Cultivating Altruism Around Computing Resources: Anticipation Work in a Scholarly Community

Abstract

User research for scientific software can inform design and account for the unique concerns of academic researchers. In this study, we explored the user experience on a testbed for cloud computing research, CloudLab. Through 15 semi-structured interviews and observation, we observed the importance of time as a resource to system users. We observed CloudLab users strategically coordinating their time on the platform with other users, navigating the constraints of publication and other academic deadlines. Surprisingly, we found that this coordination may involve altruistic behaviors where users share time on CloudLab that had been allocated for personal use. In light of prior CSCW literature on how actors seek to harness time, we propose concrete opportunities for design interventions. Our strategy across all possible interventions is to increase users' awareness of the rhythms affecting their peers' platform use, allowing coordination based not just on knowledge of CloudLab reservations but also users' progress toward deadlines. The implications of this work inform the design of other similar cyberinfrastructure systems in science where users independently coordinate use of resources.