The science of social interactions on the web

Summary form only given. Social interactions have always been an important part of human learning and experience. We now know that social interactions are critical in many knowledge and information processes. Research has shown results ranging from influences on our behavior from social networks [Aral2012] to our understanding of social belonging on health [Walton2011], as well as how conflicts and coordination play out in Wikipedia [Kittur2007]. Interestingly, social scientists have studied social interactions for many years, but it wasn´t until very recently that researchers are able to study these mechanisms through the explosion of services and data available on web-based social systems. In this talk, I plan to illustrate a model-driven approach to researching social interactions on the Web. Our research methods and systems are informed by models such as information scent, sense making, information theory, probabilistic models, and evolutionary dynamic models. These models have been used to understand a wide variety of user behaviors, from individuals interacting with social bookmarks in Delicious to groups of people working on articles in Wikipedia. These models range in complexity from a simple set of assumptions to complex equations describing human and group behaviors. By using this model-driven approach, we further our understanding of how knowledge is fundamentally constructed in a social context, and a path forward for further social interaction research. An interesting question is whether a machine can assist humans in being creative and inspire a user during the creation of 3D models or a shape in general. One possible means to achieve this is through a design gallery which presents a variety of computed suggestive designs from which the user can pick the ones he likes the best. The ensuing challenge is how to come up with intriguing suggestions which inspire creativity, rather than banal suggestions which stall the design process. In my talk I will d- scuss about the notion of creative modeling, synthesis of inspiring examples, the analysis of a set, and show a number of recent works that step towards this end.