Situating Network Infrastructure with People, Practices, and Beyond

Situating Network Infrastructure with People, Practices, and Beyond (SNIP2+) is an NSF-supported workshop that aims to bring together an interdisciplinary mix of experts in networking, human-computer interaction, social science, and technology policy to develop a shared research agenda for human-centered approaches to the design and development of network infrastructure. As one of nine workshops funded by the NSF’s Responsible Design, Development, and Deployment of Technologies (ReDDDoT) program, our workshop aims to identify opportunities to forge a research agenda analogous to that of “usable security” in the context of networking. This invitation-based workshop is the third iteration of the SNIP2+ workshop, building on successful events at CSCW in 2022 and SIGCOMM in 2023. 

Over the past fifty years, network infrastructure—particularly the Internet—has evolved from an academic curiosity managed by a small group of technical researchers into critical infrastructure underpinning nearly every aspect of modern life. Today, billions of people depend daily on network technologies for services ranging from healthcare advice and employment opportunities to social interactions and essential community functions. Despite this ubiquity and significance, the design, deployment, and study of networking technologies remain largely technical endeavors, frequently opaque to the very communities these technologies serve.

Our workshop recognizes that networks inherently involve human actors—as users, operators, planners, and even non-users indirectly impacted by connectivity and its gaps. By emphasizing the interactions between humans and network infrastructures as a primary research focus, we seek to bridge the traditionally separate fields of networking and human-computer interaction (HCI). This interdisciplinary approach will catalyze innovative research directions by addressing key questions: How can human-centered design simplify complex network management tasks? How do rapid evolutions in network infrastructure impact user experiences? How can community values guide the equitable development of networks, especially in disadvantaged regions?

To tackle these challenges, our workshop will convene a diverse community of scholars and practitioners working across fields including networking, HCI, social science, policy, and practice. Participants will represent leading academic institutions as well as nonprofit and for-profit organizations, all collaborating to define a shared research agenda aimed at establishing the discipline of human-centered networking. Together, we will identify practical pathways toward developing more inclusive, accessible, and responsible network infrastructure technologies.