Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!psuvax1!rutgers!mit-eddie!bu.edu!xylogics!samsung!know!slug!wex From: wex@sitting.pws.bull.com (Buckaroo Banzai) Newsgroups: comp.groupware Subject: Re: Groupware Effects on Hierarchies Message-ID: Date: 5 Jul 90 19:49:28 GMT References: <1990Jun24.130413.16511@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG> <2092@east.East.Sun.COM> <1990Jul1.210621.13137@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG> Sender: news@pws.bull.com Organization: Bull Worldwide Information Systems Inc. Lines: 43 In-reply-to: xanthian@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG's message of 1 Jul 90 21:06:21 GMT In article <1990Jul1.210621.13137@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG> xanthian@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG (Kent Paul Dolan) writes (in response to my posting about groupware & authority): From the perspective of groupware, this almost requires an "any human can veto any machine action, subject to human review and confirmation of the machine's choice" to make the system seem acceptable to the user; there should _always_ be an effective route of appeal, one that protects the user until the appeal has been carried through. The tough part, as I noted in my previous posting, is keeping those appeals from stopping all progress. Indeed. I have discussed this possibility with my test subjects in some depth, in an attempt to see what might make these systems more acceptable. Most seemed to find a system where they could reject things as more acceptable (no great surprise). However, the following exchange illustrates why this may not be acceptable: [Subject 3 and I have been discussing what would make a group calendar acceptable. I have mentioned the idea of being able to accept/reject a calendar entry.] Subject 3: Well, I wouldn't be comfortable with that either. Me: Why not? Subject 3: Well, it might be that the meeting was really scheduled by [Boss] and was just input into the system by [Peer]. If I rejected the entry it might look like I was refusing to meet with [Boss]. Kent brought up the "Garbage In, Gospel Out" principle. I agree and add this as an example of "Gospel In, Garbage Out." It seems that the problem here is the reduced bandwidth of the scheduling system. Perhaps adding more information in the form of annotations would help? -- --Alan Wexelblat Bull Worldwide Information Systems internet: wex@pws.bull.com phone: (508) 294-7485 (new #) Usenet: spdcc.com!know!wex "The first myth of management is that it exists. The second myth of management is that sucess equals skill."