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WhitepaperACM CHI PLAY5 Oct 2015

Uncomfortable yet Fun Messaging with Chachachat

Key insights

6 takeaways

01
Six months after the soft launch, 221 of 255 installed users completed registration, and 170 sent at least one message.See it on page 3
02
Explicit messages made up 16% of the 6,921 messages sent during the case study period.See it on page 3
03
Chachachat users reported significantly higher arousal than WhatsApp users in a preliminary between-group survey, while pleasure medians were equal.See it on page 5
04
The authors report that 53% of users did not complete the prototype sign-up process, and a redesign allowing free text entry for the username and password while handling profile creation in one screen resulted in an 87% registration completion rate.See it on page 4
05
Some users were uncomfortable because anonymity cut both ways: senders could be anonymous, yet many receivers used nicknames known to their friends, which increased the feeling of discomfort.See it on page 5
06
Citing Riche et al., the authors note that the value of a message can increase when it is harder to create, which inspired Chachachat's limited phrase vocabulary and gift analogy.See it on page 3

Summary

This paper, by authors from EPFL and ECAL in Lausanne, presents Chachachat, a playful mobile chat app designed to deliberately break conventional usability rules by limiting user control, introducing discomfort through intimacy, and adding nonsense and difficulty of use. Messages are limited to three phrases chosen from a predefined vocabulary drawn partly from dating websites, and users cannot meet offline contacts. The authors describe a soft launch on July 21st, 2014, advertised only through Facebook profiles. Six months later there were 255 installations, 221 completed registrations (87%), and 170 users (77%) who sent at least one message. Of 6,921 messages sent, 5,837 were regular (84%) and 1,084 contained explicit phrases (16%). In a preliminary comparison with WhatsApp, Chachachat users reported significantly higher arousal, and their pleasure scores had the same median as WhatsApp users, though the authors note the convenience sample limits conclusions. Users also reported discomfort from anonymity and from receiving explicit messages from strangers, while some described the app as addictive. Overall, the authors conclude that users felt some discomfort but also held a very positive attitude toward the app.

Uncomfortable yet Fun Messaging with Chachachat

Uncomfortable yet Fun Messaging with Chachachat

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