Contact Info

Rick Wash
rwash@wisc.edu

Cell: (734) 730-1188

I have three active projects going right now. Each project, though, often has multiple studies and papers. In general, I am interested in how people reason about and make decisions about using technology, and then how we can better design those technologies to work with those reasoning processes to create valuable socio-technical systems.

Influencing Mental Models of Security

Many people have computers in their homes. But unlike computers located in businesses, these computers are administered largely byuntrained home users. This has led to many of these computers being the victims of numerous computer crimes. I am investigating how homecomputer users think about the process of securing their home computers: what are the threats that they face, and how do they dealwith those threats? In addition, I am looking at how we can change people’s understanding – their mental models of security threats – in a way that will lead to better security decisions.

  • Rick Wash and Emilee Rader. “Prioritizing Security Over Usability: Strategies for How People Choose Passwords” Journal of CyberSecurity. Vol. 7 June 2021. ( Abstract, Journal Page, Cached Copy, Data )

  • Rick Wash and Molly Cooper. “Who Provides Phishing Training? Facts, Stories, and People Like Me” Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing (CHI). Montreal, Canada. April 2018. [Honorable Mention Award] ( Abstract, PDF, ACM DL, Data )

  • Rick Wash and Mary Ellen Zurko. “Usable Security: Guest Editors’ Introduction” IEEE Internet Computing. Vol. 21 No. 3 pp. 19-21. May/June 2017. ( Link )

  • Rick Wash, Emilee Rader, and Chris Fennell. “Can People Self-Report Security Accurately? Agreement Between Self-Report and Behavioral Measures” Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing (CHI). Denver, CO. May 2017. ( Abstract, Link, PDF, Data )

  • Emilee Rader and Rick Wash. “Influencing Mental Models of Security.” NSF Security and Trustworthy Computing PI meeting. 2017.

  • Rick Wash and Emilee Rader. “Human Interdependencies in Security Systems.” CCC Visioning Workshop on Grand Challenges in Sociotechnical Cybersecurity. 2016. ( PDF )

  • Rick Wash, Emilee Rader, Ruthie Berman, and Zac Wellmer. “Understanding Password Choices: How Frequently Entered Passwords are Re-used Across Websites” Proceedings of the Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security (SOUPS). Denver, Colorado. June 2016. ( Abstract, PDF, Slides, Data )

  • Emilee Rader and Rick Wash. “Identifying Patterns in Informal Sources of Security Information” Journal of Cyber Security. Vol. 1 2015. ( Abstract, Journal Page )

  • Rick Wash and Emilee Rader. “Too Much Knowledge? Security Beliefs and Protective Behaviors Among US Internet Users” Proceedings of the Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security (SOUPS). Ottawa, Canada. July 2015. ( Abstract, PDF, Data )

  • L Jean Camp and Diane Henshel, Moderators. Bennett Bertenthal, Rick Wash, Cleotilde Gonzalez, L. Jean Camp, Nancy Leveson, and Karl Levitt, Panelists.. “Holistic Computing Risk Assessment: Privacy, Security, and Trust.” Panel in American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). February 2015.

  • Katie Hoban, Emilee Rader, Rick Wash, and Kami Vaniea. “Computer Security Information in Stories, News Articles, and Education Documents.” Poster in Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security (SOUPS). July 2014. [Distinguished Poster Award] ( PDF )

  • Rick Wash, Emilee Rader, Kami Vaniea, and Michelle Rizor. “Out of the Loop: How Automated Software Updates Cause Unintended Security Consequences” Proceedings of the Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security (SOUPS). Menlo Park, CA. July 2014. ( Abstract, PDF )

  • Kami Vaniea, Emilee Rader, and Rick Wash. “Mental Models of Software Updates.” International Communication Association. Seattle. May 2014. ( Abstract, PDF )

  • Kami Vaniea, Emilee Rader, and Rick Wash. “Betrayed By Updates: How Negative Experiences Affect Future Security” Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing (CHI). Toronto, Canada. April 2014. ( Abstract, PDF, ACM DL )

  • M. Angela Sasse, Charles C. Palmer, Markus Jakobsson, Sunny Consolvo, Rick Wash, L. Jean Camp. “Helping You Protect You” IEEE Security and Privacy. Vol. 12 No. 1 pp. 42-49. January/February 2014. ( Link )

  • Rick Wash. “Folk Security” IEEE Security and Privacy. Vol. 10 No. 6 pp. 88-90. November/December 2012. ( Link )

  • Emilee Rader, Rick Wash, and Brandon Brooks. “Stories as Informal Lessons About Security” Proceedings of the Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security (SOUPS). Washington, DC. July 2012. ( Abstract, PDF, ACM DL, Data )

  • Rick Wash and Emilee Rader. “Folk Models of Home Computer Security.” In The Death of the Internet, Edited by Markus Jacobsson. Wiley. June 2012. ISBN 978-1118062418 ( Link )

  • Rick Wash and Emilee Rader. “Influencing Mental Models of Security” Proceedings of the New Security Paradigms Workshop (NSPW). Marshall, CA. September 2011. ( Abstract, PDF, ACM DL )

  • Rick Wash. “Folk Models of Home Computer Security” Proceedings of the Symposium on Usable Security and Privacy (SOUPS). 2010. [SOUPS Impact Award in 2020] ( Abstract, PDF, ACM DL )

  • Rick Wash and Jeffrey MacKie-Mason. “Security When People Matter: Structuring Incentives For User Behavior” Proceedings of the International Conference on Electronic Commerce (ICEC). Minneapolis, MN. August 2007. ( Abstract, PDF, ACM DL )

Mental Models and Critical Mass in Online Communities

Online Communities and Crowd Systems require user participation and user contribution in order to succeed. However, users’ participation decisions are not made in isolation; there is a strong feedback influence. People only choose to participate in social media systems based on what contributions they see others making, and their expectations about the future of the social media system. I am investigating how this process works, how we can “bootstrap” this process at the beginning of the life of a social media system, and how it eventually produces a “critical mass” of self-sustaining contributions.

  • Rick Wash. “How to Recognize Phishing Emails: Cybersecurity Experts Give Advice” The Wall Street Journal. 2022. ( Link )

  • Rick Wash. “Behind the crypto hype is an ideology of social change” The Conversation. 2022. ( Link )

  • Megan Knittel and Rick Wash. “How an Online Health Support Community Responded to the COVID-19 Crisis” Hawai’i International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). Maui, Hawaii. January 2022. ( Abstract, PDF )

  • Janghee Cho and Rick Wash. “How Potential New Members Approach an Online Community” Journal of Computer Supported Cooperative Work. Vol. 30 No. 1 pp. 35-77. January 2021. ( Abstract, Journal Page, Cached Copy )

  • Megan Knittel, Faye Kollig, Abrielle Mason, and Rick Wash. ““Anyone else have this experience?” Sharing the Emotional Labor of Tracking Data About Me” Proceedings of the ACM: Human-Computer Interation (CSCW). Vol. 4 No. CSCW1 November 2021. ( Abstract, Journal Page, Cached Copy )

  • Megan Knittel, Shelby Pitts, and Rick Wash. ““The Most Trustworty Coin”: How Ideological Tensions Drive Trust in Bitcoin” Proceedings of the ACM: Human-Computer Interation (CSCW). Vol. 3 November 2019. ( Abstract, Journal Page, Cached Copy )

  • Megan Knittel and Rick Wash. “How “True Bitcoiners” Work on Reddit to Maintain Bitcoin.” Poster in ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing (CHI). April 2019. ( Abstract, PDF ACM DL )

  • Ruth Shillair and Rick Wash. “Are You Listening? Social Roles and Perceived Value of Statements in Online Learning Communities.” Poster in Learning at Scale (L@S). March 2015. ( PDF )

  • Jacob Solomon and Rick Wash. “Critical Mass of What? Exploring Community Growth in WikiProjects” Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Weblogs and Social Media (ICWSM). Ann Arbor, MI. June 2014. ( Abstract, PDF )

  • Alcides Velasquez, Rick Wash, Cliff Lampe, and Tor Bjornrud. “Latent Users in an Online User-generated Content Community” Journal of Computer Supported Cooperative Work. Vol. 23 No. 1 pp. 21-50. February 2014. ( Abstract, Journal Page, Cached Copy )

  • Rick Wash and Cliff Lampe. “The Power of the Ask in Social Media” Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW). Seattle, WA. February 2012. ( Abstract, PDF, ACM DL )

  • Jacob Solomon and Rick Wash. “Bootstrapping Wikis: Developing Critical Mass in an Fledgling Community by Seeding Content” Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW). Seattle, WA. February 2012. ( Abstract, PDF, ACM DL )

  • Cliff Lampe, Rick Wash, Alcides Velasquez, and Elif Ozkaya. “Motivations to Participate in Online Communities” Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing (CHI). Atlanta, GA. April 2010. ( Abstract, PDF, ACM DL )

Socio-Technical Design of Crowdfunding Websites

Crowdfunding websites like Kickstarter.com and Spot.us allow anyone to post project ideas and solicit donations. These systems create a two-sided matching market: interested donors need to be matched with interesting projects. However, there is a complication: projects need a minimum amount of money to be likely to succeed. I am studying how the rules and technologies that support such websites can be designed to create efficient donations and to encourage participation and donation.

  • Chankyung Pak and Rick Wash. “The Rich Get Richer? Limited Learning in Charitable Giving on donorschoose.org” Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media (ICWSM). Montreal, Quebec, Canada. May 2017. ( Abstract, PDF )

  • Jacob Solomon, Wenjuan Ma, and Rick Wash. “Highly Successful Projects Inhibit Coordination on Crowdfunding Sites” Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing (CHI). San Jose, CA. May 2016. ( Abstract, PDF )

  • Jacob Solomon, Wenjuan Ma, and Rick Wash. “Don’t Wait! How Timing Affects Coordination of Crowdfunding Donations” Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW). Vancouver, BC. March 2015. ( Abstract, PDF )

  • Chankyung Pak and Rick Wash. “Importance of Recent Success and Initial Overconfidence: Factors of Crowdfunders’ Limited Learning.” Poster in ACM Conference on Economics and Computation (EC). June 2014. ( Abstract )

  • Elizabeth M. Gerber, Michael Muller, Rick Wash, Lilly C. Irani, Amanda Williams, and Elizabeth F. Churchill. “Crowdfunding: An Emerging Field of Research.” Panel Session in CHI ‘14 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems. April 2014. ( ACM DL )

  • Rick Wash and Jacob Solomon. “Coordinating Donors on Crowdfunding Websites” Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW). Baltimore, Maryland. February 2014. [Honorable Mention] ( Abstract, PDF, ACM DL )

  • Rick Wash. “The Value of Completing Crowdfunding Projects” Proceedings of the International Conference on Weblogs and Social Media (ICWSM). Boston, MA. July 2013. ( Abstract, Link, PDF )