Clique Space(TM) progress report

What can I say... more good news.

As I write this, believe I have just stabilised the second of the three access levels (Connection, Active Affiliation, and Participant) available in Clique Space. These access levels have relevance to every device that uses a Clique Space, but their use is most obvious to the administrator Client Device because this device, being a device that a Clique Space administrator would use, needs to transfer through each of these levels manually as required by the administrator.

Generally, for devices of any medium...

Connection access allows a device to be seen by a Clique Space, but does not allow other devices (other than possibly those devices that have obtained a Clique Space Participant using the same account) to observe the given device. As I've said before, this is used as a very convenient way to facilitate remote authentication amongst perhaps a few other things that I can't recall right now.

Active Affiliation access allows a device to be seen within a Clique Space, but that access does not give the given device the ability to observe and engage others from within the given Clique Space. Because a device can collaborate with other devices through its device specific way regardless of whether it is connected to a Clique Space or not, it is envisaged that most devices would need only an Active Affiliation to collaborate with any other device for which they are able to engage. Besides that, giving participant access to a device that has no ability to view, and therefore engage other devices through, a Clique Space is redundant, and could subject the Clique Space users to undesirable consequences.

Clique Space Participant access is granted to a Client Device if the associated device possesses a view of the Clique Space. Such devices are usually equipped with a view of the Clique Space to which they have connected, and can actively interact with other devices using the Clique Space system. This interaction may include with those devices that make up the Clique Space.

Alternatively, the operator of a device obtains a Participant for a Client Device whenever the associated device collaborates with another device over some medium. While a device possessing only Active Affiliation access cannot engage another device from within the Clique Space system to which it is connected, that device may be able to engage similar devices in accordance with its own media protocol. If these other devices are likewise connected to the same Clique Space, the Clique Space will model this interaction as a Clique between the two individuals known to the Clique Space or federated Clique Spaces concerned as the devices' operators. Should one of the given devices not be connected to a Clique Space, the collaboration may still be modelled as a Clique between two Participants; one of the Participants is shown as anonymous.

This whole idea is so powerful that it's applicability may far outstrip my ability to describe it.

It is without any coincidence whatsoever that these access types are used to model collaborations going on in any medium by any number of individuals. This access "backbone" is part of the technology that has been developed around the core inspirational concept; the unaltered inspiration I had in 2004 whilst jogging between Bellambi and Bulli. The backbone is made up of three vertebrae (four if you want to be more technical and include the Media Profile) which I have envisaged are central to the Clique Space implementation.

Clique Space(TM) progress report.

My goal of modelling in real-time, interactions between individuals, anonymous or otherwise, that involve any device, any medium and any affiliation is farther along today than I thought myself worthy of. Two years ago, I had thought that the idea sounded good, but that possibly, there was a deep flaw somewhere in it. While I had rather cynically perhaps anticipated that there had been undocumented records of others who followed the path I am now on, I'm getting more confident about how this is shaping up with every passing day. It really appears to be efficacious.

Note, that my posting history should disclose the fact that I believe Clique Space is like nothing else currently conceived by anyone else - as far as I have been able to tell. I've already mentioned in a previous blog-post how Clique Space isn't middleware. I've already mentioned how Clique Space isn't a Multi-User Virtual Environment. I have already delineated the quintessential difference between Clique Space and other products like Google Wave. However, I'll reiterate it here just to make it clear:

• Clique Space(TM) models collaborative encounters by individuals.

That's it. How these collaborations function is up to the hardware doing the collaborating. Hence, Clique Space isn't a middleware system. It also isn't a Google Wave because Clique Space leaves the question of what "content" of a collaboration is modelled unanswered. Ultimately again, this is a question that must be answered by the media being modelled. Clique Space simply provides an environment in which the activity state of connected devices is used to depict coordinated collaborative activity between the devices' operators. Clique Space is more than a Role-Based Access Controller for no RBAC system I have seen asserts that it can create a device-independent model of the collaborative encounter of two or more participants (Participants), each of which are represented by one or more individual users, or are anonymous.

While a Clique Space might require a suitable Media Profile to be installed before it can model a particular medium, a Media Profile does not realise collaborations' underlying mechanics, nor does it instruct Clique Space how to physically realise the underlying machinery of the medium's implementation. The Media Profile simply exposes the existing components of this machinery to the Clique Space system in a manner that serves the intersection of the intents of the individual or organisation responsible for the Media Profile, the Clique Space's administration, and the individuals who make use of the Media Profile and a given Clique Space when they connect a device through the Media Profile to the given Clique Space using an Affiliation that identifies a role to an Account that identifies the individual.

Through this model, collaborative instances (Cliques) may be controlled and audit logs may be taken in accordance with every connected user's ability to do these things. I assert that Clique Space is the first contrivance of its type.

Does anyone have a differing opinion?

UOW approves Masters by Research on Clique Space(TM).

This morning, I received an email from (who is now) my assigned research supervisor giving their approval for a research masters degree with Clique Space as the subject matter.

Excellent stuff. This university (my Alma Mater - because I live here) is a good one. I am hoping this will give me a good incubation environment where the concept's efficacy can be tested. Should this idea prove successful, I hope the university will be able to reduce obstacles to commercial development.

The Clique Space(TM) Agent Device.

I have been pondering how much alike an Agent Device is to the Client Devices (devices everyone possesses from time to time - things like phones, computers, cars, televisions, refrigerators, bicycles, etc.) that connect to an Agent Device so each might be able to be seen in a Clique Space to other users so connected. My ponderings were whimsically flowing over the subject of what of the Agent Device is being modelled in Clique Space.

It goes like this: any device one connects to Clique Space has something in common with any other device: each device can talk to selected others based on mechanical characteristics that enable this communication to take place. Each and every device connected to a Clique Space gives Clique Space information about its operating state so Clique Space can model this state and communicate it to devices which have the capability of rendering this model in some specific way in accordance to the medium of such a device. Such a device has connected to a particular Clique Space so that it can render (and possibly persist) this device activity model.

Each device which is connected to Clique Space is ultimately responsible for two things: it has to accurately 1. convey and control its place in the mechanical orchestra of its specific medium so that Clique Space 2. can accurately cross-reference the specific device's state with that of others and generate a model of user collaborations. A device has responsibility to accurately convey collaboration between 1. like devices in a specific collaboration, and 2. a Clique Space when connected to one so that the device's collaborative behaviour may be modelled (and controlled) within Cliques.

So, back to the original focus of my pondering. What dual responsibilities does an Agent Device have? Well, 1. an Agent Device collaborates with other Agent Devices over a medium known as Clique Space, so an Agent Device is therefore responsible for accurately conveying its state within this medium; 2. the Agent Device must communicate its state within a Clique Space it is a member of (and to which it also possesses a Connection) so that Clique Space can maintain an accurate model of the collaboration (a Clique) that represents that Clique Space's collaboration.

I love self-contained self-reference. Since I programmed in Smalltalk, it has been the singular most compelling subject responsible for exerting force on my attention, locking my gaze in an embrace that I appear unable (or unwilling - though perhaps I don't see a difference in this respect) to escape from. I believe such a subject is wholly or significantly responsible for the phenomenon of consciousness.

Owen.

And another Clique Space(TM) value proposition.

About two months ago, I made a submission to an organisation to try to elicit their interest in Clique Space. I was unsuccessful. I think it would be okay to quote some of what I had to say in a web log - especially since they asserted that anything I did submit to them would be treated as non-confidential.

So, here's a paraphrasing of some of the questions they asked, and answers I gave. These questions appear generic enough to be of interest to anyone who may want to think of helping me in realising Clique Space.

I was asked to give a detailed description of the business opportunity:

People have always desired mobility and autonomy in how they conduct their lives. This relationship extends specifically to how they interact with others in work (income generating) and non-work activities. Many types of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) devices empower the individual to greater flexibility with these qualities by keeping communications channels open at a distance.

ICT permit real-time interaction between an arbitrary number of people to occur over an increasing number of communications channels. This will continue an exponential growth trajectory for the foreseeable future.

However, this trend is also producing an intimidating mountain of technology. For each technology that comes to market, users need to grapple with the physical question of using a new device, and they must keep abreast of which other users might have the same device, who they may be representing when they are using the device, which other users may use the device if it is shared between two or more users. All user's must keep changes to their own usage pattern and those of others in case these details change, and attempts to engage one or more users by another one or more users are later perceived by the latter as intrusion when the former are unaware of, or can subvert any changes.

Therefore, adoption of new ICT will encounter growing resistance to their uptake as the number of available technologies increases. People will avoid using ICT because any impressions of enjoyment they may receive from their use are being stymied by an unnavigable morass in the sheer number, variation of their use, and the possibilities of increased probability of privacy invasion. While middle-ware solutions might go some way in reducing the physical barriers, other aspects such as standardisation of a device engagement interface, contact list management, individualised cross-cutting activity audit logging, and individualised cross-cutting device control remain largely unaddressed.

Clique Space will help ameliorate this resistance by providing an answer to what appears to be producing the resistance. It provides a simple and flexible collaboration mechanism that can be extended to work with any device. Although powerful, Clique Space is a simple solution to a significant and growing ICT dilemma.

I was asked to discuss the solution to the above business opportunity:

A Clique Space is realised by a device, or rather a network of collaborating devices called Agent Devices. The individual user connects any other hardware, software, synchronous or asynchronous device – a Client Device – to one of these Agent Devices through an Account that represents that individual self. The activity of all these devices and the interaction with other users generate device and Clique activity on a Clique Space that can be recorded and controlled by the individual.

Multiple Clique Space networks can be federated. These federated networks provide one way for an organisation to administer activity within their own Clique Space, and to coordinate activity between their own, and neighbouring Clique Spaces. Federation establishes administrative sovereignty within an organisation's Clique Space, while permitting regulated control of information between Clique Spaces.

A public Clique Space would function as a common federation hub through which organisational entities might federate their proprietary Clique Space. Anyone who needed to get in contact with any organisation may find that organisation's Clique Space presence through the public Clique Space. Metaphorically, the public Clique Space would function as a city street or town centre where most public interaction would take place.

While I believe it is fair not to expect licensing revenue from usage of the Clique Space implementation in a proprietary Clique Space, I do think substantial revenue would be realised in the cost of federating a proprietary Clique Space to the public Clique Space. Revenue may also be realised by device vendors that wish to register Media Profiles (customisations to the Clique Space for their particular devices) or small organisations who prefer their presence only to be manifest on the public Clique Space through an Account Profile user-role hierarchy. Revenue may also be realised through the provision of a guaranteed level of authentication

User Accounts are freely available and associable on the public Clique Space; anyone can use any account they want. There are, however, many ways of ensuring the authenticity of an individual's usage; but these would depend on characteristics of the devices and other federated Clique Spaces. To reduce the burden of information, I will leave discussion of these to a future meeting.

I was asked to describe the major characteristics of my product:

Although the concept is well-defined, its implementation is still a proof-of-concept. At the time this was written, the prototype is still relatively immature.

However, I envisage that Clique Spaces:

1. collect the activity state of devices connected to them, associating one or more devices with the individual(s) who is/are operating the devices

2. use the device activity state to generate real-time models of individuals as they collaborating

3. provide an opportunity to control collaborations in accordance with cross-cutting, device independent criteria associated with the collaborating individuals.

4. define a uniform media engagement UI which would assist the uptake of new ways of communicating as they became available

5. can be federated according to mutual agreed organisational boundary conditions.

6. have the potential to provide unique ways of connecting devices, including the connection of devices that make up a Clique Space to themselves and other devices.

This list is not an exhaustive compendium of Clique Space's capabilities.

I was asked to outline my company's "go-to-market" strategy

I would expect Clique Space to initially become popular by specialised “early adoption” users. When the product is sufficiently mature, organisations might be approached to trial Clique Space to as a way to coordinate device activity within and between their organisational boundaries.

As Clique Space's versatility gains a reputation, its use would be adopted by a wider collection of individuals both inside and outside organisations, and it is hoped that business, wanting to reach these consumers, may observe a return on expenditure necessary for representing itself in the public Clique Space. This may be a long-duration objective, but one that I believe would attract large revenue.

The holder or licensee of a patent (currently a PCT which expires 15 July 2010) would also have exclusive access to the technology while the patent remained active.

So, there one has it. Indeed, I do my best, and that is all one can ask for.

Another Clique Space(TM) value proposition.

I've been thinking more about the value of Clique Space, and here are a few more suggestions. This web log is taken from another private letter I wrote to someone who has been helping me frame the concept so it can be understood by others.

1. Remote device control.

I believe this is a differentiating quality, because even though there exist some network administration utilities that are capable of remote device administration, I assert that no other technology makes a case for this notion as flexibly as Clique Space.

To comprehend how flexible remote device administration in Clique Space is, one must be comfortable with the concept whereby a Clique Space user is capable of connecting as many devices as one possesses to as many Clique Spaces as one has access to. Amongst those devices (Client Devices) so connected, a user may have one device that gives the user access to a Clique Space View. Through this Clique Space View, the user may also control all Client Devices which they have obtained Connections for, and all Cliques one Owns on all Clique Spaces on has connected this View to.

One might want to obtain a Clique Space Connection for a device that one does not have physical possession of. Although one would have to indicate to Clique Space some address so Clique Space could contact the device in question, one might not have to know anything specific about how that device is located through its own addressing mechanism, because the Clique Space might be informed about how to contact the device in question through the Media Profile that has been installed on the Clique Space by that Clique Space's administrators; all one might have to remember is a generic Clique Space addressing mechanism, and the installed Media Profile might provide a mapping of this address to one specific for the device in question.

Depending largely on the versatility provided by the installed base of Media Profiles, a Clique Space may completely remove from the user, the necessity of having to remember any device specific control semantics. A user might only have to deal with one interface: the interface provided through a Clique Space View to connect a device to Clique Space, control a device within Clique Space, or engage a device within Clique Space with any other device within or outside of Clique Space in a collaboration moderated by Clique Space; the Clique.

2. User privacy assurances through multiple Affiliations.

While other access control systems may have notions of role-based access control, I do not believe any other concept uses this notion with quite the same versatility as Clique Space. Clique Space role-based access control is realised through the Affiliation, which is an association between an Account Profile and an Account. Like an Account, which identifies a single Clique Space user, Account Profiles and Affiliations are Clique Space Elements.

Because an Affiliation is a Clique Space Element, an Affiliation can be published as can the Account and Account Profile to which it relates. Now, regardless of whether a user knows the Account identity of another user, this first user may be unable to enquire on the Account identity of the second because the second user may have instructed Clique Space, through the application of a Limiting Constraint, not to divulge any knowledge of the second user's Account. The first user, instead, would only be able see connections of the second user that were associated (through an Active Affiliation) to the second user's published Affiliation.

Hence, the second user would have a way to assure privacy at the level of specific Client Devices by selecting an Affiliation through which each Client Device Connection is established. A user could therefore maintain multiple presences on multiple Clique Spaces simultaneously under the same Account name. However, owing to the fact that the user manages multiple Affiliations, a user could maintain separate guises and separate, flexible awarenesses to other users.

Now for an anecdote that combines a bit of both points.

This morning, I discovered that I lost my mobile phone. Yesterday evening, I had coffee and cake with a friend at a McDonald's in Wollongong. I did not know that I had left it there, but I was informed of this when my mother told me someone had left a message on her phone telling me my phone was set aside to be picked up. Indeed, I was happy to get it back and thankful to the person; both because they took the time to call my mother who, they probably (and correctly) assumed, would be a good choice of go-between, and for the fact that they understood that the phone was my property and they should make an effort to return it to me.

However, even though they had to go through my contacts or call-log to find a suitable person to send a message to (they chose my mother because she is recorded in my contacts as "Mum") I did feel as though my privacy was violated. This was unavoidable under the circumstances, but with a system like Clique Space, this violation of privacy needn't happen. If my phone were connected to the public Clique Space, and was displaying my Affiliation to the public Clique Space's Account Profile named "Self", the individual who picked it up may be able to get in contact with me directly.

That individual could use a device that offer's a View to the public Clique Space to enquire on my Affiliation, bringing into View any other devices connected under the same affiliation. This individual could then find a compatible device, say, email, and using my email address which is supplied perhaps through a Connection to my email server, contact me directly. This individual would therefore have avoided going through my phone's contact list or call log, and they also would have contacted me directly - removing the possibility that whoever they did decide to contact would not have passed the message on to me.

A Clique Space(TM) value proposition.

What is Clique Space? How does it differ from anything out in the marketplace today?

This question is a nagging one that I haven't yet successfully explained. Here, I quote a piece of a letter I have just written to someone as an attempt to illustrate Clique Space's value. The boldface was added by me here in this blog entry.

Clique Space receives changes in the state of a Client Device which is connected using an Account that represents the individual responsible for that device's operation. The Connection thus formed is activated against an Affiliation so the individual can operate their Client Device in the Clique Space. An individual may obtain as many Active Affiliations for as many Client Devices as they wish, and may assign a level of access to [their Active Affiliations by] other individuals in a way that suits themselves, and any organisation which has created an Affiliation for them. Collaboration between two or more Active Affiliations are registered Cliques in which each Active Affiliation is registered as a Participant.

So, in essence, Clique Space is a user and collaboration activity modelling environment. Clique Space provides the opportunity to 1: collect information concerning an individual's use of one or more Client Devices they are operating, and 2: control the way these Client Devices behave in respect of the individual that is operating them, and the organisation that the individual may elect to be representing while they are operating them.

I do not intended Clique Space replace any existing transport mechanism, nor do I intend that Clique Space would replace an access control layer. It would use what is already there to support Clique Space's intended purpose. Indeed, an existing system may create the equivalent of Accounts, Media Profiles, and Account Profiles. These comparable entities would manifest themselves within Clique Space so that Affiliations can be assigned and Connections and Active Affiliations can be obtained.

How's that? Let me know...