Started last ETConn2002 session, Rethinking the Modern OS presented by Richard Rashid @ Microsoft. Part of the session discuss ideas for modelling user behaviour by defining what is important to a user based on past behaviour.

An example is assigning priority to incoming messages from email, instant messaging, etc. Priority could be determined from the message structure (header/body), the communication history with the sender, the company structure, linguistic analysis, etc. This is what I need for my incoming email :) The idea was extended to encompass your machine monitoring your behaviour, e.g. knowing when you are in a conversation and hence not interrupting you, or determining how long you would be away to inform others of expected solution times to a problem.