Conversation Disconnection

Mika has some slides about issues of TCP communication on mobile devices today and the problems we have to overcome in order to establish mobile presence according to how we believe users want to use it.

For me, many of the issues tend to be mentally solved by thinking, well, soon we´ll have flat-rate 3G phone plans moving us into always-on mode with our phones (much like broadband did to the desktop/laptop). However, even if this might be next-years reality, as Mika indirectly points out, it doesn’t solve everything. Apart from not necesarrily being true, there is the problem of power consumption and the fragmented 3G coverage among a multitude of potential issues. In Sweden, as in Finland, the 3G coverage is still patchy and the phone ping-pongs between 2 and 3G frequently and thus of course breaking the connection. Thus, TCP and reliability of message deliverance is greatly compromised by the constant threat of network break-down.

In a presence application this might not be a problem, from the use-case point of view, since the messaging is somewhat asynchronous and fragmented in involvement and response (unlike IM). In other words the delay of not receiving updates while being “offline” in a 2G spot doesn’t matter much. However, battery consumption still does. And, as Mika points out, there needs to be repositories of sent information that stores or caches the info before making damn sure it is not deleted before it has been fully received.

Anyway, on a similar note, Hutchison/3 started pushing teen-targeted advertising for MSN messenger for mobile recently (well, rather a few months ago). I’d be really interested in knowing what experiences the teens have had with this. I’m assuming that the potential break of connection while in the midst of an IM discussion is pretty annoying. However, who engages in an ongoing uninterrupted IM conversation on a mobile platform anyway?

As I see it today, the way Jaiku works is truly ideal. Updates via the cell phone is done when the user has the possibility. Conversations via comments are intrinsically asynchronous and furthermore stored in the online feed. The use of the cell phone as a tool for “checking in” to see what has happened when I have the opportunity appears as perfect with the way general mobile usage is conducted. Even if next year gives us flat-rate always on mobile presence the demanded granularity of update frequency can hardly be higher than the potential delay until entering 3G coverage. Or can it?

BTW - If you have any stories, stats etc about the teens experiences with mobile messenger, let me know!