Social Opportunistic Computing: Design for Autonomic User-Centric Systems

The proliferation of mobile devices equipped with short-range wireless connectivity allows users to produce, access and share digital resources in a wide number of everyday occasions. In this chapter, we consider a content distribution application scenario, aimed at the diffusion of data in autonomic computing environments, and investigate the way the social attitudes of mobile users impact the design of an autonomic opportunistic communication system. We analyze the results of a simulation which combines both a real-world pattern of proximity-based encounters, as measured in an office environment, with a series of userdefined preferences regarding content. Results show how the system design space varies according to these social parameters, and the importance of designing systems which are build taking into account the user and its social habits and preferences.