PersOnalized Smart Environments to increase Inclusion of people with DOwn s syndrome Deliverable D5.5 POSEIDON social network for carers Call: Objective: FP7- ICT- 2013-10 ICT- 2013.5.3 ICT for smart and personalised inclusion Contractual delivery date: M20 Actual delivery date: Version: Author: Contributors: Reviewers: Dissemination level: Number of pages: 30.06.2015 Final version Mari Digernes, Karde AS Terje Grimstad Katrine Printz Moe Bridget Hammerton Christine Schniersmeier Public 11
Contents Executive summary... 3 1. Introduction... 4 2. Social network platforms... 5 3. User demands and preferences... 5 Purpose... 5 Content... 5 Features and preferences... 5 4. Discussion of alternative social platforms... 6 Facebook... 6 Benefits... 6 Drawbacks... 7 Google+... 7 Elgg... 9 RelTime... 9 Elgg vs. RelTime... 10 5. Conclusions... 11 2
Executive summary In this deliverable we have presented and discussed alternative social network platforms for secondary users in the POSEIDON project. The main purpose of the POSEIDON social network is to offer the families and carers of people with Down syndrome a closed platform in which they can share relevant content, such as experiences, knowledge, concerns, news, events, etc. In addition, the social network will be the access point for all POSEIDON services and other relevant material for both the primary and secondary user group. The POSEIDON social network will be a part of the planned POSEIDON eco- system, which aims to commercialise the results from the project. The user demands and preferences for the POSEIDON social network are: Closed/private platform only members of the network have access to the content. One or more administrators, responsible for watching the platform. Full property right over published material. User friendly and accessible design: Structured content; easy to find relevant information. No advertisements or optionally, ads selected by the social network community. Good search functions. Ability to share photos, videos, links and documents (i.e. PDF- files). Ability to delete and edit your own content. For the social network for primary users: o Easy to read text o A clean design without disturbing elements such as advertisements o A representative from the primary user group should be responsible for quality checking the material for the primary users. Based on the user demands and preferences we selected the following social network platforms to discuss and consider: Facebook, Google+, Elgg and RelTime. Facebook and Google+ are well- established and popular social network platforms, which can offer many of the features wanted for the POSEIDON social network. However, neither Facebook nor Google+ seems to have a user- friendly design and there is no flexibility for customisation. Also, Facebook has shared ownership of all published material, which is not compatible with our demand of having full property right over the content. Therefore, we considered two other platforms: Elgg and RelTime. Both of the platforms allow us to customise the design and layout, decide features and most importantly to have full property right over the published material. However, Elgg is a tool for building social networks from scratch and requires a lot of time, effort and skills to develop and operate the social network. Also, as Elgg is a free Open Source solution, the ability to commercialise the social network seems to be doubtful. RelTime, on the other hand, is an already developed social network platform ready for use, containing several integrated features relevant for POSEIDON. RTC Tech is responsible for developing, operating and customise the social network, which gives us a timesaving flexibility. Finally, RelTime allows us to commercialise the social network as a part of the POSEIDON eco- system. 3
1. Introduction The focus of this deliverable is to present and discuss alternative social network platforms for secondary users in the POSEIDON project. Different options will have different possibilities and consequences for the users in terms of privacy, security, functionalities, usability and more. The purpose of creating the POSEIDON social network is to offer the carers of people with Down syndrome a closed/private platform in which they can share relevant content with each other, such as experiences, knowledge, concerns, news, etc. In addition, we want the social network to be the access point for all POSEIDON services and other relevant material for both the primary and secondary user group. The idea is that the families and carers subscribe to the social network, and through this get access to everything: POSEIDON apps, e- learning, seminars etc. The social network should be closed and controlled by the Down syndrome community. The social network will also include a controlled social network for the primary users in a Facebook- like environment. The POSEIDON social network will be a part of the planned POSEIDON eco- system (figure 1), which aims to commercialise the results from the project. The POSEIDON eco- system will consist of a business network, a social network for the Down syndrome community, information, e- learning, and seminars. The revenues of this eco- system will be based on membership fees (for access to the social network) and possibly, private and public sponsors. Figure 1: The POSEIDON eco- system, described in D7.5: First exploitation plan. The first section of this deliverable will contain a brief explanation of what a social network platform means including examples of the most popular sites per today. Further, the user demands and preferences for the POSEIDON social network will be presented followed by a discussion of alternative platforms. Conclusions will be presented at the end of this deliverable. 4
2. Social network platforms A social network platform also called social network service or social network site can be defined as a platform to build social networks or social relations among people who share interests, activities, backgrounds or real- life connections. 1 Social network sites are web- based services that allow the users to create a profile, connect with other users and post or share utterances, experiences and news. The users can also communicate through instant messaging (chat) or e- mail as well as create and join public or private networks of interest. According to ebizmba Rank 2, Facebook is the most popular social network site per June 2015 followed by Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Google + (see the whole list by using the link in footnote 2). Facebook has 900 million estimated unique monthly visitors while Google + has 120 million monthly visitors. 3. User demands and preferences User demands and preferences for the POSEIDON social network are based on feedback from key contributors in the POSEIDON project including the project manager, project co- workers and most importantly a selection of secondary users, i.e. carers and families of people with Down syndrome. Purpose The main purpose of the POSEIDON social network is to offer the families and carers of people with Down syndrome a closed platform in which they can share relevant content, such as experiences, knowledge, concerns, news, events, etc. In addition, the social network will be the access point for all POSEIDON services and other relevant material for both the primary and secondary user group. Content The content will focus on the POSEIDON system and technology but also on other aspects involving people with Down syndrome and their lives. In the POSEIDON social network the users should be able to share and have access to: The POSEIDON services and e- learning material for the primary user group Ideas and practical tips Experiences (good and bad) Scientific content (articles, research papers, etc.) Opinions and views News and events Features and preferences The POSEIDON social network should offer: A closed/private platform only members of the group have access to the content. It is important that the users and the content are hidden for people outside the network. One or more administrators, responsible for monitoring the platform (deleting inappropriate content, confirming or rejecting membership requests, etc). A user friendly and accessible design: Structured content; easy to find relevant information 1 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/social_networking_service (read 12.06.2015) 2 www.ebizmba.com/articles/social- networking- websites (read 15.06.2015) 5
No advertisements or optionally, advertisements selected by the social network community (the users or administrators) Good search functions The ability to share photos, videos, links and documents (i.e. PDF- files) The ability to delete and edit your own content For the social network for primary users: o Easy to read text o A clean design without disturbing elements such as advertisements o A representative from the primary user group should be responsible for quality checking the material for the primary users. 4. Discussion of alternative social platforms Based on the user demands and preferences we have selected the following social network platforms to discuss and consider: Facebook, Google+, Elgg and RelTIme. Facebook The fact that Facebook (figure 2) is the most popular social network site in the world, gives a good reason for considering that platform for the POSEIDON social network. Almost everyone has a profile and is more or less active on Facebook, which makes the platform easily reached and well known for most of the users. However, there are some drawbacks that require a consideration of alternative platforms. Figure 2: Home page on Facebook. Benefits Facebook can offer some of the features and preferences mentioned in the previous chapter, including creation of closed and secret groups with one or more administrators monitoring the 6
group. A closed group on Facebook means that anyone can see the name of the group and who the members are but only members have access to the content. A secret group is not visible to anyone, which means that the group name, members and contents are hidden from the public. Moreover, on Facebook you have the ability to post and share photos, videos and links as well as delete your own content, and the search functions are adequate. Drawbacks One drawback is the user interface on Facebook which is, according to some of the carers we have been in contact with, filled with too much content and advertisement arranged in a disorderly manner. One of the users stated that what he finds significant drowns in the insignificant, and he would prefer sharing content in a more systematic way. The most serious drawback, however, is that Facebook owns the material that you publish on Facebook. Everything that is published on Facebook is the property of Facebook. Oliver Smith explains this in an article in The Telegraph 3 4 th January 2013: Specifically for photos and video uploaded to the site, Facebook has a license to use your content in any way it sees fit, with a license that goes beyond merely covering the operation of the service in its current form. Facebook can transfer or sub- license its rights over a user s content to another company or organisation if needed. Facebook s license does not end upon the deactivation or deletion of a user s account, content is only released from this license once all other users that have interacted with the content have also broken their ties with it (for example, a photo or video shared or tagged with a group of friends). Considering that the POSEIDON social network will be a part of the commercialised POSEIDON eco- system, it will not be acceptable to share the property rights with Facebook. The POSEIDON Community needs exclusive rights for all published material, which is the source of potential revenues. Google+ Google+ (figure 3) was launched in 2011 and is according to ebizmba Rank 4 considered to be the fifth most popular social network site in the world. However, the user engagement is low compared to its competitors. In early 2014, The New York Times cited Google+ as a ghost town, stating that almost half of the 540 million "monthly active users" do not visit the site at all. 5 Another article cited Google + as just an alternative version of Facebook. 6 3 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/social- media/9780565/facebook- terms- and- conditions- why- you- dont- own- your- online- life.html 4 ebizmba Rank: www.ebizmba.com/articles/social- networking- websites (read 15.06.2015) 5 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/google%2b#growth.2c_engagement (read 16.06.2015) 6 Why Google+ is dying (and Nearly Dead): (Jayson DeMers, 27 th March 2015) www.adweek.com/socialtimes/why- google- is- dying- and- nearly- dead/617715 (read 16.06.2015) 7
Figure 3: Home page on Google+. So what distinguishes Google+ from Facebook from the POSEIDON project s point of view? First of all, and most importantly, Google+ does not seem to have shared property right. Oliver Smith writes in The Telegraph (see footnote 3): Google has a modest set of terms when it comes to user s content, restricting its use of such content only for "the limited purpose of operating, promoting, and improving our Services, and to develop new ones." Hence, if we choose Google+ as a platform for the POSEIDON social network the published material will most likely not be shared with Google. This is a very important argument for choosing Google+. Secondly, Google+ is considered to be the social layer of all Google services such as Gmail, Calendar, Drive and more. When you register a Gmail account you will have access to all Google services, including Google+. In the POSEIDON system we use Google Calendar and Google Maps, which means that the users must register a Gmail account in order to have access to the POSEIDON services. Hence, choosing Google+ as the platform for the POSEIDON social network will be very appropriate and time saving for the POSEIDON users. On the other hand, as with Facebook, the design on Google+ is considered to be complicated and not intuitive, according to Jayson DeMers among others (footnote 6). There are no or few possibilities to organise the content as you desire (ref. the demand for having a user friendly and accessible design). Especially for the primary users a controlled and clean environment without disturbing elements is crucial, and neither Facebook nor Google+ seem to be compatible with this demand. Also, the lack of control could cause a higher risk of being bullied or exposed to dangerous situation. Hence, we should consider other platforms that can offer more flexibility to customise the design and layout, more controlled environments as well as full property right. 8
Elgg Elgg is an open source social networking software that provides individuals and organizations with the components needed to create an online social environment. 7 Elgg is free to download and use and allows you to build your own social network and invite members (see example in figure 4). With the help of plugins you can customise the design and layout and choose between features such as: Closed network Sharing images, video, audio, text and documents with any file type Creating groups Private messaging and chat Discussion forums As opposed to Facebook, Elgg claims no property right over any published material, which means that the users themselves own the content. Figure 4: Example of a social network site developed by using Elgg. (See more examples here: https://community.elgg.org/showcase) RelTime RelTime 8 (figure 5) is an interactive, social network, owned by the Norwegian company RTC Tech, and offers a total solution with a wide range of integrated features focusing on communication, knowledge and information sharing. RelTime allows you to customise the design and layout and choose between integrated features such as: 7 Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/elgg_(software) (read 24.06.15) 8 www.reltime.org 9
Closed network with login and high security Creation of groups or courses Discussion forums Shared library for images, videos and documents Chat and messages Phone system where you can call up to 20 people SMS/Group SMS to all members Live video conferences with shared screen and interactive participation (can be recorded and reused) Commercial network with membership fee or sponsors As with Elgg, the users of RelTime have full property right over their own content. Figure 5: Home page on RelTime. Elgg vs. RelTime Both Elgg and RelTime allow us to customise the design and layout, choose between features and most importantly to have full property right over the published material. However, while Elgg is a tool for building social networks from scratch, RelTime is an already developed social network platform ready for use. Elgg users are themselves responsible for software development and maintenance, which means more work and effort for those who are responsible for the POSEIDON social network (the administrators). On the other hand, Elgg is free of charge and gives us total control over the construction of the social network. However, as Elgg is an Open Source solution and free to use and according to the license terms, we are in doubt whether we can charge the users. We will contact Elgg to clarify this issue in order to see if it possible to commercialise the social network through Elgg. RTC Tech is responsible for the development and maintenance of RelTime, including the desired customisation of design, layout and features. This means less work for the administrators of the 10
social network, but at the same time, it requires costs. RTC Tech requires a license fee depending on the amount of features, or a percentage of potential membership fees or sponsor revenue. Considering that the POSEIDON social network will be a part of the commercialised eco- system (see 1. Introduction), the users will have access to all POSEIDON services and will most likely pay membership fees. An optional type of earnings is the use of sponsors, which means adding advertisements to the social network. RelTime can offer an automatic payment system for members of the social network or optionally the ability for us to add selected advertisements. All in all, RelTime seems to offer several already integrated features, which are relevant for the POSEIDON social network. Further, RTC Tech is responsible for operating RelTime as well as customising design, layout and features based on our demands and preferences, which gives us a timesaving flexibility. Finally, RelTime allows us to commercialise the social network as a part of the POSEIDON eco- system. 5. Conclusions Facebook and Google+ are well- established and popular social network platforms, which can offer many of the features wanted for the POSEIDON social network. However, neither Facebook nor Google+ seems to have a user- friendly design and there is no flexibility for customisation. Also, Facebook has shared ownership of all published material, which is not compatible with our demand of having full property right over the POSEIDON social network content. Therefore, we have considered two other platforms: Elgg and RelTime. Both of the platforms allow us to customise the design and layout, decide features and most importantly to have full property right over the published material. However, Elgg is a tool for building social networks from scratch and requires a lot of time, effort and skills to develop and operate the social network. Also, as Elgg is a free Open Source solution, the ability to commercialise the social network seems to be doubtful. RelTime, on the other hand, is an already developed social network platform ready for use, containing several integrated features relevant for POSEIDON. RTC Tech is responsible for developing, operating and customising the social network, which gives us a timesaving flexibility. Finally, RelTime allows us to commercialise the social network as a part of the POSEIDON eco- system. 11