Monthly Archives: February 2011

Being an “Intellectual Child”

An idea is like a parasite. Resilient, highly contagious, and once an idea has taken hold of the brain, it’s almost impossible to eradicate.”

This quote from Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in the movie Inception is something that has rang true with me for most of my life. Ideas often start as seeds, planted somewhere amidst a conversation, and over time, they grow, finally budding. Often we don’t know when those seeds are planted, but later we can identify what it was that sparked the idea.

Each week gives me more reasons to be thankful for my current position at UW’s HCDE program, and this morning presented me with another moment to be truly thankful for. One of the projects I am currently working on within HCDE focuses on online calendaring practices and relationship typologies, specifically examining Google Calendar use. Professor Charlotte Lee oversees the group, and also meets weekly with students who participate in her research to discuss what it meant to be a “scholar.” As one of those students, I couldn’t be more thankful for her time.

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Hey Seattle! Do you use Google Calendar?

If so, you should consider being in a research study for the Computer
Supported Collaboration (CSC) Laboratory
led by Professor Charlotte Lee. Check out the information below or visit the Calendar Information Page on the CSC Lab website.

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Do you use Google Calendar to share your calendar with other individuals?

Do you use Google Calendar to look at the calendars of other individuals?

If you are 18 or older and answered yes to either of these questions, we would like to talk to you!

We invite you to participate in a research study investigating online calendar sharing practices. Please review the information sheet at the following URL for full study details (https://depts.washington.edu/csclab/study-information-sheet). We are looking for people who share calendars with 1 or more other individuals.

Participants in this study will fill out a short questionnaire and participate in at least one audio-taped interview. The interview would take place at our lab at the University of Washington in Sieg Hall or at a quiet, mutually agreeable location that has Internet access. The interview will take no more than 1 hour. We may request 1 additional half-hour interview at a later date, which you may decline. During the interview we will ask you to show us your online calendar(s) and talk about your usageParticipation in this study is strictly voluntary. There is no cost to you for participating. You will not be paid for your participation in this research. Interviews will begin February 14th.

If you are interested in participating or have any questions about this study, please contact Behzod Sirjani. Contact information is below. We cannot ensure the confidentiality of any information sent by e-mail.

Behzod Sirjani, MS Student
Email: behzod@uw.edu
Lab Phone: (206) 685-1514 (no voice mail)

Computer Supported Collaboration (CSC) Laboratory
Department of Human Centered Design &
Engineering

University of Washington