Participatory design and web 2.0: the case of PIPWatch, the collaborative privacy toolbar
Abstract
We discuss the distinctive opportunities and challenges of adopting a PD approach to the development of 'Web 2.0' applications. Web-based services pose significant difficulties in interacting effectively with user groups in terms of traditional PD methods. However there are some quite popular 'peer-production' services which have been successful in overcoming such challenges and thereby offer useful insights into participatory approaches for developing applications that depend on the ongoing voluntary contributions by groups of physically dispersed individuals. These are illustrated through a reflective account of the iterative development of PIPWatch, a Firefox extension that enables web users to monitor the privacy policies and practices of the websites they visit, using data contributed by previous visitors and site privacy officers.
