useranalysis

EMU WEB GRID User Analysis

The following is a case by case analysis of how some of the users in EMU WEB GRID commented upon the site. Many offer advice on improvements, advice to other users about the service, and many comments reflect a genuine interest in the general idea of the site. The EMU site actually provided very little information about what it was and how it was to be used. By leaving the functions of the site to a large extent to those that used it, EMU WEB GRID became something which at least some of the users took on as their own.

Bold face type of this font indicates my comments, the smaller text blocks are EMU WEB GRID user's comments.

The user at 25:50 considers their position on the grid an 'outpost'; reflecting something of the frontier ideology which many bring to online communities. The user feels 'out of the way over in these dots' Like any new type of space, the EMU web grid is a site of contested use, and function. What is the site? How should it be used? He describes the pattern of use as a 'diagonal spine', remarkable when it is actually impossible to see the entire grid from a distance while using it.

This is the home page of 25:50

Welcome to the EMU community centre outpost 25:50

It's funny, but it feels really out of the way over in these dots. It all seems to be happening around 50:50 and also along the diagonal spine 1:1, 2:2, 3:3 etc.

I've started 44:43 as a community centre (password 'enter') where EMU people can go to put up notes etc. Check it out and see you there.

This is the home page of 25:50

Welcome to the EMU community centre outpost 25:50

It's funny, but it feels really out of the way over in these dots. It all seems to be happening around 50:50 and also along the diagonal spine 1:1, 2:2, 3:3 etc.

I've started 44:43 as a community centre (password 'enter') where EMU people can go to put up notes etc. Check it out and see you there.

The above EMU citizen has taken it upon themselves to provide extra facilities for fellow citizens in the form of a free bulletin board service made of an EMU dot whose password and login are free to all.

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44:43

This is the home page of 44:43

Welcome to the EMU community centre!

1. I thought it would be interesting to have a 'community centre' at one of these dots and so have opened 44:43 and given it the password 'enter'. There are also

community centre outposts at 25:50, 50:25, 71:71, 90:50 and 48:53 as pointers to 44:43. They also have 'enter' as a password. If you are in contact with other dots

spread the word about this dot so we can all communicate. I also suggest that we put a number at the start of each entry so that future entries can easily refer to

previous entries.

2. Let's talk! Or communicate anyway...

3. Does anyone know how to get a message to the whole EMU community?

4. If you don't know HTML,www-pcd.stanford.edu/mogens/intro/tutorial has lots of great html tips and training.

5. I really like 45:50 - why do we cage our feet?

6. For anyone who's interested, there's now a dot at 20:00 that I'm proposing be a community dot for discussions on what's happening on 31 December 1999.

Check it out...

7. Geez this things gives me the shits. I spend 15 minutes typing out a load of rubbish about the best music around (Plaid, Tortoise, Oldfield, Beck, Money Mark -

whatever) and the bloody thing doesn't save. The organisers of this EMU shin-dig should make saving easier. I hope what I'm writing now will be saved so I can get

this anger off my chest. So, join 44:43, write some stuff, put BR in sharp brackets twice after writing something and then Save Document. That's what I would do,

except the Save Document doesn't work. Or does it?! Stay tuned. (Sparklehorse, Sakamoto, Terje Rypdal, Red Snapper, Radiohead, Orb, Kuepper, High Llamas...).

Also, highlight what you've written before saving and Alt C just in case it doesn't save. Wish I'd thought of that...

8. 47:47 is a boring spot. Surely we dots can communicate with each other? Something! Yeah, I know, shut up...

Advice from another participant both to other EMU users as well as the designers . Here is a public plea for the organisors to 'make saving easier' results from frustration at working on the site only to see his direct-to-web-page written work disappear. Participants thus form an integral "quality assurance" service.

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Some see the community aspects of the site and the following participant expresses an interest in the ideas and thoughts of others. EMU thus serves as a kind of repository of public memory which can be shared or private depending on the user's wishes. The open password is the equivalent of sharing one's apartment keys with whomever wants to use them.

Also, this EMU thing is interesting as an exercise in community relationships. I don't particularly like commercial sites here, but it's interesting to see what personal

stuff people put up.

I'm going to start 44:43 as a community centre with an open password - check it out and let's see what happens!.

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This participant outlines the conditions of her real-life urban situation in Sydney and also provide information perhaps most often associated with classified personal ads in newspapers

This is the homepage for 45:53. Welcome to Chickpea.

I don't know why I called our site chickpea - it just popped into my head. These are the inmates of our virtual household:

Virtual Jason, Virtual Alex and Virtual Greta. In the other world we live together in a small apartment in inner Sydney. We

spend most of our time eating (the more exotic the food the better!) and causing trouble. We are aged between 23 and 25 and

we'd love some friendly easygoing neighbours who won't complain when we have a party. If you're really nice neighbours

we'll invite you over - Maybe we can get something like Melrose Place happening! No virtual inter-neighbour sex thankyou!

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The comment of the following person (EMU 47:50) indicates a desire to enable users of the site to be able to 'knock at the door' of another user. One way to do this would be to structure in an 'at home' sign on the dots of the grid, and when the sign indicates the person is 'in', a chat session can take place. A graphical chat environment such as the Palace or Activeworlds or a basic text based on such as ICQ or AOL AIM messenger could be integrated with EMUWEBGRID where users can invoke the chat client to perform the chat function.

This is the home page of 47:50

Welcome to Ordinary resident

Hi I am an ordinary resident of this cyber city, most of my time I’ll be asleep, but I never mind if you knock at my door at any time, if you are not a

resident yet, I would like you to my neighbour. Best wishes for your stay at my suburb.

My brother Richard (who in real life lives in Edinburgh, Scotland) joined the community also at my request.

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This is the home page of 48:48

Welcome to Brodgar

I am David Cox's brother Richard.

I work in Edinburgh - my professional interests are in cognitiive science, specifically in how people reason using external representations such as

diagrams. My other interests are in walking, biking and prehistoric archaelogy (as you may have guessed from the name of my site!). You can find me by

looking me up in 'People' at .

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50:57

I can't interact. I can't get a bagel.

Welcome to the neighborhood.

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This user at 51:51 gets into the spirit of the community flavour of EMUWEBGRID. His comments about the site being the work of "DiRE, Digital Real Estate Pty Ltd" reflects the humour which users often feel the need to express in EMU.

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51:51

Congratulations. You've made it.

You have found 51:51, a genuine lifestyle location

in virtual space.

Don't look back, there's no time.

This PRIME LOCATION, kitty corner

to the central hub of EMU activity,

and boasting a north-westerly aspect

(yer gonna luuuv them priddy sunsets),

it features a prominent address

requiring minimal keystrokes from start.

Just a step from 50:50, presumptive and high-powered visitors will

- with ease and, before they tire from onerous navigation of the virtual city -

fall head o'er heels for this location.

Auction forthcoming. Date to be announced.

Price on Application.

This virtual property has been made available through

DiRE, Digital Real Estate Pty Ltd

For further enquiries contact: mirko@start.com.au

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This following user (54:54) describes his/her area as a 'realm'. An indication of the status his site plays for him - not just a place or homepage, but an invitation to 'Discover my homeworlds'.

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54:54

noetic

this is the realm of Troy.

Discover my Worlds.

-||-

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This user sees their region (88:88) as a 'jetty' - a nautical metaphor perhaps reflecting the conditions of their real life setting: a 'yacht...moored in the azure bay in the Whitsundays'. That EMU should be associated with leisure and luxury is in itself interesting. Like the user at 25:50, this person has chosen to have a second page which acts as a bulletin board to those he contacts via email.

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This is the home page of 88:88 (same author as 89:89)

Welcome to Duam Yacht

This is my third dot - a bit greedy I know, but 88 is a great number. I have a main dot and a holiday dot and this is my yacht dot - I've got it all!!!!

I'm claiming 89:89 as my jetty so if you want to leave me a message there feel free

Meantime, I'm lying on the bow, moored in an azure bay in the Whitsundays - ahhh.

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Below is the description which accompanies the "Jetty Dot" 89:89 (same author as 88:88) region designed to be the bulletin board service for others. The nautical 'jetty' idea is compelling in that it is invitational and aligns the spirit of the sea and seafaring and the social codes which accompany that culture. In nautical culture a jetty is a public facility which enables boat owners to dock and make use of land based services. The user invites other users to visit his 'jetty' and moor their 'boats' in order to convene and discuss matters.

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This is the home page of 89:89 (same author as 88:88)

1. Hello. This is the jetty dot for 88:88. I'm using it to communicate and get stuff from the outside world so if you want to contact me the password for

this dot is 'enter'.

2. Please feel free to leave a message and I'll pick it up next time I'm ashore. If you use a number before your message we'll be able to reference earlier

comments quickly and easily.

3. I don't know when I first did this, but it must have been 12 months ago at least. Has anyone been here? Is anything happening at EMU at all? I'm from

88:88 and I feel like I'm adrift in a WaterWorld with noone else around - wierd! Remember, go to the overall map, push Join, enter 89:89 with the

password 'enter', and leave a msg (if you want). See ya all on the waves.

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This user describes the array of dots as a 'digital spine', which would only be understood with a zoomed out view

which individual users would normally not be able to see.

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This is the home page of 90:50

Welcome to the EMU community centre outpost 90:50

It feels really out of the way down in these dots. It all seems to be happening around 50:50 and also along the diagonal spine 1:1, 2:2, 3:3 etc.

I've started 44:43 as a community centre (password 'enter') where EMU people can go to put up notes etc. Check it out and see you there.

There are other outposts at 25:50, 50:25, 71:71 and here. If you are in contact with any other 'dots' tell them about 44:43 so we can all talk together.

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