MultiLog: a tool for the control and output merging of multiple logging applications

Abstract

MultiLog is a logging tool that controls, gathers, and combines the output, on-the-fly, from existing research and commercial logging applications or Bloggers.^Loggers record a specific set of user actions on a computing device, helping researchers to better understand environments or interactions, guiding the design of new or improved interfaces and applications. MultiLog reduces researchers' required implementation effort by simplifying the set-up of multiple loggers and seamlessly combining their output. This in turn increases the availability of logging systems to non-technical experimenters for both short-term and longitudinal observation studies. MultiLog supports two operating modes: Bresearcher mode^where experimenters configure multiple logging systems, and Bdeployment mode^where the system is deployed to user-study participants' systems. Researcher mode allows researchers to install, configure log filtering and obfuscation, observe near real-time event streams, and save configuration files ready for deployment. Deployment mode simplifies data collection from multiple loggers by running in the system tray at user log-in, starting loggers, combining their output, and securely uploading the data to a webserver. It also supports real-time browsing of log data, pausing of logging, and removal of log lines. Performance evaluations show that MultiLog does not adversely affect system performance, even when simultaneously running several logging systems. Initial studies show the system runs reliably over a period of 10 weeks.

Data transfer: A longitudinal analysis of clipboard and drag-and-drop use in desktop applications

“…To do this, we conducted a longitudinal logging study that recorded user behaviour when using unmodified versions of their applications, on their own computer-the Windows OS logging software captured appropriate events in the background. We used the MultiLog [5] software which allows existing logging applications to be "plugged in" to gather the required data set.…”

“…To log clipboard and drag-and-drop data interactions, we employed MultiLog [5], a system that supports "plug in" logging software and the generation of a universal log output. We wrote two new plug-ins-one for the clipboard and one for drag-anddrop (described in the next section).…”

“…The MultiLog software [5] starts on user login, automatically logs all copy-and-paste and drag-and-drop operations, and intermittently uploads these to a server when an Internet connection is present. The user can pause logging at any point through an icon in the system tray (the act of pausing is not logged to ensure user privacy).…”

“…To achieve this goal, we used the MultiLog [5] software for data collection and undertook a longitudinal log study for a period of 90 days with 17 participants. This period allowed us to collect long-term behavioural data and everyday interaction with many applications: something not possible in short-term observations.…”

Intelligent System for Data Tracking in Image Editing Company

“…An example of a field outside the HCI community where logging is helpful for researchers is Interactive Information Retrieval (IIR), which also uses collected log data to analyze and draw conclusions from users' behavior [15]. The log is an important storage file which is kept by most systems such as e-business websites and database systems in order to record their activities or transactions.…”