Transcript Computer-mediated communication

Computer-mediated
communication
Acknowledgements to Euan Wilson (Staffordshire University)
Topic includes
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E-mail
Bulletin boards
Structured message system
Computerised meeting rooms
Video conferencing
E-mail
• In relation to Groupware email is
the
– most popular
– least expensive
– most successful
• Systems vary with respect to the
amount of support provided for
Groupware functions
E-mail (2)
• E-mail stages
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Preparation
Despatch
Notification
Receipt
Bulletin boards
• Contributions are submitted by
users to a specific conference or
newsgroup
• Contributions may be moderated by
a bulletin board administrator
• Following possible moderation,
contributions are made available to
all users of the service.
E-mail v Bulletin Boards
• In e-mail the message author selects
the recipients, though some distribution
lists may be administered centrally.
• In bulletin boards, it is the recipient
who decides what to subscribe to.
• Senders do not know who will read
their contributions.
• Contributions may be moderated.
Question
• Does the “mail box” you use
provide enough functionality to be
the core of a Groupware system ?
Definition of Groupware (1)
• Lynch et al. (1990)
– “groupware is distinguished from
normal software by the basic
assumption it makes; groupware
makes the user aware that he is part of
a group, whilst most other software
seeks to hide and protect users from
each other …”
Definition of Groupware (2)
• Two main types of groupware exist
– Asynchronous
– Synchronous
Definition of Groupware (3)
• Refined by Preece [1994] (who adapted
Shneirderman [1992]) (definition of CSCW)
» Same time
Different times
Same place
face-to-face
(class rooms,
meeting rooms)
Asynchronous interaction
(project scheduling, coordination tools)
Different place
Synchronous distribution
(shared editors, video
windows)
Asynchronous distribution
(email, bulletin boards,
conferences)
• De Sanctis and Gallupe (1987)
• Johansen (1988)
• Baecker et al (1995)
Asynchronous Groupware
• E-mail
– originally “point to point”
communication
– snail mail but with greater speed and
efficiency
• Newsgroup
– extension of email
– centrally stored
– ordered / structured
Issues
• Electronic etiquette
• changes in group dynamics
• allows the employees to feel
“connected”
• problems of authority, control and
influence
• junk mail
• structure
Structured Messages
• Structured messages systems
represent an attempt to provide
users with better methods of
organising, classifying, filtering
and managing messages
• creation of “intelligent” processes
which delegate tasks to agents
Information Lens
• Malone et al. 1987, 1989
• an environment for intelligent email
management using semi-structured
messages
• methods for mail management via
the specification of rules for
processing messages
Object Lens and Oval
• Malone et al 1988, 1992
• representation of “things” in the
world as semi structured objects
with template based interfaces
• summarising collection of objects
into views
• development of rule based agents
Multimedia mail
• Allows data other than text
– images
– audio
– video
• IBM 1995, Wang Labs 1989
• MIME - multipurpose Internet mail
extensions
Computational mail
• Embedding of programs within
email (Borenstein 1993)
• active messages can carry out
particular interactions with
recipients in addition to
transmitting information
Language / Action Perspective
• One way in which
interdependencies amongst coworkers can is achieved is through
language
• Winograd defines conversation as a
means
– to indicate a co-ordinated sequence of
acts that can be interpreted as having
linguistic meaning”
Co-ordinator
• Each message is treated as a move
in a conversation.
• A request can be followed by
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accepting that request
declining the request
offering an alternative
nothing
• Each leads to other steps
Workflow
• In e-mail the focus is on the process
of messaging
• In workflow processing, the focus
is on messages that define process
Co-operative Hypertext
• focus instead on the corpus of
messages or other computer
documents and their
interrelationships
• web of complex information is
recorded and structured into a
hypertext
– examples, collaborative knowledge
building, asynchronous collaborative
writing, organisational memory
Organisational Memory
• Conklin (1992)
– organisations must shift from a
document and artefact orientated
paradigm to one that embraces
process as well
– software that integrates three
technologies
• hypertext
• groupware
• rhetorical method (Issue based
information system)
Rhetorical method
• Can improve quality of dialogue
• by providing structures for
discussions about complex
problems
• improved conversation record
– recorded by thread rather than time
Lotus Notes
• Most successful organisational
memory product
• is “an integrated communications
and data base network application
designed to gather, organise and
distribute information among work
groups, regardless of individual
members physical locations”
– Connor (1992)
First major user of Notes
• Price-Waterhouse
– three major business issues
• Nobody knew who had the knowledge
needed to solve a particular problem
• PW professional were constantly reinventing the wheel
• need for better communication
» Laube, PW Chief Information Office
– introduced from the top-down
Advantages
• Increased structure raises potential for
automation, for example in:
– Message-base searching (e.g. with keywords)
• Tracing conversation threads
• Automatic routing to relevant users.
• Formalised model of conversation:
– focuses attention
– clarifies actions
– clarifies deadlines
Disadvantages
• Rigid message structure leads to
bending of message types etc.
• Over use of reminders can lead to
sabotage and widespread disillusion
• Formal communications model can
straight-jacket communications.
Synchronous Groupware
• Desktop conferencing systems
• Electronic meeting rooms
• Media spaces