Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Internet of Objects'

This is a practice-based research thesis situated in the research context of the 'Internet of Things', and critiques contemporary theoretical discourse related to the 21st century turn of connecting everyday objects to the World Wide Web. In the last decade we have seen the 'Internet of Things' articulated predominately through three commercial design fictions, each a response to the shift towards pervasive", "ubiquitous" (Weiser 1991), or "context-ware" (Schilit, 1994) computing; where we inhabit spaces with objects capable of sensing, recording and relaying data about themselves and their environments. Through reflecting upon these existing design fictions, through a new combination of theories and practice-based research that embodies them, this thesis proposes a recovery to understanding the role of objects in the 'Internet of Things', which this author believes has been lost since its conception in the mid 2000s. In 2000, HP Labs presented Cooltown, which addressed what HP identified as the 'convergence of Web technology, wireless networks, and portable client devices provides'. Cooltown's primary discourse was to provide 'new design opportunities for computer/communications systems, through an infrastructure to support "web presence" for people, places and things.' (Anders 1998; Barton & Kindberg 2002). IBM's Smarter Planet followed this in 2008 and shifted importance from the act of connecting objects to understanding the value of data as it flows between these objects in a network (Castells 1996; Sterling 2005; Latour 2005). Finally, Cisco presented The Internet of Everything in 2012 and moved the argument on one stage further, identifying that the importance of connected objects lies in the sum of their communication across silos of networks, where data can provide potential insight from which you can improve services (Bleecker 2006). Despite these design and theoretical fictions, the affordances of the Internet of Things first proposed in the mid 2000s has regressed from data to product, driven largely by unchanged discourse argued by those designers at its conception and also the enticement of being the next Google acquisition; instead of pigeons reporting on the environmental conditions of a city (Da Costa 2006), we have thermostats controllable from your smartphone (www.scottishpower.co.uk/connect). Therefore the aim of this thesis is to re-examine the initial potential of the Internet of Things, which is tested through a series of design interventions as research for art and design, (produced as part of my EPSRC funded doctoral studies on the Tales of Things and Electronic Memory research project and also whilst employed as a research assistant on two EPSRC funded research programmes of work Sixth Sense Transport, and The Connected High Street), to understand how we use data to allow an alternative discourse to emerge in order to recover the role of a networked object, rather than producing prototypical systems.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Florida, 2001.
Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 30 p.; also contains graphics. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 29).

The prevalent visions of ambient intelligence leverage natural interactions between users and available services in a smart space. In recent years, we have seen a huge interest from industry and academia in using handheld devices to interact with things, places and people in the real world. To facilitate such interactions, things are usually annotated with RFID tags or visual markers. These tags or markers are read by a handheld device equipped with an integrated RFID reader or a camera, in order to fetch related information and initiate further actions. Interacting with the Internet of Things (IoT) in a real environment has become increasingly desirable and feasible. This thesis contributes to the domain of physical interactions with IoT; however, we use a spatial-geometric approach instead of RFID or marker based solutions. Using this approach, for example, a user can point his/her handheld device to an annotated thing, from a distance, for the purpose of interaction. The pointing direction and location is determined based on the fusion of the mobile position and of the accelerometer data of the handheld device. To annotate things, their geometric coordinates are specified and related information or services are associated to them. In this thesis, we present a comprehensive and extensible framework to integrate various physical interactions with IoT into multimedia applications. The framework supports the implementations of pointMe, touchMe, and context-aware based interactions with geometrically annotated IoT. We define specific methods and practices that can be incorporated in order to build the interactions. We realize smart home, atlas learning, presentation interaction, smart haptic interaction, and learning based video interaction game prototypes in order to perform experiments and demonstrate the applicability and potential of the proposed geometric based annotation approach. In the analysis of the interaction techniques of the prototypes, we present the advantages and disadvantages of the geometric based annotation of IoT as seen by potential users, in comparison to RFID tags or visual markers based approaches.

Les communications sans fil, déjà très présentes dans notre société, soulèvent de nouveaux défis dans le cadre du déploiement de l'Internet des Objets (IoT) tels que le développement de nouvelles méthodes de décodage au niveau de la couche physique permettant d'assurer de bonnes performances pour la transmission de messages courts. En particulier, les codes LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) sont une famille de codes correcteurs d'erreurs très connus pour leurs excellentes performances asymptotiques lorsqu'ils sont décodés par l'algorithme de propagation de croyance (BP, pour Belief Propagation, en anglais). Cependant, la capacité de correction de l'algorithme BP se retrouve fortement dégradée pour les codes LDPC courts. Ainsi, cette thèse porte sur l'amélioration du décodage des codes LDPC courts, grâce notamment à des outils d'apprentissage automatique, tels que les réseaux de neurones.Après avoir introduit les notions et caractéristiques des codes LDPC et du décodage BP,ainsi que la modélisation du BP par un réseau de neurones récurrent (BP-Recurrent NeuralNetwork ou BP-RNN), nous développons de nouvelles méthodes d'entraînement afin de spécialiser le décodeur BP-RNN sur des motifs d'erreurs partageant des propriétés structurelles similaires. Ces approches de spécialisation sont associées à des architectures de décodage composées de plusieurs BP-RNNs spécialisés, où chaque BP-RNN est entraîné à corriger un type différent de motif d'erreurs (diversité de décodage). Nous nous intéressons ensuite au post-traitement du BP (ou du BP-RNN) avec un décodage par statistiques ordonnées (Ordered Statistics Decoding ou OSD) afin de se rapprocher de la performance du décodage par maximum de vraisemblance. Pour améliorer les performances du post-traitement, nous optimisons son entrée grâce à un neurone simple, puis nous introduisons une stratégie de décodage pour un post-traitement par OSD multiples. Il est alors montré que cette stratégie tire efficacement partie de la diversité de ses entrées, fournissant ainsi un moyen efficace de combler l'écart avec le décodage par maximum de vraisemblance
Wireless communications, already very present in our society, still raise new challengesas part of the deployment of the Internet of Things (IoT) such as the development of newdecoding methods at the physical layer ensuring good performance for the transmission ofshort messages. In particular, Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codes are a family of errorcorrecting codes well-known for their excellent asymptotic error correction performanceunder iterative Belief Propagation (BP) decoding. However, the error correcting capacity ofthe BP algorithm is severely deteriorated for short LDPC codes. Thus, this thesis focuses on improving the decoding of short LDPC codes, thanks in particular to machine learning tools such as neural networks.After introducing the notions and characteristics of LDPC codes and BP decoding, aswell as the modeling of the BP algorithm by a Recurrent Neural Network (BP-RecurrentNeural Network or BP-RNN), we develop new training methods specializing the BP-RNN ondecoding error events sharing similar structural properties. These specialization approaches are subsequently associated decoding architectures composed of several specialized BP-RNNs, where each BP-RNN is trained to decode a specific kind of error events (decoding diversity). Secondly, we are interested in the post-processing of the BP (or the BP-RNN) with an Ordered Statistics Decoding (OSD) in order to close the gap the maximum likelihood (ML) decoding performance. To improve the post-processing performance, we optimize its input thanks to a single neuron and we introduce a multiple OSD post-processing decoding strategy. We then show that this strategy effectively takes advantage of the diversity of its inputs, thus providing an effective way to close the gap with ML decoding

Internet intermediaries facilitate a wide range of conduct using services supplied over the layered architecture of modern communications networks. Members of this class include search engines, social networks, internet service providers, website operators, hosts, and payment gateways, which together exert a critical and growing influence upon national and global economies, governments and cultures. This research examines who should face legal responsibility when wrongdoers utilise these services tortiously to cause harm to others. It has three parts. Part 1 seeks to understand the nature of an intermediary and how its liability differs from the liability of primary defendants. It classifies intermediaries according to a new layered, functional taxonomy and argues that many instances of secondary liability in English private law reflect shared features and underlying policies, including optimal loss-avoidance and derivative liability premised on an assumption of responsibility. Part 2 analyses intermediaries’ monetary liability for secondary wrongdoing in two areas of English law: defamation and copyright. It traces the historical evolution of these doctrines at successive junctures in communications technology, before identifying and defending limits on that liability which derive from three main sources: (i) in-built limits contained in definitions of secondary wrongdoing; (ii) European safe harbours and general limits on remedies; and (iii) statutory defences and exceptions. Part 3 examines intermediaries’ non-monetary liability, in particular their obligations to disclose information about alleged primary wrongdoers and to cease facilitating wrongdoing where it is necessary and proportionate to do so. It proposes a new suite of non-facilitation remedies designed to restrict access to tortious internet materials, remove such materials from search engines, and reduce the profitability of wrongdoing. It concludes with several recommendations to improve the effectiveness and proportionality of remedies by reference to considerations of architecture, anonymity, efficient procedures, and fundamental rights.

Set in the relatively new and fast developing field of investigation known as Internet of Things (IoT), this research starts by looking at the lack of critical and conceptual reflection on the area. With a main research question that challenges the underlying concepts of the IoT, the study develops a performative design framework to critique the field of investigation. The main corpus consists of: 1. speculative inquiry into the ontological dualisms of ‘objects’ and ‘things’ and the emerging social dimension of humans and non-humans; 2. the identification of an ontological-performative model based on the idea of Props; 3. the entanglement of theory and practice to construct a performative design framework, called the Internet of Props, which includes: an enabling platform (Smarter Planet Lab) and a set of design strategies (Transactional Props) to demonstrate and evaluate this model and framework; 4. a combined-evaluation conversational analysis methodology that assesses the performativity of the setting and the Props, through linguistic and socio-behavioural studies. Inspired by the concepts of ontological theatre, the entanglement of humans and non-humans, and the Internet of People; the IoT is imagined and performed in a theory-driven, practice-based investigation of the Internet of Props, which aims to bring new theoretical and practical knowledge for the future of the IoT.

This thesis is an anthropological study of Internet sexual offending, more specifically the viewing of child abuse media. It is based on 17 months of participant-observation in UK group programs for individuals who had downloaded illegal child abuse media, semi-structured interviews with participants, program staff, and police, and staff focus groups. Through engaging directly with offenders and those managing them, it provides an in-depth, qualitative understanding of how Internet use and perceptions of online spaces play a key role in Internet sexual offending, while also asking broader questions about online sociality, morality, and effects on normative behaviour. The central argument posits that in moving beyond commonplace explanations for Internet offending, more attention must be given to Internet use, perceptions and constructions of online spaces, and effects on social norms to explain this phenomenon. It then follows to suggest that for some offenders, these elements can be instrumental in their sexualization of children and choice to view abusive media. The thesis specifically explores why and how some people in the UK engage with illegal child abuse media, with particular attention to notions of risk, childhood, morality, and the Internet. Employing Foucauldian and neo-Foucauldian theory, anthropology of the Internet, and constructionist theories of childhood, focus is placed on multiple areas: the potential social, emotional, sexual, and Internet-specific factors associated with offending; participants' relationships with the Internet and constructions of online spaces; participants' perceptions of childhood and children online and offline; and, societal and institutional efforts to respond to the above, including the larger justice system and fieldwork group program. The general research areas are social science of the Internet, childhood studies, human sexuality, group therapeutic processes, policy and law, and research methodology and ethics.

Este estudo pretende disponibilizar diretrizes para uma linha de trabalho conjunto entre as áreas de estudo do Design, da Interação Humano-Computador (IHC) e da Pedagogia. A carência de pesquisas que envolvam estas três áreas revela a falta de critérios adequadamente definidos para a construção de suportes educacionais a distância. Esta investigação analisa a atuação do designer como potencializador da informação e da comunicação nos ambientes de aprendizagem mediados pela internet. Nos estudos realizados na presente dissertação, problemas de comunicação e de informação foram considerados fatores essenciais na configuração de ambientes educacionais. Esta investigação trouxe à tona a necessidade de se considerar o uso de ferramentas de Design na configuração de ambientes para educação a distância, principalmente neste momento em que a tecnologia da informação está transformando sensivelmente o entorno e as relações sociais dos indivíduos. A presente pesquisa apresenta um Guia para a análise do Design de Interface com o objetivo de testar aspectos de usabilidade em ambiente de aprendizagem a distância, à luz do Design, da IHC e da Pedagogia Com tais procedimentos visa-se o desenvolvimento de interfaces centradas no usuário e a melhoria dos padrões de ambientes educacionais, tornando o aprendizado a distância mais produtivo e interativo. Para a validação do guia, objeto da presente dissertação, foi utilizado o ambiente Oficina Projeto Didático, que é oferecida pela CCEAD, Coordenação Central de Educação a Distância da PUC-Rio. Este, utiliza o LMS (Learning Management System)denominado Aulanet.
This study intends to put available a plan of direction to a job line connecting of three areas: Graphic Design Studies, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Pedagogy. The lack of researches that involves these three areas reveals the lack of suitably defined criteria to build distance learning support. This investigation analyses the designer performance as an area that can make easy to understand the information and the communication in the learning environment mediated through internet. Information and communication problems were considered essential factors in the educational environment configuration for the studies done in this present dissertation. This investigation brought up the necessity to consider the use of Design tools to configurate distance learning environments, specially in this moment where information technology is sensibly transforming individual`s enviroments and the social relationship. This research presents a Guide to Interface Design s analysis, the goal is to test usability aspects in distance learning environments, under the focus of Design, Human-Computer Interaction and Pedagogy. Such procedures intend to develop the interfaces focused on the user and enhance educational environments standards, making the distance learning more productive and interactive. The Guide validation, object of this present dissertation, was done with the use of the environment Oficina Projeto Didático, offered by CCEAD (Coordenação Central de Educação a Distância da PUC-Rio, which uses LMS (Learning Management System) denominated Aulanet.

Esta dissertação consiste na análise de três audiovisuais educativos que apresentam a demonstração do teorema de Pitágoras. Os audiovisuais são \"Prova visual do teorema de Pitágoras\", da organização Khan Academy, \"Pitágoras na prática\", da revista eletrônica Ciência Hoje das Crianças, e \"Teorema de Pitágoras\", do portal educativo Eureka.in. O objetivo deste trabalho é identificar a maneira como o enunciador de cada um desses audiovisuais persuade o enunciatário a querer entrar em conjunção com o objeto de valor \"compreensão do teorema de Pitágoras\". A análise desse fazer persuasivo é feita, principalmente, por meio da depreensão do éthos discursivo da enunciação, utilizando-se como base teórica a semiótica desenvolvida por Algirdas Julien Greimas e seus desdobramentos, como a semiótica tensiva, desenvolvida por Claude Zilberberg e Jacques Fontanille. O conceito de éthos discursivo utilizado é fundamentado no conceito de éthos aristotélico. Na Retórica, Aristóteles afirma que a persuasão em um discurso se dá por meio de três características: o carácter (éthos) moral do orador, o modo como o ouvinte ouve o discurso e as demonstrações feitas no discurso. Segundo Aristóteles (2005), o éthos é uma das principais maneiras de persuasão em um discurso. A persuasão pelo éthos (ou caráter) consistiria em fazer uma boa imagem de si mesmo para ganhar a confiança do público. Considerando que o éthos do enunciador é intrínseco à enunciação, procuramos depreendê-lo por meio de aspectos como marcas da enunciação no enunciado debreagens de pessoa, tempo e espaço, por exemplo e por meio de escolhas do enunciador que se observam tanto no plano do conteúdo como no plano da expressão. Concluiu-se que as três enunciações analisadas possuem imagens distintas de enunciador, que, por sua vez, projetam diferentes enunciatários e estabelecem diferentes modos de ensino e aprendizagem.
This dissertation consists of an analysis of three educational videos which presents the Pythagorean theorem proof. The videos are \"Visual Pythagorean Theorem proof\" from Khan Academy organization, \"Pythagoras in practice\", from Ciência Hoje das Crianças electronic journal, and \"Pythagorean Theorem\", from Eureka.in education portal. The aim of this study is to identify how the enunciator of each of these videos persuades the enunciatee to be engaged in conjunction with the object of value \"understanding of Pythagorean theorem\". The analysis of this persuasive doing is performed mainly through the comprehension of discursive ethos of enunciation, using as main theoretical basis the semiotics created by Algirdas Julien Greimas and its unfolding, as the tensive semiotics developed by Claude Zilberberg and Jacques Fontanille. The idea of discursive ethos is based on the concept of Aristotelian ethos. In Rhetoric, Aristotle states that persuasion in a discourse takes place through three characteristics: the moral character (ethos) of the speaker, the way the listener receives the discourse and the statements made in the discourse. According to Aristotle (2005), ethos is one of the main persuasive factors in a discourse. Persuasion by ethos (or character) would consist of presenting a good self-image to gain public confidence. Whereas the ethos of the enunciator is intrinsic to the enunciation, we try to deduce it through aspects like marks of enunciation in the enunciate débrayage of person, time and space, for example and through choices of the enunciator that are observed in the content plane as well as in the expression plane. It was concluded that the three enunciations analyzed delineate different images of enunciator, which in turn design different enunciatees and evoke different ways of thinking about teaching and learning in the context of widespread dissemination of new technologies.

L’informatique en nuage (cloud computing) est souvent le modèle de calcul le plus référencé pour l’internet des objets (Internet of Things).Ce modèle adopte une architecture où toutes les données de capteur sont stockées et traitées de façon centralisée. Malgré de nombreux avantages, cette architecture souffre d’une faible évolutivité alors même que les données disponibles sur le réseau sont en constante augmentation. Il est à noter que, déjà actuellement, plus de50 % des connexions sur Internet sont inter objets. Cela peut engendrer un problème de fiabilité dans les applications temps réel. Le calcul en périphérie (Edge computing) qui est basé sur une architecture décentralisée, est connue comme une solution pour ce problème émergent en : (1) renforçant l’équipement au bord du réseau et (2) poussant le traitement des données vers le bord.Le calcul en périphérie nécessite des noeuds de capteurs dotés d’une plus grande capacité logicielle et d’une plus grande puissance de traitement, bien que contraints en consommation d’énergie. Les systèmes matériels hybrides constitués de FPGAs et de processeurs offrent un bon compromis pour cette exigence. Les FPGAs sont connus pour permettre des calculs exhibant un parallélisme spatial, aussi que pour leur rapidité, tout en respectant un budget énergétique limité. Coupler un processeur au FPGA pour former un noeud garantit de disposer d’un environnement logiciel flexible pour ce nœud.La conception d’applications pour ce type de systèmes hybrides (réseau/logiciel/matériel) reste toujours une tâche difficile. Elle couvre un vaste domaine d’expertise allant du logiciel de haut niveau au matériel de bas niveau (FPGA). Il en résulte un flux de conception de système complexe, qui implique l’utilisation d’outils issus de différents domaines d’ingénierie. Une solution commune est de proposer un environnement de conception hétérogène qui combine/intègre l’ensemble de ces outils. Cependant, l’hétérogénéité intrinsèque de cette approche peut compromettre la fiabilité du système lors des échanges de données entre les outils.L’objectif de ce travail est de proposer une méthodologie et un environnement de conception homogène pour un tel système. Cela repose sur l’application d’une méthodologie de conception moderne, en particulier la conception orientée objet (OOD), au domaine des systèmes embarqués. Notre choix de OOD est motivé par la productivité avérée de cette méthodologie pour le développement des systèmes logiciels. Dans le cadre de cette thèse, nous visons à utiliser OOD pour développer un environnement de conception homogène pour les systèmes de type Edge Computing. Notre approche aborde trois problèmes de conception: (1) la conception matérielle, où les principes orientés objet et les patrons de conception sont utilisés pour améliorer la réutilisation, l’adaptabilité et l’extensibilité du système matériel. (2) la co-conception matériel/logiciel, pour laquelle nous proposons une utilisation de OOD afin d’abstraire l’intégration et la communication entre matériel et logiciel, ce qui encourage la modularité et la flexibilité du système. (3) la conception d’un intergiciel pour l’Edge Computing. Ainsi il est possible de reposer sur un environnement de développement centralisé des applications distribuées† tandis ce que l’intergiciel facilite l’intégration des nœuds périphériques dans le réseau, et en permet la reconfiguration automatique à distance. Au final, notre solution offre une flexibilité logicielle pour la mise en oeuvre d’algorithmes distribués complexes, et permet la pleine exploitation des performances des FPGAs. Ceux-ci sont placés dans les nœuds, au plus près de l’acquisition des données par les capteurs, pour déployer un premier traitement intensif efficace
Cloud computing is often the most referenced computational model for Internet of Things. This model adopts a centralized architecture where all sensor data is stored and processed in a sole location. Despite of many advantages, this architecture suffers from a low scalability while the available data on the network is continuously increasing. It is worth noting that, currently, more than 50% internet connections are between things. This can lead to the reliability problem in realtime and latency-sensitive applications. Edge-computing which is based on a decentralized architecture, is known as a solution for this emerging problem by: (1) reinforcing the equipment at the edge (things) of the network and (2) pushing the data processing to the edge.Edge-centric computing requires sensors nodes with more software capability and processing power while, like any embedded systems, being constrained by energy consumption. Hybrid hardware systems consisting of FPGA and processor offer a good trade-off for this requirement. FPGAs are known to enable parallel and fast computation within a low energy budget. The coupled processor provides a flexible software environment for edge-centric nodes.Applications design for such hybrid network/software/hardware (SW/HW) system always remains a challenged task. It covers a large domain of system level design from high level software to low-level hardware (FPGA). This result in a complex system design flow and involves the use of tools from different engineering domains. A common solution is to propose a heterogeneous design environment which combining/integrating these tools together. However the heterogeneous nature of this approach can pose the reliability problem when it comes to data exchanges between tools.Our motivation is to propose a homogeneous design methodology and environment for such system. We study the application of a modern design methodology, in particular object-oriented design (OOD), to the field of embedded systems. Our choice of OOD is motivated by the proven productivity of this methodology for the development of software systems. In the context of this thesis, we aim at using OOD to develop a homogeneous design environment for edge-centric systems. Our approach addresses three design concerns: (1) hardware design where object-oriented principles and design patterns are used to improve the reusability, adaptability, and extensibility of the hardware system. (2) hardware / software co-design, for which we propose to use OOD to abstract the SW/HW integration and the communication that encourages the system modularity and flexibility. (3) middleware design for Edge Computing. We rely on a centralized development environment for distributed applications, while the middleware facilitates the integration of the peripheral nodes in the network, and allows automatic remote reconfiguration. Ultimately, our solution offers software flexibility for the implementation of complex distributed algorithms, complemented by the full exploitation of FPGAs performance. These are placed in the nodes, as close as possible to the acquisition of the data by the sensors† in order to deploy a first effective intensive treatment

This research is an exploration of how the capabilities of the Internet may have influenced customer preference structures and how these influences may, in turn, have affected loyalty behaviours. These relationships are explored from both customers’ and companies’ perspectives. A theoretical model is developed which comprises four main components. These are (1) pre-purchase preference structures; (2) post-purchase preference structures (3) the Internet channel and (4) loyalty behaviours. The Internet channel is shown as having a modifying effect on pre- and post-purchase preference structures, which in turn relate to influences in loyalty behaviours. From the customer’s perspective the theoretical model was quantitatively tested by developing pre- and post-purchase preference structures from a choice-based conjoint experiment on a sample of online and offline grocery shoppers. The results showed that these preference structures differed significantly on a number of attributes. The theoretical model was further tested by linking the utility values from the choice-based conjoint experiment to loyalty variables in a structural equation model. The results showed that the theoretical model needed adjustment to fit the underlying data. The offline shoppers’ group model had a better fit to the data than did the online group. The company perspective was developed through a longitudinal study of four U.K. companies in different industries. The qualitative data collected in these studies was compared and contrasted with the theoretical model. The emergent pattern within this analysis showed that companies with a strong understanding of customer preference structures in a traditional marketing channel, was no guarantee that the capabilities of the Internet would be used to strengthen performance on those preferences. One common theme that emerged from interviews with companies was that those who rapidly developed new levels of performance on customer preferences using the capabilities of the Internet had made the Internet a major component of their business model. The qualitative data showed companies as either adopting a transactional or an informational approach to their Internet channel strategy with radically different implications for their business models.

The study investigates the rise of online platforms that support teacher-to-teacher knowledge mobilisation. The adoption of the interpretative approach focuses the investigation on how the online platforms, their resources and the learning opportunities they provide are conceptualised by teachers in relation to their broader teaching practice, workplace culture and professional learning. The study is framed by two overarching research questions. (1) What is the nature of the knowledge being shared and reconstructed by teachers in Internet-mediated knowledge mobilisation? (2) What is the nature of the learning arising from teacher-to-teacher Internet-mediated knowledge mobilisation? The study employs a multiple case-study design to investigate two United States based online platforms, which facilitate teacher-to-teacher knowledge sharing. Twenty teachers from across the two cases were selected to participate in the study. A qualitative methodology was utilised. Teachers participated in an individual, face-to-face interview. In the two months following the initial interview teachers completed a weekly journal log detailing their engagement with the platform. Upon the completion of their journal logs, teachers participated in a follow-up interview via Skype. To help to contextualise the individual teachers within the broader case and to enrich their personal stories, observations of the platforms occurred throughout the data collection period. The study proposes a new theoretical model for how to conceptualise Internet-mediated knowledge mobilisation, the knowledge that is produced and the learning that occurs through the reconstruction process. It emphasises the connection between offline and online contexts and the role the platforms play in breaking down the boundaries between teachers' school-based practice and online resources and learning opportunities. The framework encapsulates the combining of the individual and their contexts of action, together with the platform and the information and knowledge it contains, to determine and shape the operation of the knowledge reconstruction process and the learning that transpires. Internet-mediated knowledge mobilisation facilitates the development of teachers' personal, practical knowledge by providing insight into the instructional practice of teachers and exposing teachers to new ideas and perspectives, which support the expansion of their propositional structures and episodic knowledge. Access to relevant, teacher-created materials increases the efficiency and effectiveness with which teachers can undertake elements of their practice, while also promoting learning through participation in work-based tasks. Individualism emerges as the dominant mode of engagement and learning in the study, with individual teachers regulating not only how and when they engage but also determining the outcomes they construct from their actions. The Internet, as a knowledge mediator, opens up new possibilities that are not available in teachers' offline contexts. It not only breaks down boundaries between teachers, but it also collapses boundaries between the various settings of teachers' professional practice and learning, effectively merging the offline and online contexts of teachers' work. The dual contexts of the platforms offer specific affordances that help to shape teachers' engagement, while also acting to promote new learning processes that do not exist in offline knowledge mobilisation.

This thesis presents the Simple Internet of Things Enabler (SITE), a smart home solution that allows users to specify and centrally control IoT smart objects. Unlike most existing systems, SITE supports End-User Development (EUD). It includes features that make the system accessible to users that do not possess a background in Information Technology (IT). Hence, it defines a simple language for the specification of control rules for smart objects. It also provides a user interface to graphically illustrate data received from smart objects. Furthermore, we present the SITE architecture and describe the components that enable users to define, register, and operate smart objects within a smart home environment. Since deploying applications on the cloud renders many advantages pertaining to data security, robustness, and elasticity of resources, we additionally propose a cloud-based architecture for SITE. In this case, SITE acts as a service hosted on a cloud platform that realizes monitoring and control of a smart home remotely. Moreover, since most of the objects in any environment are not inherently smart, we propose a framework that affords “everyday” objects the necessary modules to measure and report their state. Hence, users realize the smart objects using a transducer network framework that supports the amalgamation of multiple transducers into a single smart object. To make these objects easily reconfigurable, we apply a plug and play mechanism to enable the clustering of any number of transducers. We propose an algorithm that dynamically detects added and removed transducers from a smart object. To assess the usability of SITE, we conduct an empirical study involving 20 participants belonging to two user groups: users with technical training (IT users) and users without technical training (Non-IT users). We demonstrate that both user groups can satisfactorily build smart objects and define control rules in a smart home environment using SITE.

This thesis reports on a research project investigating how women use the internet, and how this use is productive of femininity. It takes an approach to researching this technology that examines what it becomes when it is used, and looks in depth at this internet use in a small number of women’s lives. Diaries, online and offline interviews, photographs and participation online were used to investigate their use of and experience of the internet, to investigate what is particular about women’s use. The project attempted to think differently about the internet, to use a relational approach, influenced by phenomenology and home geography to argue that in order to understand the internet we need to consider embodied practices and the objects and movements that make it possible. The entity of the internet emerges in a range of modalities, with human, non-human, material and semiotic components in a constantly shifting ecology of relations, many of these gendered. It is not a simple or discrete entity. This means it can operate in the lives of women in very diverse ways, from a formal setting oriented to work, to a purely leisure uses, mediated through rooms, posture, expertise and affect.

Malvoyance et cécité sont sources d'importantes difficultés de mobilité chez les personnes qu'elles touchent. Pour tenter d'alléger la charge que font peser ces difficultés, des dispositifs d'assistance variés ont été imaginés, conçus, testés, et parfois adoptés. La conception de tels dispositifs d'assistance à la mobilité se heurte à l'ampleur de la problématique, située à l'intersection de trois domaines déjà individuellement complexes : malvoyance, mobilité, et perception. L'analyse de plusieurs types de dispositifs d'assistance – cannes classiques, électroniques, dispositifs urbains, dispositifs non directement dédiés à la mobilité – nous a aidé à faire ressortir plusieurs angles d'approche, selon les caractéristiques techniques, les fonctionnalités, la forme, et la dépendance à une infrastructure. Pris ensemble, ils ont permis de dresser un portrait général des dispositifs existants. À côté de ces approches assez classiques, nous proposons un modèle d'analyse des dispositifs selon la manière dont ils s'insèrent dans le processus perception / mobilité des personnes. Ce modèle présente l'intérêt de pouvoir s'appliquer, a priori, à l'ensemble des dispositifs et d'être à la fois pertinent dans leur évaluation et leur classification. Nous avons conçu et développé un dispositif d'assistance électronique, le système 2SEES reposant, comme son prédécesseur le SEES, sur trois plates-formes : une canne intelligente, un smartphone, et un serveur. Les problématiques d'autonomie et d'universalité, primordiales dans tout dispositif électronique mobile, sont explicitées et approfondies. Une nouveauté est la prise en compte des problématiques de robustesse : le 2SEES est donc construit autour de l'équilibre complexe entre autonomie, universalité, et robustesse, notions relativement peu visibles dans les travaux existants. Pour augmenter à la fois la robustesse et l'autonomie, nous avons intégré un nombre important de capteurs et de processeurs dans la canne, à la fois par la duplication de composants, de façon à augmenter la tolérance aux pannes, et par l'intégration de composants hétérogènes, afin d'augmenter la robustesse face à la diversité des environnements. Deux aspects de cet équilibre ont été plus spécifiquement étudiés. D'une part, la nécessité de robustesse a été mise en évidence par une analyse des affinités entre plusieurs types de capteurs d'obstacles et différents matériaux constituants potentiels d'obstacles. D'autre part, nous avons développé un prototype de fonctionnalité de localisation peu dépendante d'infrastructures, et donc déployable rapidement, ainsi qu'économe en énergie. Cette fonctionnalité repose principalement sur des capteurs embarqués (encodeur de roue, capteurs inertiels) et sur un filtre particulaire simplifié, qui estime la position de la personne en vérifiant la cohérence de trajectoires dérivées des données capteurs avec la carte du lieu. Outre la recherche de cet équilibre entre robustesse, autonomie, et universalité, nous avons développé une fonctionnalité novatrice de communication avec les objets intelligents, nommée SO2SEES. Cette fonctionnalité permet à l'utilisateur de poser des questions en langage naturel au système 2SEES, auxquelles ce dernier répond en exploitant les informations mises à disposition par les objets intelligents environnants. Afin de simplifier le système, la personne ne pose pas ses propres questions, mais les sélectionne dans un ensemble proposé en fonction du contexte formé parles objets présents et les données qu'ils mettent à disposition. Ce choix entraîne un basculement d'un système de compréhension du langage naturel, fonctionnant classiquement grâce à l'apprentissage machine, vers un système expert travaillant sur des bases de connaissances distribuées et dynamiques. (...)
Visual impairment and blindness are sources of mobility difficulties for the affected people. In orderto lighten the burden of these difficulties, many mobility aids have been imagined, designed, tested, and more or less adopted. Designers of such assistive systems soon run into the complexity of the issue, which stands at the intersection of three domains that are, by themselves, complex: visual impairment, mobility, and perception.Having decided to design an electronic assistive system from the beginning, we tried to step back and analyzed a wide range of blind aids: white canes, mobile electronic devices serving different mobility purposes, urban systems, and systems not primarily designed for mobility. Their diversity helped us analyze assistive systems through several prisms: according to their technical characteristics, their functions, their shape, and their dependence to an infrastructure. Taken individually, each of these approaches quickly shows its limits, but, together, they draw an interesting portrait of the existing devices. Besides these rather classical approaches, we propose a new model for analyzing assistive systems, which relies on the way these systems take place in a person's perception / mobility process. This model has the advantages of being, a priori, relevant forall assistive systems – in spite of their dissimilarity – and meaningful for both evaluation and classification.We have designed and built an electronic mobility aid, called the 2SEES system. Like its predecessor, the SEES system, the 2SEES relies on three platforms: a smart cane, a smartphone, anda cloud computing back-end. The issues of energy consumption and geographical universality, essential for any mobile device, are made explicit and studied. A novelty of the 2SEES resides in its account of reliability issues ; it is thus designed around the complex equilibrium between energy consumption, universality, and reliability. Despite their importance in a system destined to be adopted by end users, these three notions are scarcely visible in the relevant literature.To concurrently enhance robustness and autonomy, we have integrated several sensors and processors in the smart cane, both by introducing redundancy, for fault tolerance, and by integratingheterogeneous sensors, for robustness against the diversity of environments.Two aspects of this equilibrium have been further studied. First, the need for robustness has been highlighted by a study of affinities between obstacle sensors and several types of potential obstacle materials. Secondly, we have tried to develop an energy-efficient indoor localization function that islittle dependent on infrastructures, and therefore easily scalable. This function works with embedded sensors (wheel encoder, inertial measurement unit) and a simplified particle filter, which estimates the position by checking the coherence of trajectories derived from sensor data against themap of the location.In addition to this work on the balance between robustness, energy consumption, and universality, we have developed a novel function, named SO2SEES, which allows communication between usersof the 2SEES and smart objects. This function enables users to ask, in natural language, questions tothe 2SEES, which are answered using information coming from surrounding smart objects. In orderto keep the system simple, users do not formulate their own questions, but are instead invited to pick them in a set of predefined questions, which are proposed by the system according to the nearby objects and the information they offer. This mode of operation shifts the system from a natural language processing artificial intelligence to an expert system working on dynamic and distributed knowledge bases. In this latter configuration, the main issue is the interoperability between the 2SEES and the smart objects and their back-ends that take part in the functionality

Internet technologies are increasingly advocated as a means for transforming health care and improving people’s health. In the field of e-health questions on the health implications of internet use are typically approached through attempts at measuring the effect of internet use on health outcomes. In this, information is usually conceptualised as a form of knowledge/power and online information practices are enrolled in discourses on patient empowerment. Taking the different meanings ascribed to information in these approaches as my point of departure, in this thesis I rethink the implications of internet use on health through an empirical exploration of alternative conceptualisations of the relationship between information and health in the context of contemporary HIV treatment and care. I do this through two analytical moves. First, drawing on the concept of performativity, a concern with what effect internet use has on health is turned into one of how internet use enacts health. Second, rather than treating information as knowledge/power, through an analysis of how a specific group of women ‘living with HIV’ in the UK use the internet, I reconfigure the connections between internet use and health through a conceptualisation of information as care. Drawing on a range of empirical materials – including forty-seven in-depth interviews with patients and internet content providers, non-participant observations, document and website analysis – three areas of health-related internet use are analysed in detail: the seeking out of health-related and specifically biomedical information; the seeking out and sharing of experiential knowledge and narratives about living with HIV; meeting prospective partners and dating. However, rather than studying these areas of internet use in order to interrogate what they can tell us about the internet, I analyse them as part of the ethical regime of ‘living with HIV’, in which the virus, previously thought of as ‘terminal’, becomes, through info and bio technologies, normalised as ‘chronic’. From this perspective, enacting health not only entails working on and with one’s body, but also always invokes its distribution across bodies, to other areas and relations, including internet technologies and the networks of relations established via these technologies.

L’Internet des Objets (IdO) intègre les réseaux de capteurs à Internet, et ouvre la voie pour des systèmes ou des écosystèmes ayant pour but d’aider les gens à vivre dans des mondes à la fois physiques et cybernétiques. L’IdO offre l’omniprésence d’objets capables d'interagir les uns avec les autres et de coopérer avec leurs voisins pour atteindre des objectifs communs. Ces objets dits"Intelligents" (OI), peuvent détecter l'environnement et communiquer avec d’autres objets. La création d’OI et de systèmes d’IdO fait intervenir des acteurs d’expertises très diverses. Ainsi, il devient indispensable d’avoir des descriptions standardisées et sémantiques pour résoudre les problèmes liés à l’interopérabilité et l’hétérogénéité sémantique entre les différentes ressources disponibles d’une part, et entre les différents intervenants à la conception/fabrication des OI, d’autre part. De ce fait, nous avons proposé le Framework sémantique et générique FSMS, structuré en un ensemble de modules ontologiques pour la conception/fabrication d’un OI. Une méthodologie de support à ce Framework a été proposée. Elle se fonde sur les mêmes modules ontologiques identifiés dans la composante sémantique du FSMS. Ces modules ontologiques forment l’ontologie SMS pierre angulaire de cette thèse. Un processus générique basé sur une description sémantique des composants structurels et comportementaux d’un OI a été également proposé en vue d'une gestion intelligente de la conceptiond’un OI. Ce processus a ensuite été mis en application pour des Vêtements Intelligents de sport. Un OI étant destiné à être réutilisé à différents contextes d’usage, une approche de reconfiguration/adaptationdu fonctionnement de l'OI a été proposée. Celle-ci trouve à son tour son fondement dans l’ontologie modulaire SMS
The Internet of Things (IoT) integrates sensor networks with the Internet, and paves the way for systems or ecosystems to help people live in both physical and cyber worlds. IoT offers the ubiquity of objects that are able to interact with each other and cooperate with their neighbors to achieve common goals. These objects, called "Smart" (SO), can detect the environment and communicate with other objects. The creation of SO and IoT system involves actors of very diverse expertise. Hence, it becomes essential to have standardized and semantic descriptions to solve the problems related to the interoperability and the semantic heterogeneity between the different available resources on the one hand, and between the different stakeholders designing/manufacturing the SO, on the other hand. Therefore, we have proposed the FSMS semantic and generic framework, which is structured into a set of ontological modules to design/manufacture a given SO. A support methodology for this framework has been equally proposed. It is based on the same ontological modules identified in the semantic component of the FSMS. These ontological modules form the SMS ontology that is proposed and constitutes the corner stone of this thesis. In order to intelligently manage an SO design, we proposed a generic process based on a semantic description of the structural and behavioral components of an SO. This process was thereafeter implemented for Smart Clothing of sports. This Sportswear is intended to be used in different contexts of use, an approach to reconfiguration/adaptation of the operation of the Smart Clothing has been proposed. This one is also based on the modular ontology SMS

This thesis is an empirical legal investigation into regulatory chilling effects in online contexts. Internet censorship is on the rise globally and state surveillance and cyber-policing capabilities are rapidly evolving. Understanding regulatory "chilling effects" - the idea that laws, regulations, or state surveillance can deter people from exercising their freedoms or engaging in legal activities - has thus today taken on greater urgency and public importance. Yet, the notion is not uncontroversial; many commentators have questioned the existence and impact of regulatory chilling effects, particularly in online contexts. It does not help that previous studies on regulatory chilling effects are generally narrow in methodological and theoretical approach and concern traditional media contexts, shedding little light on how chilling effects may work online. Drawing on a theoretical framework that synthesizes traditional chilling effects theory - forged largely by legal theorists Frank Schauer and Daniel Solove - and informed by insights from both online privacy and computer mediated communications (CMC) research, this thesis addresses this gap in the literature with an innovative research design that explores regulatory chilling effects online, with case studies exploring its comparative, regulatory, and surveillance-related dimensions. In concrete terms, this thesis provides empirical and theoretical foundations not only for the notion of regulatory chilling effects online but also factors that influence them. The first case study, a first-of-its-kind online survey with over 1200 respondents, provides general empirical support for the existence of regulatory chilling effects in online contexts, including comparative insights, that is, how some forms of regulation or surveillance may have more significant regulatory chilling effects than others, and why. The second case study examines whether widely covered revelations in June 2013 concerning NSA/PRISM online surveillance has had a chilling effect on Wikipedia users. The third case study is an investigation of the United States Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)'s controversial notice and takedown copyright enforcement system, a scheme often criticized for creating chilling effects online. This DMCA study is carried with a sample of 500 Google Blogs and 500 Twitter accounts and offers insights into how regulatory chilling effects work in practice, along with insights and implications of automated or "robotized" legal enforcement and the DMCA's international impact. Ultimately, this thesis addresses substantial gaps in existing research and literature concerning the existence, scope, impact, and permanence of regulatory chilling effects, and factors that influence them, while helping lay the foundation for a theory of regulatory chilling effects for online contexts. It also has substantial methodological contributions, offering unique and innovative methods for measuring and exploring regulatory chilling effects that can be re-deployed or built upon in future research.

Private international law divides the world into territories, each with its own court system and laws. The internet presents challenges to this neat division. It is difficult to identify where an activity takes place on the internet. Wrongs on the internet leave many questions unanswered in transnational litigation. This paper addresses the private international law aspects of cross-border civil wrongs on the internet. Chapter A introduces the internet, and aims to simplify the technical issues. Chapter B asks which court has jurisdiction in a case of wrongs on the internet. The focus is on two sets of rules commonly applied around the globe: the service abroad provisions and the special jurisdiction provisions. The chapter aims to advance general principles applicable in cases of cross-border wrongs committed on the internet, as to the place where a wrong is committed, and the place where damage is suffered. The issue whether a court can grant an injunction against a foreign defendant in respect of foreign conduct is also explored. The exercise of jurisdiction under the service abroad provisions is discretionary. Chapter C examines the forum (non) conveniens discretion in the context of wrongs on the internet. It concludes that, of the US jurisdictional principles developed in internet cases, the sliding scale test should be treated with caution, but the effects test (targeting) should be a factor that is taken into account, in exercising the discretion. Chapter D asks which law applies to a wrong on the internet, concentrating on the divergent choice of law rules in tort in Australia, Canada, the UK and those proposed in the EU. The two chapters that follow consider wrongs to which the internet environment is particularly susceptible, and which deserve separate treatment: intellectual property infringements (Chapter E) and defamation (Chapter F). The final topic, recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments relating to wrongs on the internet, is the subject of Chapter G. The paper rejects the suggestions that new rules should be developed for wrongs on the internet, and concludes that the existing private international law rules are largely workable in the internet context, but require some flexibility in order to be adaptable.

Local governments have been developing online services, aiming to better serve the public and reduce administrative costs. However, the impact of this work, and the links between governments' online and offline activities, remain uncertain. Using a new full-population dataset of the UK government web, this thesis directly analyses the structure and content of government online. It argues that recent digital-centric public administration theories, typified by the Digital Era Governance quasi-paradigm, are not empirically supported by the UK local government experience. Instead, it argues for a positive but critical attitude to the value of technology in public administration. New methods are developed for full-text empirical analysis of government web crawl data and the use of machine learning approaches for adding attributes to full-population data. Webometric and content analyses of the .gov.uk web are conducted, together with a time-series panel regression of English local government cost, service quality, satisfaction, and an expert assessment of web provision. English local government online is highly heterogeneous and there is remarkably little intrinsic structure to the .gov.uk web. Geography is weakly visible in online government structures, but there is little evidence that online structures closely reflect the offline activities of government. Empirically, English local governments' web development levels are found not to be associated with improvement in the cost of, quality of, or satisfaction with council services, challenging the merit of online approaches to service improvement. Overall, the importance of digital-centric approaches to local government service improvement is challenged. A more nuanced theoretical approach to online service delivery is advocated, which discards utopian enthusiasm and focuses on concrete service improvements. It is recommended that full-population quantitative analyses be used more broadly in political science, with awareness of both the opportunities and the challenges associated with them.

Digital inequalities continue to concern researchers across highly technologised countries. In recent years, however, most research on digital inequalities has focused on distinguishing different patterns of Internet use rather than examining Internet non-users. The few quantitative studies of non-use and reasons for non-use often stay on a descriptive level, while qualitative studies mostly investigate subpopulations, such as those living in specific neighbourhoods. Although there are a number of studies of digital inequalities among young people and the elderly, a systematic literature search finds no research focusing on middle-aged individuals, who might face specific problems with being offline, as they are of working age and more likely than other age groups to have children living in the household. On the basis of a mixed-methods research design that compares non-users in Great Britain and Sweden, the overarching research question for this study sheds light on the mechanisms contributing to Internet non-use, as it examines the socio-economic backgrounds, attitudes, perceptions, and everyday life experiences of non-users with a focus on 25 to 55 year-olds. It applies advanced statistical analyses of secondary nationally representative survey data as well as in-depth analysis of qualitative interviews with 10 middle-aged non-users from each country. The analysis of these combined data shows that while socio-economic variables still play an important role in influencing who is on- and offline, general attitudes towards technologies are even more influential. The study finds that there is a lack of life-fit (Selwyn 2006) of ICTs for a number of non-users and a potentially negative impact of warm experts (Bakardjeva 2005) who have previously been regarded as a positive influence. Moreover, vulnerable groups (e.g. immigrants) are facing more substantial problems, such as issues with literacy and language, which need to be tackled first. The deliberation of similarities and differences between Britain and Sweden against the backdrop of policy interventions and cultural values shows that being offline is not problematic for all Internet non-users; some of them thrive in highly technologised societies. The conclusion offers proposals for both future research and policy interventions for those, currently offline mainly due to socio-economic reasons, who would like to go online in the future.

e-Research in the Life Sciences examines the use of online tools in the life sciences and finds that their use has significant impact, namely the formation of a Scientific/Intellectual Movement (SIM) (Frickel & Gross, 2005) complemented by a Computerisation Movement (CM) (Kling & Iacono, 1994) which is mobilising global electronic resources to form visible colleges of life science researchers, who are enrolling others and successfully promoting their open science goals via mainstream scientific literature. Those within this movement are also using these online tools to change their work practices, producing scientific knowledge in a highly networked and distributed group which has less regard for traditional institutional and disciplinary boundaries. This thesis, by combining ideas about SIMs and CMs, fills a gap in research that is typically confined to treating new tools as a part of scientific communication or in specialist areas like distributed collaboration but not in terms of broader changes in science. Case studies have been conducted for three types of online tools: the scientific social networking tool FriendFeed, open laboratory notebooks, and science blogs. Data have been collected from semi-structured interviews, and the online writings of research participants. The case studies of exemplary use by scientists of the web form a baseline for future studies in the area. Boundaries between formal and informal scholarly communication are now blurred. At the formal level, which peer-reviewed print journals continue, many academic publishers now also have online open access, frequently in advance of print publication. At the informal level, what used to be confined to water-cooler chat and the conference circuit is now also discussed on mailing lists, forums and blogs (Borgman, 2007). As these online tools generate new practices they have potential to affect future academic assessment and dissemination practices.

Telecommunications policy debates concerning the contentious issue of net neutrality have revolved around a number of broadband network operator behaviors, including discriminatory traffic management – differential treatment of network traffic associated with different Internet applications for the purpose of managing performance. Some stakeholders have advocated for regulatory intervention to prevent network operators from discriminating to the detriment of independent application innovation. Others would prefer to rely on competition between network operators to discipline operator behavior. Fixed-line broadband markets in the United Kingdom and the United States have differed substantially with respect to discrimination, competition, and regulation. The UK has experienced intense competition and pervasive discriminatory traffic management without triggering regulatory activity. The US has seen much less discrimination, limited competition, and regulatory threat followed by regulatory intervention. This thesis uses elite interviews, participant observation, and documentary analysis in a comparative study of these two cases between the mid-2000s and 2011 to determine why network operators take up discriminatory traffic management (or not) and how competition and the regulatory environment affect traffic management outcomes. This thesis demonstrates that network operators take up discriminatory traffic management primarily to control cost, performance, or both. Competition promotes rather than deters discrimination because it drives broadband prices down, encouraging operators to manage high-volume applications whose traffic incurs high costs. Regulatory threat can be sufficient to counteract these desires, but in its absence and without concerns vocalized by interest groups, discriminatory approaches endure. Telecommunications regulators intervene to safeguard nondiscrimination when they conceive of their remits as encompassing social and industrial policymaking, are ambivalent about litigation risk, and are driven by their leaders’ reputational agendas, as in the case of the Federal Communications Commission. With a narrower perception of its remit and more concern for its organizational reputation, Ofcom exemplifies the characteristics that inhibit traffic management regulation.

This thesis examines the role of internet use in migrants’ participation in, and articulation of, rising Chinese modernity. It explores the ways in which transnational subjectivity is produced through this process. It investigates how migrants’ various uses of the internet construct and make sense of their connections with China. It demonstrates a new generation of subjectivity among Chinese transnationals that is tech-savvy, modern and triumphal – a subjectivity embedded in the exchange between the (macro) political economy of China’s rise and the (micro) everyday practices surrounding the internet. This is an ethnographic study focusing on an emerging population within the broader Chinese diaspora; that is, mainland Chinese professionals who migrated for higher education and professional training in recent years as a result of China’s reform and economic power. This study locates its enquiries in three offline-grounded institutions – ethnic organisations, states and families. These institutions pre-date the internet but increasingly turn to the technology for transnational and local connections. Regarding Chinese organisations, utilising the internet to build co-ethnic sociality is read as a symbolic practice that signals the users’ belonging to a technologically-advanced, mobile and wealthy sector within the broader idea of the Chinese community. On the role of the state, internet use provides new modes of migrants’ access to China’s state-led development projects, thus opening up new spaces for the state’s disciplinary power to be exercised. This digital governance is enabled by a discourse of Chinese triumphalism constructed by both the state and the migrants. Regarding families, the digitalisation of the gendered division of labour in transnational families provides evidence of the segmented nature of China’s digital modernity and disrupts the triumphal portrait of transnational modernity constructed among the elite-stratum migrants. Overall, this study develops a dialogue between two literatures. On the one hand, it adds to diasporic internet studies by introducing an offline-grounded, geographically-informed approach and by bringing transnational modernity into its research agenda. On the other hand, it draws on Nonini and Ong’s (1997) theorisation of Chinese transnationalism as alternative modernity and further adds to this theorisation with a focus on internet technology and a discussion of the impacts of China’s rise. It contributes to human geography by revisiting a key concept in this discipline – transnationalism – with a discussion of the interweaving impacts of information technology and the geopolitical shift of China’s rising modernity.

The dominant discourse surrounding academic research libraries today is one of change and scholarship in the humanities has seen a similar revolution in practice. Yet, most of the documented changes in either have been ascribed to the availability of online journal materials. Despite the accessibility of millions of rare, digitized primary resources freely available on the web, little has been done to understand the impact of these materials on either the practice of scholarship or on libraries. The research described in this proposal is an investigation into digitization projects involving rare and closely guarded materials and the effects of these projects on humanities scholarship. This thesis uses both qualitative and quantitative measures to: Assess the impact of digitized primary resources on the work of humanities scholars; To construct a model based on the findings that explains current use of digitized primary sources; and, To discuss the implications of these findings for academic research libraries. The research questions are answered through a detailed analysis of the role of digitization in the field of Tibetan and Himalayan studies. The author presents detailed evidence of how digitization is changing the inputs, practice, and outputs of scholarship in this field, as well as the characteristics of digitization that have led to these changes. Importantly, these findings separate out the success of individual projects from the success of digitization across the field as a whole. Support for community and innovation as well as the presence of critical mass across the field are stressed as the three most significant factors. Finally, the implications of these findings are assessed within a newly proposed model of academic libraries. This “scholar-centric” model is intended to provide both a theoretical framework for the research findings as well as a normative provocation for structuring future research and discussions about the role of academic libraries and their presence online.

La prolifération des objets communicants fixes et mobiles soulève la question de leur intégration dans les environnements quotidiens, par exemple dans le cadre de la e-santé ou de la domotique. Les principaux défis soulevés relèvent de l’interconnexion et de la gestion de la masse de donnée produite par ces objets intelligents. Notre premier objectif est d’adopter une démarche des couches basses vers les couches hautes pour faciliter l’intégration de ces objets à des services intelligents. Afin de développer celle-ci, il est nécessaire de d’étudier le processus de conception des objets intelligents indépendamment de considérations matérielles et logicielles, au travers de la considération de leur propriétés cyber-physiques. Pour mener à bien la réalisation de services intelligents à partir d’objets connectés, les deux axes de recherche suivant seront développés : la définition d’une méthode de conception orientée service pour les objets connectés intégrant une dimension formelle ainsi de valider le comportement de ceux-ci, l’auto-adaptation intelligente dans un contexte évolutif permettant aux objets de raisonner sur eux même au travers d’un langage déclaratif pour spécifier les stratégies d’adaptation. La validation de ces contributions s’effectuera par le biais du développement et de l’expérimentation à grandeur nature d’un service de diagnostic médical continu basé sur la collecte de données médicales en masse par des réseaux non-intrusifs de capteurs biomédicaux portables sur le corps humain
The rapid growth of fixed and mobile smart objects raises the issue of their integration in everyday environment, e.g. in e-health or home-automation contexts. The main challenges of these objects are the interoperability, the handling of the massive amount of data that they generate, and their limited resources. Our goal is to take a bottom-up approach in order to improve the integration of smart devices to smart services. To ensure the efficient development of our approach, we start with the study of the design process of such devices regardless of specific hardware or software through the consideration of their cyber-physical properties. We thus develop two research directions: the specification of a service-oriented design method for smart devices with formal considerations in order to validate their behavior, and the proposal of a self-adaptation framework in order to handle changing operating context through self-reasoning and the definition of a declarative self-adaptation objectives specification language. The testing of these contributions will be realized through the development of a large-scale experimental framework based on a remote diagnostics case-study relying on non-invasive wearable biomedical sensors

The great amount of generated data from IoT infrastructures in Smart Cities, if properly leveraged, presents the opportunity to shift towards more sustainable practices in rapidly increasing urban areas. Reasoning upon this data in a proactive way, by avoiding unwanted future events before they occur, leads to more efficient services. For a system to do so, a robust reasoning model, able to anticipate upcoming events and pick the most suitable adaptation option is needed. Recently deployed smart waste management systems for monitoring and planning purposes report substantial cost-savings and carbon footprint reductions, however, such systems can be further enhanced by integrating proactive capabilities. This work proposes a novel reasoning model and system architecture called ProAdaWM for more effective and efficient waste operations when faced with severe weather events. A Bayesian Network and Utility Theory, as the basis of Decision Theory, are utilized to model the uncertainties and handle how the system adapts; the proposed model utilizes weather information and data from bin level sensor for reasoning. The approach is validated through the implementation of a prototype and the conduction of a case study; the results demonstrate the expected behavior.

The phrase 'Internet of Things' refers to the pervasive instrumentation of physical objects with sensors and actuators, and the connection of those sensors and actuators to the Internet. These sensors and actuators are generally based on similar hardware as, and have similar capabilities to, wireless sensor network nodes. However, they operate in a completely different network environment: wireless sensor network nodes all generally belong to a single entity, whereas Internet of Things endpoints can belong to different, even competing, ones. This difference has profound implications for the design of security mechanisms in these environments. Wireless sensor network security is generally focused on defence against attack by external parties. On the Internet of Things, such an insider/outsider distinction is impossible; every entity is both an endpoint for legitimate communications, and a possible source of attack. We argue that that under such conditions, the centralised models that underpin current networking standards and protocols for embedded systems are simply not appropriate, because they require such an insider/outsider distinction. This thesis serves as an exposition in the design of decentralised security mechanisms, applied both to applications, which must perform access control, and networks, which must guarantee communications security. It contains three main contributions. The first is a threat model for Internet of Things networks. The second is BottleCap, a capability-based access control module, and an exemplar of decentralised security architecture at the application layer. The third is StarfishNet, a network-layer protocol for Internet of Things wireless networks, and a similar exemplar of decentralised security architecture at the network layer. Both are evaluated with microbenchmarks on prototype implementations; StarfishNet's association protocol is additionally validated using formal verification in the protocol verification tool Tamarin.

Il lavoro svolto durante il mio Dottorato di Ricerca si e' focalizzato su Smart Object cooperanti all'interno di infrastrutture IoT, sfruttanti le tecnologie indoor e outdoor appena mensionate per la realizzazione di applicazioni Context-Aware. Questa tesi presentera' i concetti dell'Internet of Things e diverse questioni ancora irrisolte, o parzialmente risolte, insieme ai lavori sviluppati durante questi anni, nei quali ho cercato di applicare i concetti dell'IoT in diversi ambiti quali Citta' Intelligenti (Smart Cities) ed Ambienti Intelligenti (Smart Environment). Il primo capitolo di questa tesi introdurra' l'Internet of Things come nuovo paradigma ed miglioramento della qualita' della vita. Verranno messe in evidenza le origini dell'IoT e il suo sviluppo attraverso l'introduzione di nuove tecnologie. Questo capitolo introduttivo mostrera' l'incremento delle capacita' degli oggetti ordinari attraverso l'utilizzo dei concetti dell'IoT, e presentera' diversi domini applicativi in cui questi dispositivi vengono posti. Inoltre, il primo capitolo introdurra' l'importante concetto di Context, lo sviluppo delle applicazioni Context-Aware per la realizzazione di servizi personalizzati all'interno degli ambienti smart, la realizzazione di reti IoT che presentano molti punti in comune con le reti informatiche tradizionali, ed un insieme di problematiche ancora aperte che rappresentano sfide per la comunita' di ricerca. Gli altri capitoli riporteranno una serie di lavori sviluppati durante l'attivita' di Dottorato di Ricerca, e che hanno come obiettivo la copertura di diversi domini IoT fornendo servizi in grado di aumentare l'esperienza utente all'interno degli ambienti smart. Questi lavori hanno l'obiettivo di fornire soluzioni per citta' (Capitolo \ref{chap:smartparking}, \ref{chap:baas}), abitazioni e uffici (Capitolo \ref{chap:CooperativeObjectsChapter}), e musei (Chapter \ref{chap:smartworks}). L'obiettivo comune e' mostrare come l'IoT possa rappresentare un valore aggiunto nella vita delle persone. Le persone hanno mostrato un grande interesse nei confronti della tacnologia, ed un numero non indifferente di utenti sono gia' forniti da una serie di dispositivi smart (come gli smartphone). Per questo motivo, penso sia molto utile sfruttare questi dispositi ed i loro sensori per la realizzazione e la personalizzazione di servizi, senza la necessita' di utilizzare ulteriori costose infrastrutture, o fastidiosi sensori addizionali. Infine, questa Tesi introdurra' un sistema maggiormente complesso e costoso, ovvero un sistema per il monitoraggio della qualita' dell'aria, che ha come obiettivo quello di realizzare un report dell'inquinamento attraverso un applicazione web, raccogliendo informazioni di contesto dell'utente per fornire dei consigli su quali strade utilizzare o quali posti raggiungere evitando l'inquinamento.

Internet of things (IoT) is currently on our doorsteps. Numerous domains have beneted from this technology. It ranges from a simple application such as identifying an object up to handling a more complex system. The Radio Frequency IDentication (RFID) is one of the enabling technologies that drive the IoT to its position today. It is small, cheap and does not require any additional power sources. Along with its ubiquitous functionality, this technology enables the positioning of an object within a specic area. Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) is one of the many domains that benet from the IoT. It aims at assisting elderly people in their daily routines by providing new assistive services in smart homes for instance. RFIDs in a smart home come as a great help to an elderly person, for example, to nd an object that they misplaced. However, even with all its benets in simplifying our lives, it is unfortunately double-edged where the advantage that it brings to an object could in turn go against itself. Indeed to be able to help the older adults to locate an object, the system requires certain data in relation to the positioning of the object and its identication. As the passive RFID tag coverage is very small, once its presence is detected, it is dicult to hide it. The ability of this technology in localizing objects gives an opportunity to a third person to take an advantage of the system. In parallel with the persistent and constant need of privacy and secrecy by the users, the objective of this thesis consists of improving the privacy in localizing an object through a new protocol based on the latest version of the RFID second generation passive tag. The proposed protocol must be able to prevent an object from being identied and located by unauthorized parties or a malicious reader. The rst contribution of this work is the assessment of the RFID anti collision management. It is performed through the creation of an OMNET++ framework, modelled and built based on the latest RFID standard developed by GS1 and incorporated by ISO/IEC called Gen2V2 (RFID class 2 Generation 2 Version 2). It is a passive RFID tag that does not require any internal power sources to operate. It communicates using the UHF frequency. The Gen2V2 standard provides a list of cryptographical suites that can be used as a method to authenticate a tag and a reader. This new generation of tags is supported by an alliance of manufacturers called RAIN (RAdio frequency IdenticatioN) that promotes the adoption of the Gen2V2. The anti collision management overall performance is then compared with its theoretical value and four of its cryptographical suites namely PRESENT80, XOR, AES128 and cryptoGPS. Among the performances evaluated within the framework is the number of collisions and the duration required to interrogate a group of tags. Note that an addition of a localization functionality within the framework reveals that exchanged messages through wireless channel prior to the authentication can lead to a malicious localization of an object. To increase the localization privacy within AAL application, we propose therefore a second contribution which is a new localization method that is based on the current Gen2V2 standard exchanges by anonymizing the tag identity.

This thesis is about transnational Turkish football communities and how they come to be imagined through internet technologies. The research is based on an ethnography of one particular group of Turkish football fans in Europe. The team is Beşiktaş, one of Turkey's top teams, and the fans make up Çarşi Berlin, their largest supporters' club in Europe. Founded in 2003 in Berlin, the group has grown to consist of 600 members, with branches from London to Switzerland. The thesis explores the internet and its effects at a specific historic juncture on the fashioning of Çarşi Berlin. I approach the topic via three routes, namely, the effects of internet technologies on: football fandom; the spaces in which it occurs; and the cultural forms and practices by which it is instantiated. In the process I contribute to current scholarly debates across sub-disciplines both within and outside anthropology: those of sport and globalisation, enchantment, publics, personhood and the imagination. I argue that football communities are increasingly imagined in ways that are distracted, ephemeral and playful and that, contrary to common conceptions, fun, affect-laden imaginings can have the power to alter conceptions of concepts such as the nation or family. In the process, I contribute greater appreciation of the experience of being a diasporan football fan and its salience for broader understandings of how we imagine belonging in the twenty-first century.

Internet use is considered a lever for empowering patients, levelling inequalities and reducing healthcare expenditure. However, with digital inclusion, health provision quality and health system efficiency high on the UK and EU policy agendas, we need to better understand the relationship between Internet use and health outcomes to assess potential benefits and adverse effects. This research addresses the question of how Internet use influences individuals' health service use and their perceived health in the context of England. Focusing on health information-seeking, it analyses variations across different kinds of users, mechanisms between Internet use and both health outcomes, and the role of individual and contextual factors in this relationship. To answer this question, this research uses a mixed methods approach. Quantitative data from the Oxford Internet Surveys (OxIS), the English census and Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) was connected through spatial microsimulation based on output areas. Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured, face-to-face interviews, primarily with former OxIS participants from output areas in the quantitative strand. The quantitative data was revisited based on emerging interview themes. The results indicate that Internet use influences perceived health and health service use via various mechanisms based on the Internet's content, mediation and connection affordances. However, the boundaries between users and non-users are blurry and outcomes vary for different types of individuals, classified here as learners, pragmatists, sceptics, worriers, delegators and adigitals. Age, education, socioeconomic status, long-term health conditions, and geographic context influence Internet use and health outcomes separately, while the social context shapes their relationship too. These findings advance the theoretical understanding of Internet-based health outcomes, and provide practical implications for health professionals and policymakers with insights down to the local level. Moreover, this research demonstrates how novel insights for public wellbeing can be derived from qualitatively enriched secondary data in privacy-preserving and cost-effective ways.

The overall aim is to appraise and extend the evidence base on poor quality medicines found in online medicine quality surveys. The thesis starts with two systematic reviews critically appraising the existing evidence, finding a range of evidence gaps subsequently addressed in the following chapters. These include: (a) inconsistent and poor quality reporting, (b) the methods employed are subject to high degrees of risk of bias, (c) discrepancies exist in scientific evidence, and (d) a range of critical therapeutic areas require investigation of the incidence of poor quality medicines. The Delphi consensus study of Chapter 5 constructs the first reporting guidelines to standardise reporting, allowing for evidence-based conclusions. Chapter 6 finds four out of nine investigated withdrawn medicines still available for purchase in a range of countries worldwide (clobenzorex, fenfluramine, rimonabant, and sibutramine), which are subsequently acquired and chemically analysed in Chapter 7. The results from Chapter 8 find a mean of 7.7% poor quality medicines, which corroborates with the findings of the systematic review of Chapter 4, finding a mean of 10% (IQR 0-20%) poor quality medicines in online medicine quality surveys. Purchased medicines displayed a range of quality defects, including orders lacking patient information leaflets, failing pharmacopoeia bioavailability testing, the absence of various types of packaging, the non-delivery of paid orders, and failure of pharmacopoeia friability testing.

Online reputation systems are certainly the most overlooked 'heroes' of today's social Web. While these mechanisms are a vital element of every online transaction, they have received less consideration than some of their more well-known cousins, such as recommender systems or social networks, whose success would often not have been possible and tenable without their discrete but active backing. It then follows that despite their value and importance, the implementation of current reputation mechanisms has mostly been the result of trial-and-error. Resting on an economic perspective, this thesis regroups three chapters whose frameworks and findings aim at helping mechanism designers and researchers understand key mechanisms at play and develop more efficient online reputation systems. The first chapter examines the optimal number of ratings a reputation mechanism must make publicly available within an online marketplace in order to minimize cheating and maximize Pareto efficiency. I develop a moral hazard stage game featuring fictitious players which has the compelling property to prevent reputation effects from disappearing in the long run. I show that the number of ratings displayed by a reputation system is a fundamental predictor of market efficiency, and that the latter number should be kept minimal in order to maximize social welfare in the market – especially for economies proposing interactions with a high profit margin. The second chapter studies how different classes of reporting behaviours commonly found online affect the reliability of a reputation mechanism. I develop an iterative stochastic approximation model which I use to construct a behavioural measure of efficiency, so-called 'reporting bias'. I demonstrate that reporting bias tends towards its maximum when raters comply with the reports left by their predecessors. Following this result, I recommend to keep the rating interface separated from the rest of the reputation system. I also find that fake ratings are particularly harmful when one type of behaviour is present in the economy and suggest to counterbalance sybil attacks by displaying pairs of contrasted ratings. Finally, I defend the use of the arithmetic mean against the median as a way to compute reputation scores. The third chapter analyses how 5-star rating scales can lead to the formation of bimodal distributions of ratings within online marketplaces. Using a 2-time period model featuring altruistic raters, I identify the existence of a 'blind spot' of unrated transactions whose magnitude increases in the cost of rating and decreases in the number of buyers inhabiting the economy. Developing an additional model featuring Bayesian agents suffering from confirmatory bias, I show that non-binary rating scales can leave space to ambiguity and possibly wrong posteriors, even in the long run. Overall, results of the chapter hint that fine-grained rating scales best suit signalling reputation systems while coarse-grained scales should be preferred for sanctioning mechanisms.

Os objetos inteligentes (SObjs) são numerosos e irão comunicar-se diretamente através da Internet das Coisas (IoT). Esse grande número de SObjs, pode levar a IoT a enfrentar severas condições de rede, em termos de congestionamento na rede e atrasos na comunicação fim-a-fim. Assim, o gerenciamento de SObjs torna-se fundamental para evitar futuros problemas da IoT. Em tal gerenciamento, switches, network-boxes e roteadores, também chamados de gateways, são configurados para gerenciar SObjs através de reconfigurações e atualizações de software seguidas por reinicializações nos gateways. Entretanto, a dinamicidade da IoT, causa a necessidade de se reconfigurar os gateways frequentemente, i.e., a configuração vigente dos gateways torna-se rapidamente desatualizadas por lidar a todo momento com a entrada e saída de novos SObjs da rede. Assim, propõe-se uma abordagem chamada Management by Delegation Smart Object Aware System (MbDSAS), para reconfigurar gateways e gerenciar SObjs, sem a necessidade de uma atualização de software ou aplicação de patches, lidando com a dinamicidade da rede IoT. MbDSAS foi prototipado e uma avaliação foi realizada, através de um cenário, onde o fluxo de dispositivos existentes se assemelha com o de um aeroporto. Em adição, MbDSAS foi testado experimentalmente, em termos de desempenho, para avaliar sua qualificação como uma solução de gerenciamento para cenários da IoT e determinar a melhor combinação de tecnologias para implementar essa solução. Os resultados encontrados mostram que MbDSAS desempenha melhor quando desenvolvida com uma arquitetura de acesso baseada em recursos e através do uso de um módulo Open Service Gateway initiative (OSGi). MbDSAS quando comparada a um sistema de gerenciamento tradicional, se mostra superior em termos de consumo de memória e processamento, se classificando como uma importante solução para o gerenciamento de SObjs da IoT.
The smart objects (SObjs) are numerous and will communicate directly through the Internet of Things (IoT). Such huge number of SObjs may lead the IoT to face severe network conditions, in terms of network congestion and large delays. Thus, the management of SObjs is fundamental to avoid future IoT network problems. In such a management, network boxes, also called gateways, have been configured to manage SObjs with software updates or reconfiguration followed by a warm start. However, gateways configuration become soon outdated because SObjs join and leave the network quite frequently. Therefore, we propose an approach called MbDSAS to reconfigure gateways without the need of a software updating or patching to manage and detect SObjs and deal with the dynamicity of the IoT network. An evaluation of MbDSAS was performed through an airport modeled scenario. In addition, MbDSAS was experimentally tested to be qualified as a management solution to IoT scenarios and to determine the best performance combination of technologies to implement MbDSAS. The results shown that MbDSAS has its performance improved when developed with an architecture based on resources and through the use of a module textit Open Service Gateway Initiative (OSGi). Mb- DSAS when compared to a traditional management system shows superior in terms of memory consumption and processing, being classified as an important solution for the managing of SObjs from the IoT.

This thesis maps the growth of the use of internet technologies in randomised controlled trials in health care and public health, and explores the methodological and ethical issues that arise from their use from the perspective of researchers and participants. Online clinical trials are growing in number, and claim to offer benefits for researchers and participants, providing solutions to some of the inherent problems associated with traditional trials. However, little is known about how many internet-based trials have been conducted, what methodological research has been undertaken, or what impact the new technologies might have on researcher or participant experience. The thesis followed a step-by-step approach, using information science, research synthesis, and qualitative methods. The creation of a database of internet-based clinical trials established that they have grown rapidly in number, use internet technologies primarily to deliver an intervention, predominantly in behavioural, mental health, or life-style public health settings. A two-stage systematic review, comprising a descriptive map and a qualitative synthesis, established what is known about the methods, conduct or participant experience in internet-based trials. A qualitative primary study was then carried out, based on the findings of the review, to further explore the views, attitudes and experiences of researchers, participants and the public, into the motivations, benefits or barriers to taking part in internet-based clinical trials. Themes emerging from the research suggest complex interactions between design and technology, particularly in the area of participant characteristics and choice; convenience versus intrusion; impact of time and place; the pace of change and impact of societal changes in the use of technology. A range of ethical considerations emerged, including the nature of informed consent, ethical approval, and the need for a systematic approach to patient and public involvement. Recommendations are made to help inform and improve research practice in the digital age.

Aquesta tesi tracta de dues de les noves tecnologies relacionades amb la Internet of Things (IoT) i la seva integració amb el camp de les Smart Grids (SGs); aquestes tecnologies son la Web of Things (WoT) i la Social Internet of Things (SIoT). La WoT és una tecnologia que s’espera que proveeixi d’un entorn escalable i interoperable a la IoT usant la infraestructura web existent, els protocols web y la web semàntica. També s’espera que la SIoT contribueixi a solucionar els reptes d’escalabilitat i capacitat de descobriment creant una xarxa social d’agents (objectes i humans). Per explorar la sinergia entre aquestes tecnologies, l’objectiu és el de proporcionar evidència pràctica i empírica, generalment en forma de prototips d’implementació i experimentació empírica. En relació amb la WoT i les SGs, s’ha creat un prototip per al Web of Energy (WoE) que té com a objectiu abordar els desafiaments presents en el domini les SGs. El prototip és capaç de proporcionar interoperabilitat i homogeneïtat entre diversos protocols. El disseny d’implementació es basa en el Model d’Actors, que també proporciona escalabilitat del prototip. L’experimentació mostra que el prototip pot gestionar la transmissió de missatges per a aplicacions de les SGs que requereixen que la comunicació es realitzi sota llindars de temps crítics. També es pren una altra direcció d’investigació similar, menys centrada en les SGs, però per a una gamma més àmplia de dominis d’aplicació. S’integra la descripció dels fluxos d’execució com a màquines d’estats finits utilitzant ontologies web (Resource Description Framework (RDF)) i metodologies de la WoT (les accions es realitzen basant-se en peticions Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol/Secure (HTTP/S) a Uniform Resource Locators (URLs)). Aquest flux d’execució, que també pot ser un plantilla per a permetre una configuració flexible en temps d’execució, s’implementa i interpreta com si fos (i mitjançant) un Virtual Object (VO). L’objectiu de la plantilla és ser reutilitzable i poder-se compartir entre múltiples desplegaments de la IoT dins el mateix domini d’aplicació. A causa de les tecnologies utilitzades, la solució no és adequada per a aplicacions de temps crític (llindar de temps relativament baix i rígid). No obstant això, és adequat per a aplicacions que no demanden resposta en un temps crític i que requereixen el desplegament de VOs similars en el que fa referència al flux d’execució. Finalment, el treball s’enfoca en una altra tecnologia destinada a millorar l’escalabilitat i la capacitat de descobriment en la IoT. La SIoT està sorgint com una nova estructura de la IoT que uneix els nodes a través de relacions significatives. Aquestes relacions tenen com a objectiu millorar la capacitat de descobriment; en conseqüència, millora la escalabilitat d’una xarxa de la IoT. En aquest treball s’aplica aquest nou paradigma per optimitzar la gestió de l’energia en el costat de la demanda a les SGs. L’objectiu és aprofitar les característiques de la SIoT per ajudar a la creació de Prosumer Community Groups (PCGs) (grups d’usuaris que consumeixen o produeixen energia) amb el mateix objectiu d’optimització en l’ús de l’energia. La sinergia entre la SIoT i les SGs s’ha anomenat Social Internet of Energy (SIoE). Per tant, amb la SIoE i amb el focus en un desafiament específic, s’estableix la base conceptual per a la integració entre la SIoT i les SGs. Els experiments inicials mostren resultats prometedors i aplanen el camí per a futures investigacions i avaluacions de la proposta. Es conclou que el WoT i la SIoT són dos paradigmes complementaris que nodreixen l’evolució de la propera generació de la IoT. S’espera que la propera generació de la IoT sigui un Multi-Agent System (MAS) generalitzat. Alguns investigadors ja estan apuntant a la Web i les seves tecnologies (per exemple, Web Semàntica, HTTP/S)—i més concretamente a la WoT — com a l’entorn que nodreixi a aquests agents. La SIoT pot millorar tant l’entorn com les relacions entre els agents en aquesta fusió. Les SGs també poden beneficiar-se dels avenços de la IoT, ja que es poden considerar com una aplicació específica d’aquesta última.
Esta tesis trata de dos de las novedosas tecnologías relacionadas con la Internet of Things (IoT) y su integración con el campo de las Smart Grids (SGs); estas tecnologías son laWeb of Things (WoT) y la Social Internet of Things (SIoT). La WoT es una tecnología que se espera que provea de un entorno escalable e interoperable a la IoT usando la infraestructura web existente, los protocolos web y la web semántica. También se espera que la SIoT contribuya a solucionar los retos de escalabilidad y capacidad de descubrimiento creando una red social de agentes (objetos y humanos). Para explorar la sinergia entre estas tecnologías, el objetivo es el de proporcionar evidencia práctica y empírica, generalmente en forma de prototipos de implementación y experimentación empírica. En relación con la WoT y las SGs, se ha creado un prototipo para la Web of Energy (WoE) que tiene como objetivo abordar los desafíos presentes en el dominio las SGs. El prototipo es capaz de proporcionar interoperabilidad y homogeneidad entre diversos protocolos. El diseño de implementación se basa en el Modelo de Actores, que también proporciona escalabilidad del prototipo. La experimentación muestra que el prototipo puede manejar la transmisión de mensajes para aplicaciones de las SGs que requieran que la comunicación se realice bajo umbrales de tiempo críticos. También se toma otra dirección de investigación similar, menos centrada en las SGs, pero para una gama más amplia de dominios de aplicación. Se integra la descripción de los flujos de ejecución como máquinas de estados finitos utilizando ontologías web (Resource Description Framework (RDF)) y metodologías de la WoT (las acciones se realizan basándose en peticiones Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol/Secure (HTTP/S) a Uniform Resource Locators (URLs)). Este flujo de ejecución, que también puede ser una plantilla para permitir una configuración flexible en tiempo de ejecución, se implementa e interpreta como si fuera (y a través de) un Virtual Object (VO). El objetivo de la plantilla es que sea reutilizable y se pueda compartir entre múltiples despliegues de la IoT dentro del mismo dominio de aplicación. Debido a las tecnologías utilizadas, la solución no es adecuada para aplicaciones de tiempo crítico (umbral de tiempo relativamente bajo y rígido). Sin embargo, es adecuado para aplicaciones que no demandan respuesta en un tiempo crítico y que requieren el despliegue de VOs similares en cuanto al flujo de ejecución. Finalmente, el trabajo se enfoca en otra tecnología destinada a mejorar la escalabilidad y la capacidad de descubrimiento en la IoT. La SIoT está emergiendo como una nueva estructura de la IoT que une los nodos a través de relaciones significativas. Estas relaciones tienen como objetivo mejorar la capacidad de descubrimiento; en consecuencia, mejora la escalabilidad de una red de la IoT. En este trabajo se aplica este nuevo paradigma para optimizar la gestión de la energía en el lado de la demanda en las SGs. El objetivo es aprovechar las características de la SIoT para ayudar en la creación de Prosumer Community Groups (PCGs) (grupos de usuarios que consumen o producen energía) con el mismo objetivo de optimización en el uso de la energía. La sinergia entre la SIoT y las SGs ha sido denominada Social Internet of Energy (SIoE). Por lo tanto, con la SIoE y con el foco en un desafío específico, se establece la base conceptual para la integración entre la SIoT y las SG. Los experimentos iniciales muestran resultados prometedores y allanan el camino para futuras investigaciones y evaluaciones de la propuesta. Se concluye que la WoT y la SIoT son dos paradigmas complementarios que nutren la evolución de la próxima generación de la IoT. Se espera que la próxima generación de la IoT sea un Multi-Agent System (MAS) generalizado. Algunos investigadores ya están apuntando a la Web y sus tecnologías (por ejemplo,Web Semántica, HTTP/S)—y más concretamente a la WoT — como el entorno que nutra a estos agentes. La SIoT puede mejorar tanto el entorno como las relaciones entre los agentes en esta fusión. Como un campo específico de la IoT, las SGs también pueden beneficiarse de los avances de la IoT.
This thesis deals with two novel Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and their integration to the field of the Smart Grid (SG); these technologies are the Web of Things (WoT) and the Social Internet of Things (SIoT). The WoT is an enabling technology expected to provide a scalable and interoperable environment to the IoT using the existing web infrastructure, web protocols and the semantic web. The SIoT is expected to expand further and contribute to scalability and discoverability challenges by creating a social network of agents (objects and humans). When exploring the synergy between those technologies, we aim at providing practical and empirical evidence, usually in the form of prototype implementations and empirical experimentation. In relation to the WoT and SG, we create a prototype for the Web of Energy (WoE), that aims at addressing challenges present in the SG domain. The prototype is capable of providing interoperability and homogeneity among diverse protocols. The implementation design is based on the Actor Model, which also provides scalability in regards to the prototype. Experimentation shows that the prototype can handle the transmission of messages for time-critical SG applications. We also take another similar research direction less focused on the SG, but for a broader range of application domains. We integrate the description of flows of execution as Finite-State Machines (FSMs) using web ontologies (Resource Description Framework (RDF)) and WoT methodologies (actions are performed on the basis of calls Hyper Text Transfer Protocol/ Secure (HTTP/S) to a Uniform Resource Locator (URL)). This execution flow, which can also be a template to allow flexible configuration at runtime, is deployed and interpreted as (and through) a Virtual Object (VO). The template aims to be reusable and shareable among multiple IoT deployments within the same application domain. Due to the technologies used, the solution is not suitable for time-critical applications. Nevertheless, it is suitable for non-time-critical applications that require the deployment of similar VOs. Finally, we focus on another technology aimed at improving scalability and discoverability in IoT. The SIoT is emerging as a new IoT structure that links nodes through meaningful relationships. These relationships aim at improving discoverability; consequently, improving the scalability of an IoT network. We apply this new paradigm to optimize energy management at the demand side in a SG. Our objective is to harness the features of the SIoT to aid in the creation of Prosumer Community Group (PCG) (groups of energy users that consume or produce energy) with the same Demand Side Management (DSM) goal. We refer to the synergy between SIoT and SG as Social Internet of Energy (SIoE). Therefore, with the SIoE and focusing on a specific challenge, we set the conceptual basis for the integration between SIoT and SG. Initial experiments show promising results and pave the way for further research and evaluation of the proposal. We conclude that the WoT and the SIoT are two complementary paradigms that nourish the evolution of the next generation IoT. The next generation IoT is expected to be a pervasive Multi-Agent System (MAS). Some researchers are already pointing at the Web and its technologies (e.g. Semantic Web, HTTP/S) — and more concretely at the WoT — as the environment nourishing the agents. The SIoT can enhance both the environment and the relationships between agents in this fusion. As a specific field of the IoT, the SG can also benefit from IoT advancements.

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Over the last decade, technological and Internet innovations have increasingly invaded the consumer market (N’Goala, 2016). The Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming a common platform, and disrupts relationships between consumers and companies (Bohli et al., 2009); in essence, this is a timely research. The major goal of this thesis is to deepen the understanding of the acceptance and the adoption processes of the IoT and smart connected technologies, as well as the related consequences on perceived well-being. To do this, four contexts of study have been explored: smart connected objects, smart sleep applications, smart homes, and smart stores. First, we performed qualitative exploratory studies, and secondly we conducted quantitative studies to build conceptual models according to our qualitative findings and the literature. The results show that technology benefits are the first factors that enable technology acceptance through perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use; subsequently, self-improvement, through perceived social image and well-being benefits, are the main reasons to continue using the IoT and smart connected technologies. The acceptance and the adoption of these technologies also depend on users’ personality traits while perceived risks and fears on the use of the personal data are the main barriers. In turn, the IoT and smart connected technologies influence perceived well-being according to the experience of use, personality traits, and the technology

Based on the idea of broadening access to learning opportunities for all by means of new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), the Open Educational Resources (OER) movement has gained ground during the first years of the 21st Century while capturing the imagination of educators, university leaders, policy-makers and opinion leaders all over the globe. Drawing on socio-technical theories and adopting a case study research design, which involved the analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data, this thesis addresses the manifold tensions and paradoxes that may emerge out of the interplay between a highly predefined model of OER provision and the everyday realities and institutional contexts of different higher education settings. In particular, it focuses on the process of implementation by Spanish universities of OpenCourseWare (OCW) initiatives, a widely adopted model of OER provision that was originally devised at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. By examining the enactment of technology as a situated phenomenon, this study sheds light on the roles that OCW initiatives play in relation to the strategic orientation of universities and how the actual involvement of scholars in the creation of this type of materials is often curbed by some entrenched institutional arrangements and prevailing academic cultures. The findings of this thesis have theoretical as well as practical implications, which suggest that the replication of models of OER provision outside the specific settings in which they were originally devised is a rather problematic endeavour. More generally, it supports the idea that the implementation of ICTs must be always accompanied by social structures that are mindful and respectful of local specificities and institutional arrangements. Another key conclusion is that, if universities are genuinely committed to broadening access to higher education opportunities and supporting participation in life-long learning by means of ICTs, it is crucial to understand the ways and extent to which OER initiatives can actually contribute to achieving such goals.

The question of how the Internet affects existing geo-cultural or geo-linguistic communities in relation to nation-states has continued to receive attention among academics and policymakers alike. Language-based technologies and services that aggregate, index, and distribute materials online may reshape pre-existing boundaries of the relationship between users and content, for instance with different language versions of user-generated encyclopaedias or different local versions of search engines. By comparing two major Chinese online encyclopaedias, Baidu Baike and Chinese Wikipedia, this thesis investigates whether the Internet overcomes, shifts, or reinforces boundaries among Chinese language users. The Chinese language provides an excellent case for examining the boundary question. While the Internet can potentially connect the largest number of native speakers around the world, the majority (i.e. those from mainland China) face an Internet censorship and filtering regime that may limit this very potential. Modern Chinese history has also complicated the cultural-political boundaries among the regions of mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. This thesis compares the conditions and outcomes of their respective editorial processes, content features, and users’ reception. Multiple findings emerge from a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, including content analysis, webometrics, and search engine result visibility tests. These methods show that boundaries are drawn in the process of creating, linking, and searching content on the Chinese Internet. Their geolinguistic extent differs, a phenomenon that reflects the cultural-political division between mainland China and the rest of Chinese-speaking world. Both the findings and methods of the thesis have important implications for research and policy for understanding the globalizing regionalization and nationalization effects of the Internet.

The ways people go online have been transformed by the emergence of new mobile Internet technologies. As modes of Internet access are becoming increasingly diverse, this thesis sets out to examine how various forms of access shape engagement with online resources. Inequalities in Internet access have been neglected in the "second-level digital divide" research, which has focused on differences in skills and usage. Thus, I argue that inequalities of access have to be revisited and their role in digital inclusion reassessed. To study individuals' arrangements of Internet-enabled devices and locations holistically and as a dynamic entity, access is conceptualised as infrastructure. Theoretically, I distinguish between material dimensions of access and social practices shaping access, and draw on existing models of digital inclusion to examine the role of these dimensions and practices in online engagement. Empirically, a mixed methods research design is employed, complementing longitudinal analyses of survey data representative of the British population with 29 qualitative interviews with British Internet users. This study contributes to our understanding of material and social dimensions of access and their impact on Internet use patterns. First, the conceptualisation of Internet access as infrastructure is empirically validated. Second, quality, locality and ubiquity are established as material dimensions of access, where offline social and economic resources most strongly affect inclusion in high-quality, multi-local and ubiquitous Internet access. Third, three specific practices encompassing how users develop and maintain their access infrastructures are identified: spotlighting, distributing and being stranded. They reflect differences in roles Internet technologies play in individuals' daily lives as well as differences in availability of offline resources. Fourth, the results show that, controlling for a range of digital inclusion factors, the access inequalities have significant effects on a range of online engagement types, but are most strongly related to commercial and communication uses of the Internet. In sum, this study provides a nuanced understanding of how different mechanisms underlie the development, maintenance and engagement with Internet access, depending on whether access arrangements are shaped by digital exclusion or choice. Specifically, by outlining critical differences among all-round, mobile-mostly, mobile-only and home-only Internet users, broader policy and research implications are also discussed.

This study examines the ways in which public participation in the production of scientific knowledge, influences the practices and expertise of the scientists in Galaxy Zoo, an online Big Data citizen science initiative. The need for citizen science in the field of Astronomy arose in response to the challenges of rapid advances in data gathering technologies, which demanded pattern recognition capabilities that were too advanced for existing computer algorithms. To address these challenges, Galaxy Zoo scientists recruited volunteers through their online website, a strategy which proved to be remarkably reliable and efficient. In doing so, they opened up the boundaries of scientific processes to the public. This shift has led to important outcomes in terms of the scientific discovery of new Astronomical objects; the creation and refining of scientific practices; and the development of new forms of expertise among key actors while they continue to pursue their scientific goals. This thesis attempts to answer the over-arching research question: How is citizen science shaping the practices and expertise of Galaxy Zoo scientists? The emergence of new practices and development of the expertise in the domain of managing citizen science projects were observed through following the work of the Galaxy Zoo scientists and in particular the Principal Investigator and the project's Technical Lead, from February 2010 to April 2013. A broadly ethnographic approach was taken, which allowed the study to be sensitive to the uncertainty and unprecedented events that characterised the development of Galaxy Zoo as a pioneering project in the field of data-intensive citizen science. Unstructured interviewing was the major source of data on the work of the PI and TL; while the communication between these participants, the broader Science Team and their inter-institutional collaborators was captured through analyses of the team emailing list, their official blog and their social media posts. The process of data analysis was informed by an initial conceptualisation of Galaxy Zoo as a knowledge production system and the concept of knowledge object (Knorr-Cetina,1999), as an unfolding epistemic entity, became a primary analytical tool. Since the direction and future of Galaxy Zoo involved addressing new challenges, the study demanded periodic recursive analysis of the conceptual framework and the knowledge objects of both Galaxy Zoo and the present examination of its development. The key findings were as follows. The involvement of public volunteers shaped the practices of the Science Team, while they pursued robust scientific outcomes. Changes included: negotiating collaborations; designing the classification tasks for the volunteers; re-examining data reduction methods and data release policies; disseminating results; creating new epistemic communities; and science communication. In addition, new kinds of expertise involved in running Galaxy Zoo were identified. The relational and adaptive aspects of expertise were seen as important. It was therefore proposed that the development of the expertise in running citizen science projects should be recognised as a domain-expertise in its own right. In Galaxy Zoo, the development of the expertise could be attributed to a combined understanding of: the design principles of doing good science; innovation in methods; and creating a dialogic space for scientists and volunteers. The empirical and theoretical implications of this study therefore lie in (i) identifying emergent practices in citizen science while prioritising scientific knowledge production and (ii) a re-examination of expertise for science in the emerging context of data-intensive science.

This thesis investigates the role of network structure, brokerage, and framing in high-risk collective action. I use the protest movement that emerged in Russia following falsified national elections in 2011 and 2012 as an empirical case study. I draw on a unique dataset of nearly 30,000 online documents and the linking structure of over 3,500 Russian Web sites. I employ a range of computational social science methods, including Exponential Random Graph Modeling, an advanced statistical model for social networks, social network analysis, machine learning, and latent semantic analysis. I address three research questions in this thesis. The first asks if a protest network challenging a hybrid regime will have a polycentric or hierarchical structure, and if that structure changes over time. Polycentric networks are conducive to high-risk collective action and are robust to the targeted removal of key nodes, while hierarchical networks can more easily mobilize protesters and spread information. I find that the Russian protest network has a polycentric structure only at the beginning of the protests, and moves towards a less effective hierarchical structure as the movement loses popular support. The second research question seeks to understand if brokered text is actually novel, and if that text is more novel in polycentric networks than in hierarchical ones. Brokers are the individuals or nodes in a network that connect disparate groups through weak ties and close structural holes. Brokers are advantageous because they have access to and spread novel information. I find that the text among nodes in brokered relationships is indeed novel, but that information novelty decreases when networks have a hierarchical structure. The last research question asks if a protest movement in a high-risk political setting can be more successful than the government at spreading its preferred frames, and within such a movement, whether moderate or extremist framing is more prevalent. I find that the opposition is far more effective than the government in spreading its frames, even when the government organizes massive counter protests. Within the movement, moderates are more likely to have their framing adopted online than extremists, unless violence occurs at protests. The findings suggest that movements should build flatter, more diffuse networks by ensuring that brokers tie together diverse protest constituencies. The findings also provide evidence against those who claim that authoritarian governments are more effective in shaping online discourse than oppositional movements, and also suggest that movements should advance moderate framing in order to attract a wider base of support among the general population.

L’attività di ricerca si è concentrata nell’ambito dei sistemi di monitoraggio ambientale e della persona. Per quanto riguarda il monitoraggio ambientale sono stati studiati e sviluppati Smart Objects per Internet of Things in grado di realizzare reti diffuse di sensori da impiegare nel monitoraggio sismico con finalità di Earthquake Early Warning. L’obiettivo è stato quello di analizzare e confrontare le prestazioni di un insieme di sensori accelerometrici a basso costo per poter aumentare la densità della rete di monitoraggio ed incrementare così l’efficienza di allerta rapida in caso di eventi sismici. Sempre nell’ottica di realizzare dei sistemi di Early Warning si è studiato come poter realizzare un’infrastruttura di acquisizione ed analisi dati per l’allerta rapida in caso di alluvioni con l’obiettivo di sviluppare una piattaforma in grado di acquisire i dati dei sensori distribuiti sul territorio, processare le informazioni raccolte dai volontari della protezione civile ed automatizzare i processi di modellizzazione delle curve di deflusso per la stima della portata dei fiumi. Così facendo ad ogni valore di livello registrato dagli idrometri si può ottenere la corrispettiva stima della portata senza doverla andare ogni volta a misurare. Lo studio delle tematiche inerenti allo sviluppo di sistemi di monitoraggio della persona, basati su unità inerziali, ha portato alla valutazione dell’impiego di tali sensori in applicazioni biomediche. In tale ambito è stata sviluppata una Wireless Body Sensor Network composta da un’unità inerziale per l’identificazione dell’angolo di flessione della schiena e da sensori per l’acquisizione di segnali elettromiografici superficiali dei muscoli lombari. L’obiettivo è stato quello di valutare la presenza o assenza di un fenomeno fisiologico chiamato Flexion-Relaxation Phenomenon statisticamente presente nella maggior parte di soggetti sani che non presentano mal di schiena. La ricerca si è focalizzata sulla realizzazione di un sistema in grado di elaborare le diverse tipologie di segnali al fine di ricavare dei parametri per identificare e quantificare il fenomeno in maniera oggettiva, automatica e con elevata affidabilità.
The research activity focused on environmental and human monitoring systems. As regards environmental monitoring, Smart Objects have been studied and developed for the Internet of Things capable of creating widespread networks of sensors to be used in seismic monitoring for the purpose of Earthquake Early Warning. The goal was to analyze and compare the performance of a set of low-cost accelerometer sensors in order to increase the density of the monitoring network and thus increase the efficiency of early warning in case of earthquakes. Still, with a view to creating Early Warning Systems, it was studied how to create a data acquisition and analysis infrastructure for rapid warning in the event of floods with the aim of developing a platform capable of acquiring sensor data distributed throughout the territory, process the information collected by civil protection volunteers and automate the processes of modeling the stage-discharges curves for estimating the discharges of rivers. In this way, at each level value recorded by the hydrometric sensors, the corresponding estimate of the flow rate can be obtained without having to go to measure it every time. The study of issues related to the development of human activity monitoring systems, based on inertial units, has led to the evaluation of the use of these sensors in biomedical applications. In this context, a Wireless Body Sensor Network was developed consisting of an inertial unit for identifying the flexion angle of the back and sensors for the acquisition of surface electromyography signals of the back muscles. The goal was to evaluate the presence or absence of a physiological phenomenon called Flexion-Relaxation Phenomenon statistically present in most healthy subjects who do not have low back pain. The research focused on the creation of a system capable of processing the different types of signals in order to obtain parameters to identify and quantify the phenomenon in an objective, automatic, and highly reliable manner.

This study focuses on the factors shaping innovation in online newsrooms in three nations of the Arab World, with particular interest in the adoption of multimedia news innovations. Applying theoretical perspectives from the social shaping of technology and the diffusion of innovation literature, this study sought to identify the key factors shaping the innovation process. Field studies were based in three Arabic newsrooms: Aljazeera Net in Qatar, Almasry Alyoum in Egypt, and Almassae in Morocco. The case studies are grounded in two weeks of participant-observation field research within each online newsroom, along with over 100 in-depth interviews with those involved in the production of online news, and online archival reviews of the three news portals since their inception. Field research began with participant observation at Aljazeera in 2010, prior to the uprisings of the Arab Spring, and continued through early 2013. The political context of each newsroom during the field research became a major aspect of the innovation process of each case study. The thesis reinforces a wide range of social, economic, and organizational factors in the adoption and adaptation of multimedia technologies in the newsrooms studied, supporting earlier research on newsroom innovation across other regions of the world. For example, conceptions about ‘ideal’ industry multimedia models for the modern newsroom were important in each case. However, in the political context of events related to the Arab Spring, the overriding importance of the larger political context emerged in each case. The significance of this observation suggests that research on news organizations cannot take the political context for granted and should more explicitly embed it in discussion of the social shaping of innovation, even under more stable and liberal political conditions. There is a relative lack of systematic empirical research on Arabic newsrooms among studies of news innovation. Looking at the political context of emergent or weak democracies and their influence on modern multimedia newsrooms especially during crisis events, therefore, can contribute to the development of theory and research in Western democracies; and reintroduce politics into theories of innovation within modern newsrooms. This study suggests that future scholarship brings politics into the study of the social shaping of newsroom innovation without losing the many significant advances of existing research in more liberal democratic Western contexts of the multimedia newsroom.

This study presents the results of a usability test of reusable learning objects currently in development in the Instructional Services Department of the UNC-Chapel Hill University Library. The learning objects are Web-based learning modules that are part of a new project, Stories of the American South, and they aim to make digital primary source material more accessible by breaking it into manageable units and providing contextual information. Seven undergraduate students viewed three prototypes, each focused on a unique theme related to the history of the American South. The results suggested that the learning objects are generally usable in design and function, and participants’ responses to design and content were positive. Several changes are suggested to optimize the usability of the learning object prototypes, and further usability testing with other audiences is recommended.

Several recent studies (e.g., Benson and Chik, 2010; Sockett, 2014) suggest that as a result of changes in technology and the concomitant emergence of a globalized culture, highly effective out-of-class, informal English acquisition is becoming more common. The present study compared high-level, well-motivated Central Brazilian classroom-trained learners (CTLs) with fully autonomous self-instructed learners (FASILs) of similar backgrounds. Using linguistic tests, a questionnaire and a structured interview, the study analysed group differences as well as individual differences in language proficiency, learner histories, behaviour, beliefs, and attitudes. The key research question asked whether there existed, in more than rare circumstances, FASILs who attained levels of proficiency at least as high as highly-motivated, well-trained CTLs? Furthermore, if the knowledge and skills of FASILs were, in some respects, superior to those of CTLs, what variables accounted for the advantage? FASILs significantly outperformed CTLs across a battery of linguistic tests measuring a range of knowledge and skills. Test results indicated that while CTLs tended to plateau at upper intermediate levels, FASILs generally improved through advanced levels, often achieving native-like levels of knowledge and use. The strongest contributing factor to proficiency was found to be self-determined motivation driven by a personalized relationship with English often marked by a transnational identity. The evidence suggests this type of motivation, significantly more associated with FASILs than CTLs, led users to engage deeply with the linguistic details of informal sources. The findings challenge dominant paradigms in several fields of SLA which prioritize expert regulation over independent discovery and controlled, collaborative environments over real-world contexts of use entered into for personal reasons. A hoped for consequence of this study is that SLA research and teaching practice will begin to recognize and promote rather than regulate or dismiss the unique learning arcs that more and more English learners experience in their everyday lives.