ENHANCING LACOME TO CONSIDER PRIVACY AND SECURITY ISSUES

Abstract

LACOME, the Large Collaborative Meeting Environment, is a collaboration system that allows multiple users to simultaneously publish their computer desktops (workspace) and/or windows on a large shared display via a network connection. Once published, windows or even full desktops can be moved, resized, and iconified; optionally, users can even interact with the content of other users. LACOME was originally designed and developed at The University of British Columbia; we extend the system to consider privacy and security concerns. We conducted a series of focus groups to obtain feedback on the initial design of the system. Based on our findings, we developed high level design requirements for future iterations of LACOME; these include the need for addressing privacy and security concerns when moving from the use of LACOME in a co-located setting to the overarching goal of its use in a mixed presence environment. We implemented new features that provide enhanced awareness of users’ shared workspaces and the interactions of others with them. We also developed an access control framework in the system that allows users to assign permissions on an ad-hoc basis. We undertook an initial evaluation of the LACOME system to evaluate the overall system and the changes that we made to it.