Hey there!
We are Group 5 of the COMP6217 The Science of Online Social Networks module. This blog will be used by us to post our progress in the research and development of WatchTogether, our idea for a new social networking tool.
The group members are:
Our mentor and supervisor is:
Rafael Melgarejo Heredia <rm2e14@soton.ac.uk>
Mar 12
WatchTogether provides a way for people who are far apart from each other to watch TV or films together. It is a tool that synchronises a video file over the internet, enabling users to enjoy the company of their friends in an âonline cinemaâ type of setting. We think it will help those who enjoy watching television series or films with friends or family, but whose circumstances make them only rarely be able to do so.
Maybe it is your sibling who has gone to study abroad, or a friend who has moved away and started working in another town – sometimes, life works in such a way that you end up in different locations across the world.
As is often the case, there are already websites and applications which serve a similar purpose. However, they have different purposes and have not left us entirely satisfied. The lasting impression was that something better can be done. We will look to examine some of these, in particular Rabb.it and Syncplay, and consider what makes them different, highlighting the best parts of them and how we think our idea can offer an alternative solution, as well as discuss target demographic.
May 03
For our pitch we will be using a powerpoint presentation so that we can display and utilise our prototype. This will be accompanied by a presentation outlining the current and future audiences and market for WatchTogether, profitability and forcasted usage levels based on our business model.
Our business model has been formulated based on current research and market saturation from similar products. We believe WatchTogether can gain significant contracts in the business arena and thus, the funding sourced from this, will allow for advertising for the social sector.
– Alex
May 03
We put in our ethics application to conduct our focus group research, however, unfortunately we did not get approval in time. However, if we were to go forward with the project and get funding then this is, of course, the first step we would take.
The ethics application we submitted can be seen via the link below:
https://ergo2.soton.ac.uk/Submission/View/41070
– Alex
May 03
This article was published by âsatPRnewsâ on the 15th April, 2018. The article reports the projected 16.5% revenue increase for Enterprise Social Networks and Online Community market. This article provides useful and relevant information to the rapidly growing market for virtual social and community tools such as WatchTogther.
This article was published by âVCDAILYâ on the 9th April 2018. Although th article innitally discusses the harmful impacts social networking sites have had on young people, the main focus is the use of video communication as a therapy tool. This article displays the importance, and gap, for online communication and sharing through video. The article highlights projects where teens are able to access groups for support in a shared video space and how this virtual community with people from all over the world provides a much needed space for young people.
This article was published by âVarietyâ on the 20th March 2018. The article reports that $2 billion is spent per month on video streaming services. This article is of high importance and relevance to WatchTogether as, although not a streaming service, the market for online entertainment watching is vast and lucrative. Equally, as there are so many users of the current streaming services, this indicates that should there be a user friendly and simple tool such as WatchTogether to indulge this highly popular hobby within a community, the figures suggest this would be well received.
https://lifehacker.com/rabbit-lets-you-watch-netflix-youtube-browse-the-web-1678199419
This article was published by âLifeHackerâ on the 1st August, 2015. This article is plugging and reporting on Rabb.it â a site that allows communal streaming. This article is very useful as it shows how this type of tool has been received.
This article was published by âThe New Indian Expressâ on the 8th April 2018. The article discuss how the communal viewing of a film (albeit in a cinema) is a huge benefit and banishes loneliness. This report is relevant to WatchTogether as it expresses the importance of community and the impacts had via communal watching of entertainment.
This article was published by âThe Guardianâ on the 27th March 2018. The article discusses the virtual friendship/community phenomena; discussing how in the contemporary these types of relationships are just as valid and important to our wellbeing as the traditional relationships held in the physical world. Thus, reinforcing the gap for communal sharing of entertainment.
– Alex
May 02
To design a prototype of an app for WatchTogether we used Adobe Xd. We chose this software as it allows for design and demonstrations to be created. The prototype is currently very basic due to a lack of funds. However, should we get funding, this prototype would be improved.
The ideas at the heart of the design were simplicity, accessibility and a user friendly interface. We feel that our prototype does project these ideas in its current state, whilst also giving an outline of how the app would work and look.
In this video, I give a short presentation of our proof-of-concept:
– Alex
May 01
These terms of use below were adopted from Netflix and serve as the basic policy for WatchTogether.
WatchTogether provides a service that allows our members in different locations to synchronously play and watch video contents (movies, TV shows, trainings, tutorials, speech, etc.) and enables them to interact each other during the viewing. As an extended feature, WatchTogether supports streaming over the Internet to certain Internet-connected computers and other devices (“WatchTogether ready devices”).
These Terms of Use govern your use of our service. As used in these Terms of Use, “WatchTogether service”, “our service” or “the service” means the service provided by WatchTogether for discovering and watching content, including all features and functionalities, recommendations and reviews, the website, and user interfaces, as well as all software associated with our service.
Apr 30
Unified Modeling Language (UML) is a formal modelling language which allows for abstract visualisations. It is a standard often used in software engineering. Use Case diagrams describe the functional behaviour of the software system from the point of view of the users or agents involved.
The following use case diagram for WatchTogether includes presents the set-up and the main processes.
Created with yUML https://yuml.me/
Apr 30
WatchTogether asks users to create an account in order to facilitate functionality on multiple platforms and to allow other users to specifically be invited to join in on watching the video. The information requested during registration is fairly basic and nowadays commonplace: a username, email, and password. These authentication details are stored so that the user can sign back into their account at a later date, and to enable important messages to be sent to their chosen emails.
It is important that all these details are stored appropriately in case of malicious intent from other users. Emails and passwords in particular. To prevent unwanted situations, they need to be encrypted and kept safely and securely. We are aware of and have looked over the Data Protection Act, and will strive to ensure WatchTogether abides by the laws and regulations stated in it.
We do not want to risk upsetting our customers by sharing their data, and we do not have much data stored to begin with, so we will not sell the data we store about our customers’ accounts. We want to make the users feels comfortable enough to trust us with the data required to create an account. Furthermore, users will have the option to delete their account, with their information being removed from our databases upon doing so.
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Further reading:
Gov.uk. Data Protection. [Online] Available at:Â https://www.gov.uk/data-protection
AudienceDataSharing. Data Protection – What the regulations say. [Online] Available at: https://www.audiencedatasharing.org/legal-information
Apr 29
Designing for user experience is an essential part of any product, particularly those aimed at a wide demographic. Looking at the product and how it would be used in the real world from the point of view of a user-customer can provide valuable information that can help influence the way the product looks and behaves. It is important to not only consider what a product can do, but why it should be able to do it and how it does so [1].
Usability Goals
Usability goals can help guide the design process by highlighting and prioritising the most important aspects of the experience of using the product. It helps keep the design focused and on track to accomplish what we set out to do. The following are the usability goals we aim to achieve with WatchTogether:
Reference: [1] Garrett, J. J. (2010). User Experience and Why It Matters. In The elements of user experience: user-centered design for the web and beyond. Pearson Education.
Apr 27
The idea of WatchTogether was formed from the group membersâ experiences as students, friends and family members from across the globe. However, as WatchTogether has grown, so have the possibilities for the user demographic.
My experience as a bank manager has lead me to see the possibilities for WatchTogether as a corporate communication tool; the contemporary corporate world is largely formed by business giants that are made up of several levels of management â from the top boardroom CEO members down to the local branch team leader. This structure requires strategies to be communicated from the top down â filtered through the various channels and levels of management until it is cascaded to the front line staff. To achieve this flowing of information in an effective manner a lot of synchronisation and organisation is required. This tends to be attempted through the arrangement of meetings at each level with a constant background of emails and phone calls to ensure the correct information is passed on at the correct time to the correct people. Obviously, the bigger the company, the bigger the scale of this operation. Due to the many moving parts involved, misinformation is often the result â impacting the business and its customer base.
However, with WatchTogether, a singular message can be communicated to the entire company in a matter of days rather than weeks! A singular set audio or visual message can be created and downloaded via an email link, which when accessed via WatchTogether, can be viewed simultaneously, in synchronisation, by either each or multiple levels of the company. This ensures the same message is being communicated each time, to the right people at the right time â thus eliminating issues of miscommunication as well as streamlining product releases or plans for business changes.
– Alex
Apr 23
The digital revolution has transformed the traditional concept of âcommunityâ; through the introduction of Social Networking Sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, virtual communities have flourished. With individuals from around the globe able to connect through shared virtual experiences, the desire to further these experiences should no longer be considered unnecessary. The introduction of digital film and tv viewing platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime have provided new opportunities for entertainment â with community being at the heart. Individuals in long distance relationships or communities that exist only online are now able to bridge gaps in traditional popular entertainment past times â watching a movie.
However, there is currently limited availability to share this experience in real time on a singular platform â rather having to manually synchronise the platforms at each end. In a digital age that actively encourages community and sharing in real time â this presents a gap in the entertainment and community market.
Existing research demonstrates that virtual communities are one of the fastest growing digital phenomena; however, the core facet of the virtual community is the sharing of knowledge rather than experience. Therefore, our proposal to create a Social Networking Platform that enables multiple users to view and experience entertainment together through a singular platform â enhances the concept of virtual community through the sharing of real time experiences as well as knowledge. This platform utilises existing technology and entertainment traditions with newly evolving and emerging community structures and demands in a global online world.
– Alex
