Times and Frequencies for Computer Conferencing Commands

Abstract: Statistics of which actions a user of a non-simultaneous computer conference system performs most frequently, can be used in designing conference system user interfaces by understanding user needs.

By Jacob Palme, e-mail: jpalme@dsv.su.se, at the research group for CMC (Computer Mediated Communication) in the Department of Computer and Systems Sciences at Stockholm University and KTH.

Last revision: 27 April 1999.

Table of contents

• Summary of frequency of various main task groups
• New logical grouping of commands made in 1998
  • Reading news (includes skipping news)
  • Rereading previously seen messages
  • Finding. looking at and going to activities and users
  • Writing messages (includes forwarding and deleting messages)
  • Activity subscription handling
  • Miscellanous (login. log out. etc.)
  • Managing activities
  • Commands not included in statistics because of low frequency
• Logical grouping of commands made in 1982
  • Reading news
  • Rereading already seen messages
  • Administration of writing
  • Writing messages
  • Getting various tables of information
  • Other commands
• All commands sorted by frequency

Times and frequencies for KOM commands

The statistics below are based on a random sample of all commands given in the KOM conferencing system during a five-day period in september 1980. The value of these statistics is as a basis for optimization of groupware, you can see which commands users need most, and which are thus most important to optimize.

Warning added in 1999: These statistics were taken from a system which did not, at that time, have any e-mail connectivity. Personal messages could only be sent to other users of the system. Graphics and attachments were unknown concepts. Thus, users of today may have more need for sending e-mail, graphics and attachments than is indicated by the statistics below.

Commands which took more than 30 minutes to complete are not included in the statistics.

Since people may do other things while sitting logged in to COM, the statistics may exaggerate the time to perform some commands.

Note that because of the way COM works, users are guided into using those commands which come first in a menu. Those commands are marked with an * below.

All times in the table are given in seconds.

Total number of characters to the computer: 414873
Total number of characters from the computer: 15107171
Total number of commands: 26982

Summary of frequency of various main task groups

70.76	Finding and reading news
7.28	Writing messages
7.00	Finding and rereading previously seen messages
5.23	Finding. looking at. going to activities and users
5.15	Login. logout. etc.
1.75	All other commands
0.47	Handling subscriptions to activities
0.23	Managing activities

(The statistics above is not 100 % exact because some commands have dual usage, for example the review command was used both to find old messages, to read the current message again from the beginning, and to move around in the text of a message you are writing, in the statistics above review has wrongly been counted as "Finding and rereading previously seen messages", so the figure for this class is probably too high. Also, the statistics is the percentage of given commands, not the percentage of time, and people give less commands when they are writing messages, thus, the real time for writing messages is about 30 % and not 7.28 % as indicated above.)

The statistics above are taken from the report at URL:
http://dsv.su.se/jpalme/reports/c10166.rtf or
http://dsv.su.se/jpalme/reports/c10166.pdf

Note: Commands in italics in the table are commands which may have too high frequency, because these commands were sometimes default commands, i.e. commands which were performed when the user just pushed the RETURN key. KOM was designed so that pushing the RETURN key always performed one single default command, which was usually what the user wanted to do most at that time. For example, the default command in a series of interactions could be: Read next entry - Read next entry - Join next meeting - Read next entry, etc.

New logical grouping of commands made in 1998

Reading news (includes skipping news):

Percent	Command	Description
30.63	(Read) next comment	Show the next message in the current thread
21.03	(Read) next entry	Show the next message in the current meeting
12.66	(Join) next meeting	Go to the next meeting with news
2.35	(Read) next letter	Show the next personal message addressed directly to you
0.79	List (all) news	List all subscribed meetings with unseen messages
0.64	Only (read last)	Bypass some messages without reading them in large meetings where you do not have time to read everything
0.59	(Re-)type (the entry)	Show me the last seen message once more
0.39	Mark (the notice)	Mark this message so that I remember to reread it at a later time
0.24	Skip (all comments)	Skip reading the rest of this thread
0.24	Save (entry)	Save entry text in a file
0.09	(Read all) news	Show all unseen messages in sequence without any break (often made while saving them to a file)
1.11	Wait (for news)	You have seen all unseen messages, and want to be reminded when a new message arrives
70.76	total

Rereading previously seen messages:

Percent	Command	Description
5.49	Review (entry)	Reread an (usually) already seen message once more
1.28	(Read) next marked (notice)	Read next message which you have marked for rereading at a later time
0.23	Unmark (the notice)	Remove the rereading mark from a message
7.00	total

Finding. looking at and going to activities and users:

Percent	Command	Description
2.14	Join (meeting)	Move from one activity to another while reading news
1.76	(Get) status (of)	Find list of members in a meeting, or Find list of meetings which a user subscribes to
0.09	List (public) meetings	List all meetings open for anyone
0.30	List active (meetings)	List those meetings which most recently got new contributions
0.94	Present	List those just now connected to the server
5.23	total

Writing messages (includes forwarding and deleting messages):

Percent	Command	Description
1.73	Comment (on entry)	Write reply to be sent to all who saw the replied-to message
1.16	(Send a) letter (to)	Write a personal e-mail to a specified user
0.85	Answer (privately)	Write reply to be sent only to the author of the replied-to message
0.79	Enter (it)	Submit a message after writing it
0.45	(Remove last) line	Text editing commad
0.41	Cancel (it)	Skip submitting a message you are writing
0.36	(Type new) entry	Write a contribution to a meeting
0.35	(Remove last) word	Text editing command
0.33	(Re-) type (the letter)	Text editing command
0.22	Information (copy to)	Add CC recipient to current message
0.16	Submit (file)	Include file into text of a message
0.13	Continue (writing)	Text editing command
0.12	Add receivers	Add primary (To:) recipient to current message
0.08	Move entries	Move entry from one activity to another
0.07	Subtract receiver	Remove a recipient from a message
0.07	Delete (entry)	Delete a message from the data base
7.28	total

Activity subscription handling:

Percent	Command	Description
0.30	(Become) member (of)	Start subscribing to a meeting
0.17	Withdraw (permanently from)	Unsubscribe from a meeting
0.00	Exclude participant	Remove member from a meeting
0.04	Add participant	Add a new member to a meeting
0.53	total

Miscellanous (login. log out. etc.)

Percent	Command	Description
4.65	Quit	Exit from the KOM system
0.50	Begin (with new) name	Logout and login under another name
5.15	total

Managing activities:

Percent	Command	Description
0.19	Erase (activity)	Delete a meeting
0.01	Organize meetings	Show submenu
0.03	Create (new meeting)	Start a new meeting
0.23	total

Commands not included in statistics because of low frequency:

Percent	Command	Description
0.29	(Something) else	Show submenu
0.27	(Read) file	Show file on screen
0.14	Change page size	Change window size
0.10	(Get) daytime	Show the current date and time
0.09	Change expert (level to)	Change to advanced mode (where more commands are availabe)
0.08	(Set) terminal (type) display	Set terminal type
0.07	Call English COM	Move to another KOM server
0.07	Something else	Show submenu
0.07	Reassign output (to file)	Print the output of the next command on a file instead of showing it on the screen
0.06	Archive (entry)	Mark an entry so that it will never be purged
0.05	Read messages	Show submenu
0.05	Leave COM	Leave the conference system
0.03	Scan (news)
0.03	Change subject	Text editing command
0.03	(Submit) file	Include text file in message being written
0.03	Call mini COM	Move to another KOM server
0.02	Internal mail (FOA)	Move to another mail system
0.02	List private (meetings)	List closed meetings (not open to anyone)
0.02	(Get) system information	Get some statistics about the KOM system and its usage
0.02	(Get) help	Go to help system
0.02	Call new COM	Move to another KOM server
0.01	Finish (entry)	Text editing command
0.01	Change presentation (of)	Change description of yourself or of a meeting
0.01	Continue	Text editing command
0.01	Message (to letter writers)	Write a "vacation" message
0.01	List commands	List all KOM commands
0.01	List information	Give some information about the KOM system
0.01	Change name (of)	Change name of a meeting or of yourself
0.01	Change password (of)	Change your own or someone elses password
0.01	Change parameters	Change personal preferences
0.01	Call travel compensation	Move to a subsystem
0.00	Write messages	Show submenu
0.00	(Set) expiration (time)	Change expiration time of a message
0.00	(Make) inquiry	Start a vote
0.00	Insert (entry)	Text editing command
0.00	List (all) persons	List all registered users
0.00	Inactive activities	???
0.00	Active activities	???
0.00	Change membership	Show submenu
0.00	Change organizer (of)	Change moderator/organizer of a meeting
0.00	Compute	Built in calculator function
0.00	Begin (from new) number	Designate some messages in a meeting as seen or unseen by setting a new limit between seen and unseen messages
0.00	Call type writing course	Perform special subfunction
0.00	Call 3rip	Perform special subfunction
0.00	Change type (of meeting)	Change the type of a meeting, for example from open to closed
0.00	(Set) terminal (type) no display	Indicate terminal type which you are using
0.00	Set terminal (type)	Indicate terminal type which you are using
0.00	(Define) group	Start very closed meeting
0.00	Call old COM	Go to another KOM server
0.00	Call program	Switch program
1.75	total

Logical grouping of commands made in 1982:

Percent	Total time	Mean time	Median time	(Group)command
1.54	14800	35.7	16.0	(Administration of reading)
0.64	6517	37.9	15.5	Only (read last)
0.27	3475	47.6	25.0	(Read) file
0.24	1091	16.5	9.0	Skip (all comments)
0.24	2225	34.2	17.0	Save (entry)
0.06	537	31.6	23.0	Archive (entry)
0.05	821	63.2	53.0	Read messages
0.03	134	14.9	11.0	Scan (news)

Reading news

Percent	Total time	Mean time	Median time	(Group)command
66.74	415262	23.1	13.0	(Reading new entries)
30.63	156787	19.0	12.0	(Read) next comment
21.03	131006	23.1	13.0	(Read) next entry
12.66	93406	27.4	15.0	(Join) next meeting
2.35	24087	38.1	22.0	(Read) next letter
0.09	9976	433.7	235.0	(Read all) news

Rereading already seen messages

Percent	Total time	Mean time	Median time	(Group)command
6.77	50702	27.8	12.0	(Reviewing)
5.49	44536	30.1	14.0	Review (entry)
1.28	6166	17.8	8.0	(Read) next marked (notice)

Administration of writing

Percent	Total time	Mean time	Median time	(Group)command
0.59	2929	18.4	7.0	(Administration of writing)
0.22	769	12.8	5.0	Information (copy to)
0.12	724	21.9	8.0	Add receivers
0.08	259	11.8	5.0	Move entries
0.07	776	40.8	7.0	Subtract receiver
0.07	176	9.8	8.5	Delete (entry)
0.02	187	31.2	20.5	Internal mail (FOA)
0.00	38	38.0	38.0	Write messages
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	(Set) expiration (time)

Writing messages

Percent	Total time	Mean time	Median time	(Group)command
7.42	209370	104.6	38.0	(Writing entries and letters)
1.73	64849	138.9	71.0	Comment (on entry)
1.16	38389	122.6	56.0	(Send a) letter (to)
0.85	35148	152.8	89.0	Answer (privately)
0.59	11479	71.7	30.0	(Re-)type (the entry)
0.45	7971	65.9	6.0	(Remove last) line
0.41	842	7.7	3.0	Cancel (it)
0.79	4992	24.0	5.0	Enter (it)
0.36	24577	250.8	141.5	(Type new) entry
0.35	8010	84.3	27.0	(Remove last) word
0.33	8310	94.4	44.0	(Re-) type (the letter)
0.16	1815	43.2	7.0	Submit (file)
0.13	811	23.2	5.0	Continue (writing)
0.03	1612	179.1	67.0	Change subject
0.03	219	24.3	13.0	(Submit) file
0.01	20	5.0	5.0	Finish (entry)
0.01	1105	368.3	137.0	Change presentation (of)
0.01	180	60.0	18.0	Continue
0.01	15	7.5	7.5	Message (to letter writers)
0.00	26	26.0	26.0	(Make) inquiry
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	Insert (entry)

Getting various tables of information

Percent	Total time	Mean time	Median time	(Group)command
3.95	35677	33.4	15.0	(Table printouts)
1.76	17064	35.8	19.0	(Get) status (of)
0.94	5033	19.9	11.0	Present
0.79	4577	21.5	9.0	List (all) news
0.30	3563	44.0	28.0	List active (meetings)
0.09	3644	158.4	80.0	List (public) meetings
0.02	680	113.3	125.0	List private (meetings)
0.02	356	59.3	57.0	(Get) system information
0.01	295	73.8	79.5	List commands
0.01	270	67.5	62.0	List information
0.00	195	195.0	195.0	List (all) persons
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	Inactive activities
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	Active activities

Other commands

Percent	Total time	Mean time	Median time	(Group)command
12.99	62273	17.8	2.0	(Miscellaneous)
4.65	938	0.7	0.0	Quit
2.14	8589	14.9	6.0	Join (meeting)
1.11	32435	108.5	6.0	Wait (for news)
0.50	30	0.2	0.0	Begin (with new) name
0.39	1065	10.2	2.0	Mark (the notice)
0.30	1672	20.9	16.0	(Become) member (of)
0.29	1038	13.1	11.0	(Something) else
0.23	1767	28.0	3.0	Unmark (the notice)
0.19	850	16.3	11.0	Erase (activity)
0.17	825	17.6	12.0	Withdraw (permanently from)
0.14	58	1.5	1.0	Change page size
0.10	539	20.7	6.5	(Get) daytime
0.09	204	8.2	1.0	Change expert (level to)
0.08	62	2.8	1.5	(Set) terminal (type) display
0.07	3	0.2	0.0	Call English COM
0.07	744	41.3	27.5	Something else
0.07	155	8.6	7.0	Reassign output (to file)
0.05	344	26.5	13.0	Leave COM
0.04	474	47.4	33.0	Add participant
0.03	694	86.8	53.5	Create (new meeting)
0.03	2	0.3	0.0	Call mini COM
0.02	233	38.8	35.0	(Get) help
0.02	2	0.4	0.0	Call new COM
0.01	220	73.3	44.0	Change name (of)
0.01	92	30.7	27.0	Change password (of)
0.01	463	231.5	231.5	Organize meetings
0.01	110	55.0	55.0	Change parameters
0.01	21	10.5	10.5	Organize meetings
0.01	0	0.0	0.0	Call travel compensation
0.00	39	39.0	39.0	Change membership
0.00	12	12.0	12.0	Change organizer (of)
0.00	4	4.0	4.0	Compute
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	Begin (from new) number
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	Call type writing course
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	Call 3rip
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	Change type (of meeting)
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	(Set) terminal (type) no display
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	Set terminal (type)
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	(Define) group
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	Exclude participant
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	Call old COM
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	Call program

All commands sorted by frequency:

Percent	Total time	Mean time	Median time	Command
30.63	156787	19.0	12.0	(Read) next comment
21.03	131006	23.1	13.0	(Read) next entry
12.66	93406	27.4	15.0	(Join) next meeting
5.49	44536	30.1	14.0	Review (entry)
4.65	938	0.7	0.0	Quit
2.35	24087	38.1	22.0	(Read) next letter
2.14	8589	14.9	6.0	Join (meeting)
1.76	17064	35.8	19.0	(Get) status (of)
1.73	64849	138.9	71.0	Comment (on entry)
1.28	6166	17.8	8.0	(Read) next marked (notice)
1.16	38389	122.6	56.0	(Send a) letter (to)
1.11	32435	108.5	6.0	Wait (for news)
0.94	5033	19.9	11.0	Present
0.85	35148	152.8	89.0	Answer (privately)
0.79	4992	24.0	5.0	Enter (it)
0.79	4577	21.5	9.0	List (all) news
0.64	6517	37.9	15.5	Only (read last)
0.59	11479	71.7	30.0	(Re-)type (the entry)
0.50	30	0.2	0.0	Begin (with new) name
0.45	7971	65.9	6.0	(Remove last) line
0.41	842	7.7	3.0	Cancel (it)
0.39	1065	10.2	2.0	Mark (the notice)
0.36	24577	250.8	141.5	(Type new) entry
0.35	8010	84.3	27.0	(Remove last) word
0.33	8310	94.4	44.0	(Re-) type (the letter)
0.30	3563	44.0	28.0	List active (meetings)
0.30	1672	20.9	16.0	(Become) member (of)
0.29	1038	13.1	11.0	(Something) else
0.27	3475	47.6	25.0	(Read) file
0.24	1091	16.5	9.0	Skip (all comments)
0.24	2225	34.2	17.0	Save (entry)
0.23	1767	28.0	3.0	Unmark (the notice)
0.22	769	12.8	5.0	Information (copy to)
0.19	850	16.3	11.0	Erase (activity)
0.17	825	17.6	12.0	Withdraw (permanently from)
0.16	1815	43.2	7.0	Submit (file)
0.14	58	1.5	1.0	Change page size
0.13	811	23.2	5.0	Continue (writing)
0.12	724	21.9	8.0	Add receivers
0.10	539	20.7	6.5	(Get) daytime
0.09	9976	433.7	235.0	(Read all) news
0.09	3644	158.4	80.0	List (public) meetings
0.09	204	8.2	1.0	Change expert (level to)
0.08	259	11.8	5.0	Move entries
0.08	62	2.8	1.5	(Set) terminal (type) display
0.07	776	40.8	7.0	Subtract receiver
0.07	176	9.8	8.5	Delete (entry)
0.07	3	0.2	0.0	Call English COM
0.07	744	41.3	27.5	Something else
0.07	155	8.6	7.0	Reassign output (to file)
0.06	537	31.6	23.0	Archive (entry)
0.05	821	63.2	53.0	Read messages
0.05	344	26.5	13.0	Leave COM
0.04	474	47.4	33.0	Add participant
0.03	134	14.9	11.0	Scan (news)
0.03	1612	179.1	67.0	Change subject
0.03	219	24.3	13.0	(Submit) file
0.03	694	86.8	53.5	Create (new meeting)
0.03	2	0.3	0.0	Call mini COM
0.02	187	31.2	20.5	Internal mail (FOA)
0.02	680	113.3	125.0	List private (meetings)
0.02	356	59.3	57.0	(Get) system information
0.02	233	38.8	35.0	(Get) help
0.02	2	0.4	0.0	Call new COM
0.01	20	5.0	5.0	Finish (entry)
0.01	1105	368.3	137.0	Change presentation (of)
0.01	180	60.0	18.0	Continue
0.01	15	7.5	7.5	Message (to letter writers)
0.01	295	73.8	79.5	List commands
0.01	270	67.5	62.0	List information
0.01	220	73.3	44.0	Change name (of)
0.01	92	30.7	27.0	Change password (of)
0.01	463	231.5	231.5	Organize meetings
0.01	110	55.0	55.0	Change parameters
0.01	21	10.5	10.5	Organize meetings
0.01	0	0.0	0.0	Call travel compensation
0.00	38	38.0	38.0	Write messages
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	(Set) expiration (time)
0.00	26	26.0	26.0	(Make) inquiry
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	Insert (entry)
0.00	195	195.0	195.0	List (all) persons
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	Inactive activities
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	Active activities
0.00	39	39.0	39.0	Change membership
0.00	12	12.0	12.0	Change organizer (of)
0.00	4	4.0	4.0	Compute
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	Begin (from new) number
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	Call type writing course
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	Call 3rip
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	Change type (of meeting)
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	(Set) terminal (type) no display
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	Set terminal (type)
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	(Define) group
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	Exclude participant
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	Call old COM
0.00	0	0.0	0.0	Call program