Number Of On-line Systems Research Articles

Applying mechanical philosophy to web science: The case of social machines

Social machines are a prominent focus of attention for those who work in the field of Web and Internet science. Although a number of online systems have been described as social machines (examples include the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia, Reddit, and Galaxy Zoo), there is, as yet, little consensus as to the precise meaning of the term “social machine.” This presents a problem for the scientific study of social machines, especially when it comes to the provision of a theoretical framework that directs, informs, and explicates the scientific and engineering activities of the social machine community. The present paper outlines an approach to understanding social machines that draws on recent work in the philosophy of science, especially work in so-called mechanical philosophy. This is what might be called a mechanistic view of social machines. According to this view, social machines are systems whose phenomena (i.e., events, states, and processes) are explained via an appeal to (online) socio-technical mechanisms. We show how this account is able to accommodate a number of existing attempts to define the social machine concept, thereby yielding an important opportunity for theoretical integration.

Cyber-Physical Systems and Social Machines

Social machines have long been a topic of theoretical and empirical interest for the Web and Internet science community. Although there is no widespread agreement as to the precise meaning of the term “social machine,” the term has served as something of a conceptual anchor for research efforts into a number of online systems, such as Facebook, Wikipedia, and Galaxy Zoo. Recently, the term “social machine” has surfaced in a somewhat different disciplinary context. In particular, it has been applied to systems that are commonly referred to as cyber-physical systems. Here, the residual ambiguity surrounding the meaning of the term “social machine” has stymied efforts to understand the nature of the relationship between social machines and cyber-physical systems. This situation is further complicated by the absence of a precise conceptual understanding of cyber-physical systems. The present paper outlines an approach to understanding both social machines and cyber-physical systems that is intended to resolve this impasse. Inspired by recent work in the philosophy of science, we present a mechanistic (or neo-mechanical) account of social machines that draws attention to the features of socio-technical mechanisms. Such an account, we suggest, is able to accommodate the intuitions of Web scientists regarding the nature of social machines, while simultaneously illuminating the nature of the relationship between social machines and cyber-physical systems. As an added bonus, the account speaks to the interdisciplinary concerns of the Web science community by highlighting a link between the science of social machines and mechanism-based approaches in the social sciences.

In‐house training for online searching at a special library

In 1977, the U.S. General Accounting Office Library greatly increased its staff of online searchers and the number of online systems used. The author developed and conducted in‐house training courses for these systems, including DIALOG, SCORPIO, ORBIT, and the INFORMATION BANK. Training included instruction on general search concepts, system software, and appropriate searching tactics, and various exercises designed to develop appropriate skills. Special courses were designed for librarians without prior online experience, librarians with prior online experience with other systems, and student and clerical personnel. Training has been conducted at intervals from June 1977 to the present. Advantages of this program include continuing contact between instructor and students throughout the learning process and integration of online training into regular work patters.