Thunderwire: A Field Study of an Audio-Only Media Space

To explore the potential of using audio by itself in a shared media system, we studied a workgroup using an audio-only media space. This media space, called Thunderwire, combined high-quality audio with open connections to create a shared space for its users. The two-month field study provided a richly nuanced understanding of this audio space's social use. The system afforded rich sociable interactions. Indeed, within the field study, audio by itself afforded a telepresent environment for its users. However while a usable media space and a useful social space, Thunderwire required its users to adapt to many audio-only conditions.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 1996
• Where: CSCW
• Authors: Debby Hindus, Mark S. Ackerman, Scott D. Mainwaring, Brian Starr
• Keywords: Audio-only Media Space, CSCW 1996, Field Study, Media Space, Social Sciences