Norah Abokhodair

Dissecting a Social Botnet: Growth, Content and Influence in Twitter

Social botnets have become an important phenomenon on social media. There are many ways in which social bots can disrupt or influence online discourse, such as, spam hashtags, scam twitter users, and astroturfing. In this paper we considered one specific social botnet in Twitter to understand how it grows over time, how the content of tweets by the social botnet differ from regular users in the same dataset, and lastly, how the social botnet may have influenced the relevant discussions. Our analysis is based on a qualitative coding for approximately 3000 tweets in Arabic and English from the Syrian social bot that was active for 35 weeks on Twitter before it was shutdown. We find that the growth, behavior and content of this particular botnet did not specifically align with common conceptions of botnets. Further we identify interesting aspects of the botnet that distinguish it from regular users.

Privacy & Social Media in the Context of the Arab Gulf

Theories of privacy and how it relates to the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) have been a topic of research for decades. However, little attention has been paid to the perception of privacy from the perspective of technology users in the Middle East. In this paper, we delve into interpretations of privacy from the approach of Arab Gulf citizens. We consider how privacy is practiced and understood in technology-mediated environments among this population, paying particular attention to the role of Islam and cultural traditions in constructing norms around privacy. We then offer culturally sensitive design principles and suggestions for future research that incorporates previously unexplored characteristics of privacy, which play a role in how users navigate social media.

Transmigrant Saudi Arabian Youth and Social Media: Privacy, Intimacy and Freedom of Expression

The diverse ways in which Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are modified and appropriated into local contexts is an important theme in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research. In my dissertation I propose to investigate the use of social media by transmigrant Saudi Arabian youth living between the USA and Saudi Arabia. In particular, I aim to understand how youth conceptualize values such as privacy, intimacy, and freedom of expression across different cultures, and how they appropriate social media during their transnational experience.

Saudi Arabia's response to cyber conflict: A case study of the Shamoon malware incident

This is a progress report on a case study of cyber-security at mega-size companies and its importance to the financial and operational well-being of the company. Our investigation focuses specifically on Saudi Aramco, the worlds largest oil company. The company was the target of a severe cyber-attack on August 15, 2012 that paralyzed their business network for several months. We analyze the companys response to the attack and examine its current policies with regard to cyber-security. Our goal is to answer the main research question: How the Saudi Government, the primary stakeholder of Saudi Aramco, reacted and responded to the attack and how this response conforms to current cyber-security standards. The objective is to develop a best-practices benchmark of cyber-security that provides guidelines to be utilized by Saudi Aramco and similar companies.

Computer Training to Empower Day Laborers: A Heat Map to Address Emotional Barriers and Technical Skills

This paper analyzes the barriers to information and communication technologies (ICT) use among extremely underserved minorities such as impoverished immigrants in the USA. In particular, we explore the physical and psychological barriers that prevent Hispanic day laborers in Seattle from making effective use of computers and the Internet. Based on a mixed-methods study that combined structured interviews, focus groups and observations among day laborers members of non-profit Casa Latina in Seattle, WA, we suggest a typology of barriers to ICT. We also suggest the use of a heat map for ICT training that addresses both the physical access and the emotional capacity barriers faced by underserved communities. Addressing emotional barriers as well as technical skills is critical for these extremely underserved populations to make effective use of ICT in ways that effectively meet their information and development needs.

Against Marrying a Stranger: Marital Matchmaking Technologies in Saudi Arabia

Websites and applications that match and connect individuals for romantic purposes are commonly used in the Western world. However, there have not been many previous investigations focusing on cultural factors that affect the adoption of similar technologies in religiously conservative non-Western cultures. In this study, we examine the socio-technical and cultural factors that influence the perceptions and use of matchmaking technologies in Saudi Arabia. We report the methods and findings of interviews with 18 Saudi nationals (nine males and nine females) with diverse demographics and backgrounds. We provide qualitatively generated insights into the major themes reported by our participants related to the common approaches to matchmaking, the current role of technology, and concerns regarding matchmaking technologies in this cultural con-text. We relate these themes to specific implications for designing marital matchmaking technologies in Saudi Arabia and we outline opportunities for future investigations.