The Emergence of a ‘Presence-centric’ Mobile Phone Space
Who could have predicted that one of the defining relationships of the early 21st Century would be between the human and their mobile phone? Key innovative steps have cemented this intimate relationship. The most recent of which is the attempt to create a device that is even more in touch with the user through a push into the mobile presence space.
Patently Apple noted an influx of presence and status related patent applications [5]. For example, a recent Apple patent application ‘Methods to Determine the Availability of the User Based on Mobile Phone Status’ [6] argues ”dealing with calls when busy is annoying, and the only solution tends to be turning off the phone altogether, not always the best idea.” Apple addressed this common problem with a new patent filing for a mobile status messages system that could be displayed to people who are trying to contact you.
The need for enhanced mobile presence is not new however. The recently granted Swarm Mobile Phone patent [2] made the following claim in 2003 when it was first lodged. “One aspect that could be improved is the ability for a user of a mobile telephone to readily determine what another mobile telephone user is doing without having to communicate directly.”
Essentially, the term ‘mobile presence’ means the phone provides indicators about what its user is doing. This allows the user’s contacts to infer where the person is, what they doing, and who they are with.
The integration of a presence/status feature in a mobile device represents unprecedented advances for the user. The most significant of which is that the phone now not only allows people to communicate through it, the phone itself actually communicates for the person.
Patently Apple noted an influx of presence and status related patent applications [5]. For example, a recent Apple patent application ‘Methods to Determine the Availability of the User Based on Mobile Phone Status’ [6] argues ”dealing with calls when busy is annoying, and the only solution tends to be turning off the phone altogether, not always the best idea.” Apple addressed this common problem with a new patent filing for a mobile status messages system that could be displayed to people who are trying to contact you.
The need for enhanced mobile presence is not new however. The recently granted Swarm Mobile Phone patent [2] made the following claim in 2003 when it was first lodged. “One aspect that could be improved is the ability for a user of a mobile telephone to readily determine what another mobile telephone user is doing without having to communicate directly.”
Essentially, the term ‘mobile presence’ means the phone provides indicators about what its user is doing. This allows the user’s contacts to infer where the person is, what they doing, and who they are with.
The integration of a presence/status feature in a mobile device represents unprecedented advances for the user. The most significant of which is that the phone now not only allows people to communicate through it, the phone itself actually communicates for the person.
Real World Versus User Defined Presence
There are two approaches to mobile presence. Significantly, these two approaches are diametrically opposed to each other. As such, they produce very different user experiences
The first concept of presence, a user status that is defined by a set of real world parameters such as location, or mobile phone modality, appears convenient and streamlined. But does this functionality align well with the reality of human interactions?
- The first is status updates can be generated by real world triggers such as geographical location. Or, as in the case of the Apple patent, by the user’s current mobile phone modality - busy, out of range, or turned off.
- The second approach is a user defined presence which is managed at the users discretion.
The first concept of presence, a user status that is defined by a set of real world parameters such as location, or mobile phone modality, appears convenient and streamlined. But does this functionality align well with the reality of human interactions?
Frequently Late, Often Lost, and Prone to Laziness – Meet The Real Mobile Phone User
The imagined ideal user of a mobile system is a technically savvy, highly organised individual, who seamlessly traverses professional, social and family activities. In reality these people do not exist.
The real user of mobile technology is the well meaning, but often-bumbling human going about their day-to-day tasks. Like the imagined ideal user, the real human will attempt to traverse the range of work, family and social actives required of them. But this process will be far from seamless. For the bumbling human is frequently late, often lost, and is prone to bouts of laziness.
Eager to cover up these shortcomings the human must then provide an often-exaggerated account of the events that stood between them and a perfectly executed day. As a result, the bumbling human also lies.
These are not conscious lies. They are simply versions of the day’s events that work in with the other bumbling human’s version of events. These exchanges are what allow society to function and as such, are rarely challenged. This highlights the importance of user defined presence systems such as The Swarm. These systems understand the user and provide a technical solution for day-to-day problems.
The real user of mobile technology is the well meaning, but often-bumbling human going about their day-to-day tasks. Like the imagined ideal user, the real human will attempt to traverse the range of work, family and social actives required of them. But this process will be far from seamless. For the bumbling human is frequently late, often lost, and is prone to bouts of laziness.
Eager to cover up these shortcomings the human must then provide an often-exaggerated account of the events that stood between them and a perfectly executed day. As a result, the bumbling human also lies.
These are not conscious lies. They are simply versions of the day’s events that work in with the other bumbling human’s version of events. These exchanges are what allow society to function and as such, are rarely challenged. This highlights the importance of user defined presence systems such as The Swarm. These systems understand the user and provide a technical solution for day-to-day problems.
The Problem with Presence – The Need for Segregated Identities
The process though which we present ourselves to other is nuanced and complex, in ways that we are often not even aware of. This makes attempts to support human interaction with technological solutions extremely difficult. This was noted by Mark Zuckerburg the CEO of Facebook who announced new features would begin rolling out designed to solve "the biggest problem in social networking” [3].
"A lot of people talk about this as a privacy problem, but I think even more than that, it's an annoying [others] problem," A user might say, "I would post this, but do I really want to bug all my friends who don't like jogging how great it is that I had an awesome jog this morning?" he said. Groups will let Facebook users make groups like family, work friends, friends from school or friends with a specific interest. They'll be able to share information specifically with members of those groups and even create group chats with those members [3]."
User responses to the proposed real-time status check on the iPhone 6 show that the intimate relationship between the human and their mobile phone is quite tenuous. Especially at a time when concerns about the privacy of our personal information dominate the news.
TechCRunch observed, “allowing your phone to automatically send out information about you would be a big pill to swallow for most in terms of privacy concerns. Apple could introduce this system, but it would be far more useful to invent a system that essentially just allows a user to set a status...”[9].
Users commentating on these reports agreed and sent a strong message as to what type of status updates should define mobile phone space.
“More importantly, will Apple offer you the ability to be able to set your status so that it is "Away", "Available", "on a call", "busy", or provide you with text editing for custom status? If so, then this feature could be useful [13]."
Furthermore, the most voted for user repose on the popular Mac Rumours site explicitly noted the need to lie.
“No thanks. Unless its built with an off button. I reserve the right to screen my calls and lie to the caller about being busy because (insert reason) [[14]."
"A lot of people talk about this as a privacy problem, but I think even more than that, it's an annoying [others] problem," A user might say, "I would post this, but do I really want to bug all my friends who don't like jogging how great it is that I had an awesome jog this morning?" he said. Groups will let Facebook users make groups like family, work friends, friends from school or friends with a specific interest. They'll be able to share information specifically with members of those groups and even create group chats with those members [3]."
User responses to the proposed real-time status check on the iPhone 6 show that the intimate relationship between the human and their mobile phone is quite tenuous. Especially at a time when concerns about the privacy of our personal information dominate the news.
TechCRunch observed, “allowing your phone to automatically send out information about you would be a big pill to swallow for most in terms of privacy concerns. Apple could introduce this system, but it would be far more useful to invent a system that essentially just allows a user to set a status...”[9].
Users commentating on these reports agreed and sent a strong message as to what type of status updates should define mobile phone space.
“More importantly, will Apple offer you the ability to be able to set your status so that it is "Away", "Available", "on a call", "busy", or provide you with text editing for custom status? If so, then this feature could be useful [13]."
Furthermore, the most voted for user repose on the popular Mac Rumours site explicitly noted the need to lie.
“No thanks. Unless its built with an off button. I reserve the right to screen my calls and lie to the caller about being busy because (insert reason) [[14]."
Conclusion: Supporting the Fragile Balance of Social Interactions
The importance of a user defined virtual presence has very little to do with the technology. It is not that we are unable to master the functionality of the mobile device. It is because we can’t quite master the demands of modern life.
A virtual presence, which maps precisely onto the user’s everyday self via real world cues, has the potential to cause havoc amongst a social network. Because there will be times when we are not really ‘on our way’. Nor did we miss a call because our ‘phone was on silent’.
Social niceties coupled with cultural conditioning has seen us arrive at a point where we automatically pretend to believe each other’s tenuous excuses. This fragile balance leaves no room for ones virtual mobile presence to shatter what William Gibson would call a ‘consensual hallucination’. Relentlessly spewing out data that indicted a contradictory account of why we were late to our entire contact list.
A virtual presence, which maps precisely onto the user’s everyday self via real world cues, has the potential to cause havoc amongst a social network. Because there will be times when we are not really ‘on our way’. Nor did we miss a call because our ‘phone was on silent’.
Social niceties coupled with cultural conditioning has seen us arrive at a point where we automatically pretend to believe each other’s tenuous excuses. This fragile balance leaves no room for ones virtual mobile presence to shatter what William Gibson would call a ‘consensual hallucination’. Relentlessly spewing out data that indicted a contradictory account of why we were late to our entire contact list.
References
1. http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19225835.300-cellphone-tells-the-world-what-mode-youre-in.html
2. Satchell C, Patent. System and Methods for Communicating. US8489994
3. http://mashable.com/2010/10/06/mark-zuckerberg-on-the-biggest-problem-in-social-networking/
4. http://wallstcheatsheet.com/stocks/could-apples-new-iphone-tech-end-wasted-calls.html/
5. http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2013/08/other-patents-revealed-today-cover-apples-lightning-connector-an-iphone-status-sharing-feature-manufacturing-process.html
6. Patent, Methods to determine availability of user based on mobile phone status. US20130177141 A1
7. http://patents.stackexchange.com/questions/4854/mobile-phone-intelligent-away-available-busy-status-on-phones-apple-patent
8. http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=12000CIODEKO
9. http://techcrunch.com/2013/08/22/apple-seeks-patent-for-skype-style-away-status-for-phone-calls-but-set-automatically/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29
10.http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/500900/20130823/cool-feature-iphone-6-2014-launch-real.htm#.UokzV2SSB9F
11.http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/social.media/10/06/facebook.event/index.html?iref=NS1
12.http://mashable.com/2010/08/05/facebook-social-networking-patents/
13. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57599685-37/apple-invention-would-let-you-check-the-status-of-another-iphone-user/
14.http://www.macrumors.com/2013/08/22/apple-looking-to-patent-iphone-status-sharing-system/
2. Satchell C, Patent. System and Methods for Communicating. US8489994
3. http://mashable.com/2010/10/06/mark-zuckerberg-on-the-biggest-problem-in-social-networking/
4. http://wallstcheatsheet.com/stocks/could-apples-new-iphone-tech-end-wasted-calls.html/
5. http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2013/08/other-patents-revealed-today-cover-apples-lightning-connector-an-iphone-status-sharing-feature-manufacturing-process.html
6. Patent, Methods to determine availability of user based on mobile phone status. US20130177141 A1
7. http://patents.stackexchange.com/questions/4854/mobile-phone-intelligent-away-available-busy-status-on-phones-apple-patent
8. http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=12000CIODEKO
9. http://techcrunch.com/2013/08/22/apple-seeks-patent-for-skype-style-away-status-for-phone-calls-but-set-automatically/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29
10.http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/500900/20130823/cool-feature-iphone-6-2014-launch-real.htm#.UokzV2SSB9F
11.http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/social.media/10/06/facebook.event/index.html?iref=NS1
12.http://mashable.com/2010/08/05/facebook-social-networking-patents/
13. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57599685-37/apple-invention-would-let-you-check-the-status-of-another-iphone-user/
14.http://www.macrumors.com/2013/08/22/apple-looking-to-patent-iphone-status-sharing-system/
