[Cosmo-dev] Understanding the Cosmo server side target users

[Mimi Yin]

On Sep 8, 2006, at 11:12 AM, Vinubalaji Gopal wrote:

> On Fri, 2006-09-01 at 17:27 -0700, Mimi Yin wrote:
>
>> I think it would be good to sketch out when and why someone would be
>> logged into their IM client but not have access to their PIM/calendar
>> client (desktop, web or mobile device).
>
> 1. A chandler user who also uses a kiosk to browse the Internet and  
> does
> not want to use the web client at that time (either she is lazy or has
> never used the web client).

Depending on the kiosk scenario, you are more or less likely to log- 
in to IM. If the kiosk session is short, you are also less likely

Specific kiosk scenarios are:
+ I'm travelling, I go to an internet cafe to check my email and do  
some online research for places I want to visit and hotels, etc. I  
might spend a couple of hours at the cafe. Likely to log onto IM.  
Likely to be there long enough to receive an alarm.

+ I'm running across campus and can't remember where my class is.  
Unlikely to log onto IM, unless it's to find someone specific to ask  
where the class is. Unlikely to be at the kiosk long enough to  
receive an alarm.

I think I'm having trouble with this scenario because:
If you are someone who really cares about alarms and you're mobile,  
it seems like depending on
a) being at a kiosk at the right time to receive an alarm; and
b) being at the kiosk long enough to log onto IM
is a risky way to receive alarms.

> 2. A user who does not have Chandler/Web UI running all the time.

I think this is more likely. This assumes the user either:
a) Does not use a desktop calendar client (which I think today, the  
majority of heavy calendar users still use desktop clients and/or  
calendars on mobile devices). But this is will change in the  
future...Although, you could argue that by the time there is  
ubiquitous connectivity (rendering the offline advantage of desktop  
clients irrelevant), there will probably also be ubiquitous mobile  
devices with support for calendaring.

b) May or may not use a desktop calendar, but spends all day, not at  
their personal computer. The most likely scenario I see for this is a  
student who spends all day in the computer lab.

For people who are heavy personal calendar users, I can how it's nice  
to receive alarms in IM simply because it's nice to have it all  
integrated into 1 client that you know you always have on. I'm less  
sure about whether IM notifications are necessity, filling some  
workflow gap that can't be filled in some other, already existing way.

Here's a 3rd scenario that I think is more likely:
I don't use calendar software at all. But I do browse public events  
calendars to see what's going on in my local area. Periodically  
something catches my eye and I'd like to be reminded of it because I  
know I won't remember otherwise. I'm younger than 25, so I think  
email is passe. I'd prefer an IM alarms instead, the day of the event.

> I think we should also add email as a notification system.

Is there anyone out there who uses alarms in unconventional ways?  
e.g. email, SMS, IM etc?

Could you describe how you use them? Is it for a particular kind of  
event? (e.g. recurring tasks versus meetings versus one-off dinner  
party events) Is it in a particular context? (e.g. when I know it's  
going to go off during my commute, when I'm travelling, etc).