Re: Groupware and Learning LO2529

David J. Skyrme (david@pop3.hiway.co.uk)
Wed, 23 Aug 1995 18:40:00 +0100

Replying to LO2474 --

Richard provided a powerful model to link groupware with learning.
However, I think that the original intention of the word "group-ware" was
to convey a sense of both the human and social attributes (the group)
alongside something more tangible (the "ware" in software). That's how I
have always perceived of groupware.

Groupware to me is not groupware without the human support mechanisms and
social processes to make it work. It does seem symptomatic that when many
of these new developments move out of the research lab (in this case that
of management research) into the real world, they get "productised" and
all the intangible aspects get lost - it seems that judging by Rick's
comments on the conference he just attended, that is what has now
happened.

I know many people who equate groupware with Lotus Notes, but when I see
what we in Digital were doing in the early 1980s with Vax Notes, and what
others using other even earlier conferencing systems were doing before
that, then something has got lost in translation to the mass market.

As far as Rick's model is concerned, I personally prefer a model that
makes the other axis not LO, but degree of social interaction. You can
then get hi-tech, hi-touch in the upper right hand quadrant, while face to
face is upper left etc. I once mapped different functional units within
our organisation into these quadrants based on their use of different
communications medium for certain business purposes - it was very
instructive and acts as a diagnostic for where people are at. I suspect a
lot of the current proponents of so called groupware are in the bottom
right quadrant (hi tech, low touch) - can anyone thing of a suitable name
for them??!

--
   David J. Skyrme                                      
   Management Systems Consultant             Tel/Fax: +44 1635 551434  
   David Skyrme Associates Limited             Newbury, Berks, England
   
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david@pop3.hiway.co.uk (David J. Skyrme)