2021 ACM SIGMOBILE Rockstar Award

The recipient of the 2021 SIGMOBILE RockStar Award is Aruna Balasubramanian, associate professor of computer science at Stony Brook University, NY. The award recognizes Aruna's outstanding contributions in the areas of mobile systems and mobile web performance, and her mentoring and leadership efforts in improving diversity in the SIGMOBILE community.

Towards Representative Web Performance Measurements with Google Lighthouse

Web performance testing with tools such as Google Lighthouse is a common task in software practice and research. However, variability in time-based performance measurement results is observed quickly when using the tool, even if the website has not changed. This can occur due to variability in the network, web, and client devices. In this paper, we investigated how this challenge was addressed in the existing literature. Furthermore, an experiment was conducted, highlighting how unrepresentative measurements can result from single runs; thus, researchers and practitioners are advised to run performance tests multiple times and use an aggregation value. Based on the empirical results, 5 consecutive runs using a median to aggregate results reduce variability greatly, and can be performed in a reasonable time. The study’s findings alert to p otential pitfalls when using single run-based measurement results and serve as guidelines for future use of the tool.

Visibilitas Website UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta dalam Pemeringkatan Webometrics

This article attempts to describe the efforts to increase the visibility of the website of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta in webometrics ranking. Webometrics is a means to measure the progress of a university through its website. This article aims to find the right work steps in an effort to increase website visibility and also the birth of practical steps to lift webometrics rankings that can be used as guidelines by website managers at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. This research uses a qualitative approach with a descriptive type. The main data was obtained using Focus Group Discussion (FGD) techniques by presenting parties related to webometrics ranking, having knowledge of SEO practices, and having experience in web management. The findings indicate that there have been efforts to increase the quantity and quality of content with the establishment of the publication and documentation division. There are still various obstacles to be faced, such as content management that does not meet SEO principles, several pages and subdomains that are not maintained, are damaged, and even lost, causing bad backlinks. It is necessary to build a website that uses the multisite method which is very effective and efficient in integrating various website needs at UIN Jakarta. The need for various efforts to overcome these obstacles, such as the need for effective communication between web development teams, the need for SEO-friendly content writing training, and the importance of SOPs in optimizing web performance and getting maximum webometrics ranking.

Optimised URL Shortener using Cloud Platform

Short URLs have become commonplace. Short URLs, which are especially popular in social networking services, have witnessed a significant increase in their use in recent years, largely due to Twitter's restriction on message length to 140 characters. We рrоvidе a first сhаrасterizаtiоn in the usage of short URLs in this рарer. Our specific goal is to create a system architecture for short URLs and have an optimized solution of how to use them and as well as their potential impact on web performance. Our project is made while keeping in mind that the generated URL has to be one third the size of a given url. This allows the user the functionality to share the URL with multiple individuals. Our system also incorporates the idea of tracking each individual shortened URL by the usage of a short code. It gives the user the control over their generated URLs.

Listening through Webs for/of Creole Improvisation

Our paper reflects on our experience with Weaving Music II—a web performance space we built with fifteen artists working across different disciplines. The website and our essay attempt to create alternatives to the “at-the-same-timeness” of streaming technologies as well as the forms of listening defined by data capitalism and corporate platforms like Google and YouTube. At the heart of the alternative practices we propose is an embrace of what we see as the creolizing potentiality of the Web and of listening. To unpack these potentialities, the essay and artwork critically reflect on listening that occurs through Afrofuturistic modes of engagement with technology, space and time. We consider the historical origins of Web improvisations, our approach to collaboration using Weaving Music II, and theories of information that move beyond the need for predefined codes of understanding.

Usability Evaluation of Encyclopedia Websites

Usability is an important aspect that every website should focus more. It tells us how well and success website will function with real users. Many people often think usability tests are expensive and time-consuming. It can be a cost-effective and time saver with usability testing instead of spending more time fixing an unusable website. This study evaluates the usability of encyclopedia websites by using automated usability testing tools and questionnaire methods. The questionnaire was developed based on a standard form called Website Analysis and Measurement Inventory (WAMMI) that identified 20 common usability questions divided into five categories. Each category deals with one aspect of usability. Simultaneously, the automated usability testing tools used in this study were Pingdom and GT Metrix to calculate and analyse the website performance of selected encyclopedia websites based on website components including page load time, media size and overall web performance grades. This study could help web designer, developer, and practitioners design better and more user-friendly encyclopedia websites.

Content Delivery Networks

This chapter provides an overview on the recent advances and perspectives on content delivery networks (CDNs). After a reminder on the definition and core features of CDNs, the first section highlights their importance with quantitative illustrations. The second section identifies the various types of CDNs which have been deployed to address different markets. The growth of the CDNs has been driven primarily by video streaming. Next to media content, CDNs have evolved to deliver always more demanding social networks and applications. Security solutions are now fully integrated into CDNs and marketed as flagship products. The third, fourth, and fifth sections outline the challenges and technical evolutions of the CDNs to keep up with their customers' hunger for media content, web performance, and security. The sixth section focuses on the convergence of CDNs and clouds. The seventh section reviews the status and perspectives of different approaches for using multiple CDNs. The last section presents the current positioning and future perspectives of the CDNs in the mobile domain.

DO GENDER, AGE AND FREQUENCY OF INTERNET ACCESS MATTER ON THE PERCEIVED IMPORTANCE OF HOTEL WEBSITE FEATURES?

Purpose – This study measures the relative importance of hotel website features based on users’ perceptions and analyses the impact of gender, age, and frequency of Internet access on the given importance of features. Our study includes ten features and three hypotheses. Design/methodology/approach – A research questionnaire was developed and distributed to hotel guests. A total of 406 responses were collected. Statistical analysis included paired t-tests and oneway ANOVA. Findings – Results showed that users prioritized information about products and services, bookings and reservations, an easy-to-use website, and contact information. Privacy, design, and information on the surroundings were also important features. Customer feedback options, corporate information, and links to social media sites were ranked as significantly less important. Moreover, age and frequency of Internet access have a significant impact on the perceived importance of features, while no differences were found with regard to gender. Originality – Many studies have used web performance tools to measure the performance of hotel websites. However, these studies have not provided guests’ preferences and perceived importance of website features. To our knowledge, no previous research has examined the effect of gender, age, and frequency of Internet access on the perceived importance of hotel website features.

Systematic Literature Review on Web Performance Testing

Performance Testing is essential to ensure the quality and scalability of Web applications. A well-defined process may guide Performance Testing Engineer in conducting this task. We intended to enlighten some major inputs related to web performance testing. For this, we have formulated and executed a given protocol, according to the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) protocol in Software Engineering. So, 37 papers were selected/analyzed and we have extracted their most relevant contribution in order to answer our research questions. This analysis enabled us discovering preeminent performance testing profiles/roles, approaches, artifacts, methods, stages or phases and activity flows that have been reported in the literature. We believe that, despite those several studies that mapping performance test context, there are a few remarks in which a clarification might be needed, once there is no well-established process that comprises the whole activities mapped as well as established a relation with other studies. Therefore, this study intends to provide relevant input that one may establish a novel web performance testing process.