“It’s Fun not to Know”: The Role of Uncertainty in Text-Based Online Collaborative Storytelling

Abstract

Computer-mediated communication platforms provide new ways for people to tell stories together, while at the same time introducing new challenges. In this paper we explore how people coordinate process, content, and direction during text-based online collaborative storytelling. In our study, six pairs of participants were asked to tell a story together using two variations of a chatroom-like system. Both conditions provided direct text-based interaction visible to the audience, whereas one condition also included a “backchannel” interface for private communication that was not visible to the audience. The system also provided basic workspace awareness in the form of persistent story text, coloured based on contributor, and a typing activity indicator. Even with just a partial understanding of the content and direction of the story, most participants felt they were able to successfully tell a story together. In fact, some participants preferred the uncertainty associated with limited communication, seeing this as encouraging creativity. This suggests guidelines for designing collaborative tools, which tend to emphasize shared understanding, may need to take into consideration the role of uncertainty in creative activities such as collaborative storytelling.