Hyperactive: extending an open hypermedia architecture to support agency

Abstract

Recent advances in information technology place a virtually unlimited information world at the disposal of computer users. However, the lack of straightforward methods for organizing, filtering and personalizing relevant data results in an accessibility gap between people and desired information. Even though hypermedia systems are addressing issues of accessibility and personalization of complex information networks, much work needs to be done to facilitate the user's exploitation of the information resources. Ibis thesis proposes that the introduction of inter .face agents-autonomous processes working on behalf of the user-into hypermedia systems should contribute in narrowing the accessibility gap and generate a more lively and engaging style of human-computer interaction. A set of criteria for characterizing interface agents is developed and used as a framework for a thorough survey of current research involving interface agents. Ongoing research is used as the basis for analyzing the agency requirements of an open hypermedia architecture. An extended, agent-aware hyperrnedia architecture (termed HyperActive) is proposed. HyperActive is an open hypermedia environment that facilitates the operation and development of interface agents. This is achieved by introducing into existing hypermedia facilities: (1) two simple abstractions-agent classes and agent instances; (2) subsystems for managing these abstractions-an Agent Manager (AM) and an Agent Server (AS); and (3) a collection of building blocks to facilitate the development of new agents-the HyperActive Agency Toolkit (H[]T). A prototypical implementation of HyperActive validates the concepts introduced by the proposed architecture.