Adaptive radio: achieving consensus using negative preferences

ABSTRACT

We introduce the use of negative preferences to produce solutions that are acceptable to a group of users. This technique takes advantage of the fact that discovering what a user does not like can be easier than discovering what the user does like. To illustrate the approach, we implemented Adaptive Radio, a system that selects music to play in a shared environment. Rather than attempting to play the songs that users want to hear, the system avoids playing songs that they do not want to hear. Negative preferences could potentially be applied to information filtering, intelligent environments, and collaborative design.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.3 Group and Organization Interfaces
          Subjects: Collaborative computing

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.3 Group and Organization Interfaces
          Subjects: Computer-supported cooperative work

General Terms:
Design, Experimentation, Human Factors

Keywords:
audio, collaborative systems, shared spaces, ubiquitous computing