  In networking and computing, resource allocation is typically addressed using
classical sharing protocols as, for instance, the proportional division rule,
the max-min fair allocation , or other solutions inspired by cooperative game
theory. In this paper, we argue that, describing the resource allocation
problem as a cooperative game, such classical resource allocation approaches,
as well as associated notions of fairness, show important limitations. We
identify in the individual satisfaction rate the key aspect of the challenge of
defining a new notion of fairness and, consequently, a resource allocation
algorithm more appropriate for the cooperative context. We generalize the
concept of user satisfaction considering the set of admissible solutions for
bankruptcy games. We adapt the Jain's fairness index to include the new user
satisfaction rate. Accordingly, we propose a new allocation rule we call 'Mood
Value'. For each user it equalizes our novel game-theoretic definition of user
satisfaction with respect to a distribution of the resource. We test the mood
value and the new fairness index through extensive simulations showing how they
better support the fairness analysis.
