aspects of conviviality, such as the emergence of conviviality from the sharing of properties or behaviors whereby each member's perception is that their personal needs are taken care of [23,24].…”