Knowledge Management SystemsEmail Systems, Uses and HabitsEmail as HabitatEmail as Habitat 2Email as Habitat 3Email as Habitat 4Email as Habitat 5Email as Habitat 6Improving EmailEmail Overload: Exploding PIMSequence & Reply RelationshipsModels of ConversationsTaking Email to TaskTask ResultsTask ProblemsTaskMasterSlide 17Slide 18Reinventing EmailSlide 20Redesigning Email for 21st Century21st Century Email InterfacesBitfrostMailCatIshmailEmail ProtocolsEmail on the DesktopEmail Use ImprovementEmail IssuesPaper and ProjectsFLANNELFLANNEL 2Knowledge Management Systems Knowledge Management Systems •Email-Readings-Issues•Blogging•More Commentary•Evaluations of the blog process•Projects and PapersEmail Systems, Uses and HabitsEmail Systems, Uses and Habits•What email client(s) do you use?-Why?-How Long?•Multiple Mailboxes? -How Many?-For What?•Filters?-How Many?-For What?•Other Features?•Other Devices?•Social Networks•ProtocolsEmail as HabitatEmail as Habitat•Traditionally-Messaging - Communication-One to One, One to Many Communication•Increasingly-Information Management•Access to Documents•Address Books - Contacts•Portal for (Networked) Information-Coordination and Collaboration•Tasks-To Do’s-Reminders•Workflow-Document Creation and Editing-Meeting Planning and CoordinationEmail as Habitat 2Email as Habitat 2•PC Users Spend Most of Their Day in their Email Application-Defining “Knowledge Workers”?-Support Staff•Personal Information Management-To Do (Marking up or Sending to Oneself)-Contact Management•Project Tracking•Email for EVERYTHING?Email as Habitat 3Email as Habitat 3•Too Much of a Good Thing-Filters-Folders•Searching May Be Faster -Time to File-Time to Find•Searching Not Helping to Build (Traditional) Conceptual Model of Tasks or MessagesEmail as Habitat 4Email as Habitat 4•Types of Folders-Who – Sender-Where – Organization of Sender(s)-What – Project-Personal Interests•Professional•Private-What Else?•Archives•TemplatesEmail as Habitat 5Email as Habitat 5•Problems with Email Applications-Folder Organization-Sorting-Finding-Filtering•Easier to Set up•Filter after Reading or Event•One Application Not Suited for All Users-Outlook - Outlook Express-Status & Occupation-Roles and ResponsibilitiesEmail as Habitat 6Email as Habitat 6•More Exposure to Email Use = More Checking Email-Alternate Devices-Always-on Devices•More Experience = More Feature Use•Different Features for Different Users•Different Features for Different Uses•Projects•Types of TasksImproving EmailImproving Email•Threads of Messages-“Conversation Tree”-Automatic vs. Manual Configuration-Types of Conversations (GIBIS)•“Thrasks”-Individual (feedback)-Group (assignments)•Views & Visualization-Oldest/First at Top (contrast with blogs)-Multiple Windows, Icons, GraphicsEmail Overload: Exploding PIMEmail Overload: Exploding PIM•New Uses Causes Overload-Task Management-Personal Archiving-Asynchronous Communication•Study of Mailboxes and User Interviews•Does Speed/Reliability of Email Transmission and Replying Change It’s Use? -Conversational-Accountable•Email not “One touch” (informational)•Changes Work Throughout the Day•Constantly CheckingSequence & Reply RelationshipsSequence & Reply Relationships•Messaging is a type of conversation-What are the characteristics of a conversation?-How are conversations conducted in other media?•Envisioning email as conversations adds context and removes redundancy-Time-Complexity of topic-Number of participantsModels of ConversationsModels of Conversations•Sequence Model-First-Before-After•Tree Model-Root message-Replies to root-Any replies-Replies to replies•Visualization for each•Mailing lists could be improvedTaking Email to TaskTaking Email to Task•Many of us work out of our InBox•Email becomes task-centric, not just info-Actionable-Trackable•Study looked at “live” email use-Filters are a key-Examine Addressing and Threads-Watched email triageTask ResultsTask Results•Quick responses•Offline research or task required before reply-To Dos-Events later-Delayed, dependent to dos•Overload measure-Number of threads/day + length of intervals between messages in threads•Message drift out of view in a mailbox•Context is lostTask ProblemsTask Problems•Keeping track of concurrent actions-Your to dos-Others, dependent todos•Marking items as more important•Managing email over time•Managing deadlines and reminders•Collating collections of messages•Application switching & window mgmt•Task overview neededTaskMasterTaskMaster1. Keeping Track of Concurrent Actions2. Marking Items3. Managing Activities Over Time4. Managing Deadlines and Reminders5. Collating Related Items and Associated Files and Links6. Application Switching and Window Management7. Getting a Task-Oriented Overview EasilyTaskMasterTaskMaster•Helping with Overload-Number of Threads-Frequency of Related Messages•Assigns Meta-Information-From the Thrask View-Within an Open Item (Contact Info)•Warning Bars•Action Clusters•Task-Specific Contact ListsTaskMasterTaskMasterReinventing EmailReinventing Email•What Kinds of Messages are Suited for (Current) Email ?•What Other Types of Messaging Tools?-Instant Messaging-Newsgroups-Document Management•Annotations•Approval•Distribution ListsReinventing EmailReinventing Email•Separation or Integration?-Messages-Address Book – Contacts-Documents-Links-Web (other)•Indexing and Classifying Email-Logging (transaction, permission, task)-Searching (internal, personal, external)-Ranking (most email currently equal)Redesigning Email for 21Redesigning Email for 21stst Century Century•Little Change – GUIs & Attachments•Overloaded & Overwhelmed-Slow Response – No Response-Loss•No One Solution-Multiple Features-Appropriate for each User, Organization or Task-Improved Interface & Interaction•Timelines•Document Summarization•Annotations2121stst Century Email Interfaces Century Email InterfacesBitfrostBitfrost•Categorizing Messages from Inbox Automatically•“Programming” Filters Too Difficult•Categories of Interest•Improve on Known Email Use-Four Types of Users-Filters vs. Losing Sight of Email•Understanding Automatic Categorizing Difficult for Users•Too Much Categorization?•Categories vs. Folders•New Messages Difficult to Deal With•Notification vs. Filing or