CFP Meeting:“Standard APIs for Social and

Contextual Applications”

Some Thoughts and Ideas

Nadav AharonyMIT Media Laboratory:

Viral Communications

02/06/2008

©Copyright 2008 Nadav Aharony

What Is Context?Context

Location

Absolute?

Proximity?

Social

Relationship?

Trust?

Intent ? (Goal?)

Interest?

Device State?

(e.g. battery life)

Network state

(e.g. temporary bottlenecks)

People act differently according to situation, who’s around, content, and context.

Think about the different social interaction protocols we engage in:

One-on-one talk With a friend With boss In a noisy environment

Several people Group meeting Business meeting Family dinner Remote interaction (teleconference)

Many people Lecture Shareholders meeting Ground crew informs the waiting passengers that flight is overbooked

The Social Metaphor (For Network Protocols)

Open discussion?

Moderator? Can I interrupt?

Whisper?

State my mind?Get Emotional?

How aggressive?

Raise my voice?

Do I have to answer?

Should I go first?

Should I go last?

Social Area Network - SocAN

Social context pervades the network stack.

Application

Presentation

Session

Transport

Network

Data Link

Physical

e.g. HTTP, FTP, DNS, Telnet

Data Representation & Encryption

e.g. Sockets, SIP

End-to-End Link; e.g. TCP, UDP

Path Determination & IP, ICMP, ARP

E.g. MAC, Ethernet, 802.11 a/b/g/n, ATM

E.g. 802.11 PHY, SONET, ADSL, T1

©Copyright 2008 Nadav Aharony

Social Area Network - SocAN

Social context pervades the network stack.

Application

Presentation

Session

Transport

Network

Data Link

Physical

e.g. HTTP, FTP, DNS, Telnet

Data Representation & Encryption

e.g. Sockets, SIP

End-to-End Link; e.g. TCP, UDP

Path Determination & IP, ICMP, ARP

E.g. MAC, Ethernet, 802.11 a/b/g/n, ATM

E.g. 802.11 PHY, SONET, ADSL, T1

End-User App Email, IM, File Share, etc.

©Copyright 2008 Nadav Aharony

Social Area Network - SocAN

Social context pervades the network stack.

Application

Presentation

Session

Transport

Network

Data Link

Physical

e.g. HTTP, FTP, DNS, Telnet

Data Representation & Encryption

e.g. Sockets, SIP

End-to-End Link; e.g. TCP, UDP

Path Determination & IP, ICMP, ARP

E.g. MAC, Ethernet, 802.11 a/b/g/n, ATM

E.g. 802.11 PHY, SONET, ADSL, T1

“Social Awareness

Layer”

End-User App Email, IM, File Share, etc.

©Copyright 2008 Nadav Aharony

Social Area Network - SocAN

Social context pervades the network stack.

Application

Presentation

Session

Transport

Network

Data Link

Physical

e.g. HTTP, FTP, DNS, Telnet

Data Representation & Encryption

e.g. Sockets, SIP

End-to-End Link; e.g. TCP, UDP

Path Determination & IP, ICMP, ARP

E.g. MAC, Ethernet, 802.11 a/b/g/n, ATM

E.g. 802.11 PHY, SONET, ADSL, T1

“Social Awareness

Layer”

End-User App Email, IM, File Share, etc.

©Copyright 2008 Nadav Aharony

Social Area Network - SocAN

Social context pervades the network stack.

Application

Presentation

Session

Transport

Network

Data Link

Physical

e.g. HTTP, FTP, DNS, Telnet

Data Representation & Encryption

e.g. Sockets, SIP

End-to-End Link; e.g. TCP, UDP

Path Determination & IP, ICMP, ARP

E.g. MAC, Ethernet, 802.11 a/b/g/n, ATM

E.g. 802.11 PHY, SONET, ADSL, T1

“Social Awareness

Layer”

End-User App Email, IM, File Share, etc.

©Copyright 2008 Nadav Aharony

Cognitive / Software Radio: Family devices coordinate a frequency hopping sequence

Social Area Network - SocAN

Social context pervades the network stack.

Application

Presentation

Session

Transport

Network

Data Link

Physical

e.g. HTTP, FTP, DNS, Telnet

Data Representation & Encryption

e.g. Sockets, SIP

End-to-End Link; e.g. TCP, UDP

Path Determination & IP, ICMP, ARP

E.g. MAC, Ethernet, 802.11 a/b/g/n, ATM

E.g. 802.11 PHY, SONET, ADSL, T1

“Social Awareness

Layer”

End-User App Email, IM, File Share, etc.

©Copyright 2008 Nadav Aharony

Use encryption for communicating with co-workers

Social Area Network - SocAN

Social context pervades the network stack.

Application

Presentation

Session

Transport

Network

Data Link

Physical

e.g. HTTP, FTP, DNS, Telnet

Data Representation & Encryption

e.g. Sockets, SIP

End-to-End Link; e.g. TCP, UDP

Path Determination & IP, ICMP, ARP

E.g. MAC, Ethernet, 802.11 a/b/g/n, ATM

E.g. 802.11 PHY, SONET, ADSL, T1

“Social Awareness

Layer”

End-User App Email, IM, File Share, etc.

Change Wireless LAN’s “Medium access politeness”

according to company hierarchy

©Copyright 2008 Nadav Aharony

Social Area Network - SocAN

Social context pervades the network stack.

Application

Presentation

Session

Transport

Network

Data Link

Physical

e.g. HTTP, FTP, DNS, Telnet

Data Representation & Encryption

e.g. Sockets, SIP

End-to-End Link; e.g. TCP, UDP

Path Determination & IP, ICMP, ARP

E.g. MAC, Ethernet, 802.11 a/b/g/n, ATM

E.g. 802.11 PHY, SONET, ADSL, T1

“Social Awareness

Layer”

End-User App Email, IM, File Share, etc.

Use social network knowledge to route data (“Friendship Routing”)

©Copyright 2008 Nadav Aharony

Social Area Network - SocAN

Social context pervades the network stack.

Application

Presentation

Session

Transport

Network

Data Link

Physical

e.g. HTTP, FTP, DNS, Telnet

Data Representation & Encryption

e.g. Sockets, SIP

End-to-End Link; e.g. TCP, UDP

Path Determination & IP, ICMP, ARP

E.g. MAC, Ethernet, 802.11 a/b/g/n, ATM

E.g. 802.11 PHY, SONET, ADSL, T1

“Social Awareness

Layer”

End-User App Email, IM, File Share, etc.

Use different authentication protocols depending on

relationships

©Copyright 2008 Nadav Aharony

Social Area Network - SocAN

Social context pervades the network stack.

Application

Presentation

Session

Transport

Network

Data Link

Physical

e.g. HTTP, FTP, DNS, Telnet

Data Representation & Encryption

e.g. Sockets, SIP

End-to-End Link; e.g. TCP, UDP

Path Determination & IP, ICMP, ARP

E.g. MAC, Ethernet, 802.11 a/b/g/n, ATM

E.g. 802.11 PHY, SONET, ADSL, T1

“Social Awareness

Layer”

End-User App Email, IM, File Share, etc.

©Copyright 2008 Nadav Aharony

“Social Firewall”

©Copyright 2008 Nadav Aharony

Social Area Network

(SocAN)

Face-to-

Face Network

Comm.un

ity Platform

For more info please see my presentation at the Jan ‘08 CFP meeting or contact me.

Socially Aware,Context Aware,

Cross-LayerNetworking

Engine

Comm.unity Component Stack

Relationship Engine

Groups/Tags Mechanism

Data Collection

Engine

Broadcast Unicast

UDP

Multicast

TCPNetwork-Coded

Transport

…

…

802.11 Ad-Hoc

Context/StateManager

Ethernet Bluetooth IR …Physical

Interface API

Transmission Modes

Transport Protocols

Security Tools Encrypted Data

Identity Tools

“Anonimizer” Mode

“Multiple Identity” Engine

File System Interface

GPS Interface

PseudoBroadcast

Encrypted Control

AlreadyImplemented

PartiallyImplemented

Want to Implement

Considering Will Implement

ZigBee

©Copyright 2008 Nadav Aharony

Gossip Engine

Socially Aware,Context Aware,

Cross-LayerNetworking

Engine

Comm.unity Framework (v.2)

Relationship Engine

Groups/Tags Mechanism

Data Collection

Engine

Broadcast Unicast

UDP

Multicast

TCP Network-CodedTransport

…

…

802.11 Ad-Hoc

Context/StateManager

Ethernet

Bluetooth IR …Physical Interface API

Transmission Modes

Transport Protocols

Security Tools Encrypted Data

Identity Tools

“Anonimizer” Mode

“Multiple Identity” Engine

File System

PseudoBroadcast

Encrypted Control

ZigBee

©Copyright 2008 Nadav Aharony

Gossip Engine

Cognitive Radio

Social

Tools

External Interfaces …GPS /

LocationInfrastructure

NetworkExternal Sensors

UI

(For edge devices)

©Copyright 2008 Nadav Aharony

Service discovery Verification/Certificate (identity, information, etc.) History/Logging

What parts are in user’s domain, what parts aren’t? How detailed? (perhaps aggregate as time passes) How long to keep?

“Context/Identity Marketplace” Identity Relationship Context

Some other building blocks

©Copyright 2008 Nadav Aharony

Special security measures? Policing the context realm –

How do we make sure we know of offenses? Of who looks at what info? Punishment?

“Contracts/Lawyer” – How users opt-in and out? How to make them understand risks/benefits?

Some other building blocks (cont.)

©Copyright 2008 Nadav Aharony

A look towards the future

Network Device

NetworkedApplications

App. UI

Network Modality

“The Network”Physicalinterface

Summary: Towards Implementation

Network Device

NetworkedApplications

App. UI

Network Modality

“The Network”Physicalinterface

NetworkManager

NetworkedApplications

Summary: Towards Implementation

NetworkManager

Network Device

App. UI

Network Modality

Network ManagerUI

“The Network”Physicalinterface

“Social“Interface

UnderstandingApplications

NetworkedApplications

Summary: Towards Implementation

NetworkManager

Network Device

App. UI

Network Modality

Network ManagerUI

“The Network”Physicalinterface

“Social“Interface

UnderstandingApplications

“Emotion-Machine” Based Implementation

CommonsenseReasoning

Engine

Commonsense DB

Social Self Network

Self

User

Environment

“Model Repository”

Network Manager

Instinctive Reactions

Learned Reactions

Deliberative Thinking

Reflective Thinking

Self-Reflective Thinking

Self-Conscious Reflection