Abstract:
The paradigm of "access, anytime. anywhere" has been critiqued
within the mobile HCI literature as a broad assumption that
simplifies understandings of actual work practice and as an example
of rhetoric that allows researchers to ignore the temporal aspects of
mobility. The key aspect of technology use that remains unclear,
however, when discussing this paradigm is the complexity of the
concept "anytime. anywhere" from the perspective of the user. This
paper addresses this gap by discussing findings from an empirical
study of freelance workers, across both work and social contexts, in
which availability emerged as an important concern tor participants.
This paper explores the ways in which free lancers use their mobile
devices to manage their availability to others. Finally, we also
consider implications for the ways in which mobility is
conceptualised within the mobile HCI literature.
