Metadating: Exploring the Romance and Future of Personal Data

Chris Elsden, Bettina Nissen, Andrew Garbett, David Chatting, David Kirk, John Vines

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

We introduce Metadating -- a future-focused research and speed-dating event where single participants were invited to "explore the romance of personal data". Participants created "data profiles" about themselves, and used these to "date" other participants. In the rich context of dating, we study how personal data is used conversationally to communicate and illustrate identity. We note the manner in which participants carefully curated their profiles, expressing ambiguity before detail, illustration before accuracy. Our findings proposition a set of data services and features, each concerned with representing and curating data in new ways, beyond a focus on purely rational or analytic relationships with a quantified self. Through this, we build on emerging interest in "lived informatics" and raise questions about the experience and social reality of a "data-driven life".
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Place of PublicationNew York, NY, USA
PublisherACM Association for Computing Machinery
Pages685–698
ISBN (Print)9781450333627
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 7 May 2016
Event2016 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - San Jose, United States
Duration: 7 May 201612 May 2016
https://chi2016.acm.org/wp/

Publication series

NameCHI '16
PublisherAssociation for Computing Machinery

Conference

Conference2016 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Abbreviated titleCHI 2016
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Jose
Period7/05/1612/05/16
Internet address

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • personal data
  • quantified self
  • lived informatics
  • dating

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