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Supporting research collaboration through bi-level file synchronization

Published: 27 October 2012 Publication History

Abstract

In this paper, we describe the design and use of Cimetric, a file synchronization application that supports scholarly collaboration. The system design incorporates results of earlier studies that suggest replicating content on a user's personal devices may have different characteristics than replicating content to share it with collaborators. To realize this distinction, Cimetric performs bi-level synchronization: it synchronizes local copies of a versioned repository among collaborators' computers, while it separately synchronizes private working files between each user's personal devices. Through a year's worth of in-house use of Cimetric in a variety of configurations, we were able to investigate key file synchronization issues, including the role of cloud storage given the ability to sync between peers; the strengths and weaknesses of a bi-level design; and which aspects of the synchronization process to reveal to users.

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Cited By

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  • (2022) Cross‐Analysis of Researchers' Different Shared File Management Activities in Cloud Storage Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology10.1002/pra2.72259:1(773-775)Online publication date: 14-Oct-2022
  • (2019)Three Gaps in Opening ScienceComputer Supported Cooperative Work10.1007/s10606-019-09354-z28:3-4(749-789)Online publication date: 1-Jun-2019
  • (2019)The ubiquitous digital fileJournal of the Association for Information Science and Technology10.1002/asi.2422271:1(E1-E32)Online publication date: 4-Dec-2019
  • Show More Cited By

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    cover image ACM Conferences
    GROUP '12: Proceedings of the 2012 ACM International Conference on Supporting Group Work
    October 2012
    342 pages
    ISBN:9781450314862
    DOI:10.1145/2389176
    Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]

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    Publication History

    Published: 27 October 2012

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    Author Tags

    1. cloud storage
    2. file synchronization
    3. scholarly collaboration

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    Group '12
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    Group '12: ACM 2012 International Conference on Support Group Work
    October 27 - 31, 2012
    Florida, Sanibel Island, USA

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    Overall Acceptance Rate 125 of 405 submissions, 31%

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    Cited By

    View all
    • (2022) Cross‐Analysis of Researchers' Different Shared File Management Activities in Cloud Storage Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology10.1002/pra2.72259:1(773-775)Online publication date: 14-Oct-2022
    • (2019)Three Gaps in Opening ScienceComputer Supported Cooperative Work10.1007/s10606-019-09354-z28:3-4(749-789)Online publication date: 1-Jun-2019
    • (2019)The ubiquitous digital fileJournal of the Association for Information Science and Technology10.1002/asi.2422271:1(E1-E32)Online publication date: 4-Dec-2019
    • (2018)How Social Dynamics and the Context of Digital Content Impact Workplace RemixProceedings of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3173574.3174171(1-13)Online publication date: 21-Apr-2018
    • (2018)Exploring New Metaphors for a Networked World through the File BiographyProceedings of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3173574.3173692(1-12)Online publication date: 21-Apr-2018
    • (2015)File synchronization and sharing: User practices and challengesProceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology10.1002/meet.2014.1450510105951:1(1-10)Online publication date: 24-Apr-2015
    • (2013)What Do You See in the Cloud? Understanding the Cloud-Based User Experience through PracticesHuman-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 201310.1007/978-3-642-40480-1_47(678-695)Online publication date: 2013

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