Title: WebRogue: rendezvous in a web place

Authors: Alessandro Soro, Ivan Marcialis, Davide Carboni, Gavino Paddeu

Addresses: CRS4 – Center for Advanced Studies, Research and Development in Sardinia, Parco Scientifico e Tecnologico, POLARIS, Edificio 1, 09010 PULA, CA, Italy. ' CRS4 – Center for Advanced Studies, Research and Development in Sardinia, Parco Scientifico e Tecnologico, POLARIS, Edificio 1, 09010 PULA, CA, Italy. ' CRS4 – Center for Advanced Studies, Research and Development in Sardinia, Parco Scientifico e Tecnologico, POLARIS, Edificio 1, 09010 PULA, CA, Italy. ' CRS4 – Center for Advanced Studies, Research and Development in Sardinia, Parco Scientifico e Tecnologico, POLARIS, Edificio 1, 09010 PULA, CA, Italy

Abstract: In this paper, we describe the nuts and bolts of WebRogue. WebRogue is an internet tool, which bridges the gap between the virtual presence in a website and the full interaction with other users browsing the same page. The rationale behind WebRogue is simple indeed: a web browser and a chat client are linked together and each time the user loads a web page, he/she can see who is connected to that site and can start an end-to-end chat session with the other users. This allows web surfers to spontaneously aggregate around sites of interest, as happens in the real world, without being limited or controlled in any way by site owners. Additionally, WebRogue provides users with many functionalities to allow sophisticate interactions, such as whispering (sending private messages), screaming (sending a chat message that anyone can read), joining a group of users for group surfing and waiting in line.

Keywords: web surfers; internet; web chat; virtual presence; virtual communities; web based communities.

DOI: 10.1504/IJWBC.2007.015869

International Journal of Web Based Communities, 2007 Vol.3 No.4, pp.448 - 459

Published online: 26 Nov 2007 *

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