[Video in https://cyber.harvard.edu/events/luncheons/2016/10/Hassan ] There is abundant research on commons-based Peer Production communities, from free/open source software and wikis to fablabs and even community gardens. Research shows how these communities, regardless of their type, follow a deeply unequal distribution of effort (the 1-9-90 rule). This fact frequently generates feelings of frustration and guilt among contributors and users. How can we translate social research into evidence-based interventions to aid these communities? Which online tools would help reduce the invisible wall between contributors and users to facilitate participation? How can we ensure the tools we build respond to the communities' needs? Associate Professor Samer Hassan shares three years of research within the EU-funded P2Pvalue.eu project, aimed at translating social research into the building of online tools to increase the participation and sustainability of commons-based peer production communities. Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, at Harvard University October 4, 2016 at 12:00 pm Harvard Law School campus

1. Translating Research into Online Tools to Increase
Participation in Collaborative Communities
Samer Hassan
@samerP2P

3. Commons-based Peer Production

5. Conflicts

6. Pushing Forward…?
● Passionate
● > Responsibilities
● > Concern
● Anxiety
● Frustration
● Fatigue

7. Pushing Forward…?
● Passionate
● > Responsibilities
● > Concern
● Anxiety
● Frustration
● Fatigue

8. Sustainable?

10. 1-9-90 rule
Users
Core
Contributors

11. Great Theory

12. Could social research help
building solutions to the
detected challenges?

13. ● Fail fast, Fail cheap, Fail often
● Experimental
○ Hypothesis-driven
● Agile
○ Iterative & incremental
● Don’t build things people don’t want
Lean Principles

14. Hypotheses
Insights
Test
Design
Experiments
Scientific Method

15. The Target Needs

21. Think of a community you
participate(d) in...
...and your role within it...

22. I belonged to this 1%

23. I belong to the 9%

24. Yet another 90%

25. ● To delegate and share responsibilities
● To ensure things are done the right way
● To support community sustainability
Role 1%: Common Needs

26. ● To help others, to lead initiatives
(change things, to progress)
● To get recognition from others
Role 9%: Common Needs

27. Role 90%: Common Needs
● To check if aligned to community’s
values/aims
● To explore what is happening
● To be aware of how to get started

28. Aim: 1% ⬅ 9% ⬅ 90%
● Reduction of Frustration & Guilt
● Reduction of Dependency
● Distribution of Workload
● Higher Sustainability?

30. Prototypes for the 1%
● I feel consumed by communication
(meetings, mails...)
● I want accessible, concise & updated
information

31. Prototypes for the 1%
● I feel consumed by communication
(meetings, mails...)
● I want accessible, concise & updated
information

32. Prototypes for the 9%
● I want my contribution to be useful &
meaningful
● I want to feel valued in the community
● I want my reputation to reflect my contribution

33. Prototypes for 1-9%
1%
● I don't want to explain things multiple
times
● I want to help stuck participants
9%:
● I want to learn new things

34. Prototypes for 9-90%
9%:
● I want the community to be inclusive
90%:
● I feel lost
● I don't know how to find information

37. Teem, for the 1%
● I want to share responsibilities
● I want people to know what needs
to be done
● I want people to know how to do
things
● I don't want to explain things
multiple times

38. Teem, for the 9%
● I want to collaborate to keep the
community running
● I want my contribution to be
useful & meaningful
● I feel insecure about how to
participate
● I feel inspired by some
community (core) members
● I want to lead my own initiatives

39. Teem, for the 90%
● I feel lost
● I don't know what’s going on
● I don't know how to get started
● I would like to be aware of what the community
offers
● I don’t care about many community details
● I enjoy feeling part of the community

40. Try it out!
http://teem.works

42. Could Teem be useful in a
context you know? Where?

43. How could you generate new
outcomes from your research to
build tools, policies,
recommendations...?

44. Samer Hassan
Berkman Center at Harvard
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
http://samer.hassan.name
@samerP2P
This presentation is a composition of text and images by Samer Hassan. The text is released as Creative
Commons Attribution 4.0 International. The images are mostly copyrighted and used under Fair Use. The
image logos belong to their corresponding brands, projects or institutions. Sources of other images: CSA
Tabacalera, Calvin & Hobbes, Big Bang Theory, Brainless Tales, Baran (1964), P2Pvalue, GRASIA UCM,
Wikipedia, Microsoft, Journal of Peer Production, Teemu Arina’s slideshare, and unknown others
Questions?