Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!embassy!lance
From: lance@embassy.UUCP (Lance N. Antrim)
Newsgroups: comp.groupware
Subject: Re: interesting groupware reference
Message-ID: <130@embassy.UUCP>
Date: 29 Dec 89 20:04:07 GMT
References: <10211@zodiac.ADS.COM>
Lines: 67

From article <10211@zodiac.ADS.COM>, by xanthian@saturn.ads.com (Metafont Consultant Account):
> 
> The science fiction novel "David's Sling" (author's last name Stieger
> or Steiger; I lent out my copy) contains a prominent discussion of a
> very desirable piece of groupware, a mechanism for achieving consensus
> of a large group by considering in an orderly manner all pertinent
> points of view with machine assistance.
> 
> One of the sidelights resulting from this groupware example is that it
> shows the need for a "minimalist" definition of exactly what
> constitutes "groupware".  In my own opinion, while telecommunications
> and live video may be "nice to have", much more of interest to me
> would be starting with groupware assistance for a meeting around a
> common table.  The organization and recall of concepts, arguments, and
> alternatives for a group considering a complex question, or one
> reconsidered after the lapse of a considerable amount of time, is a
> task set amenable to machine assistance, and should preferable be
> solved before the "bells and whistles" are added to the program of
> work.
> 
> Discussion?

I have seen two examples that relate to the "minimalist" view as a
strating point for groupware.  David Straus, of Interaction Associates,
and others in his firm are developing a Macintosh system that replaces
the posterboard system for facilitating group discussions.  The mac is
operated by a prson at the back of the room who summarizes the
discussion, complete with graphics if they are used by a discussant. 
The record is displayed on three screens:  current discussion, many
reduced screens showing the flow of discussions, and a screen that can
display past notes that are referenced in the discussion.  At the end of
the day, or at breaks, the notes are printed out and distributed to the
participants.  The computers have a low profile once the participants
get used to seeing the notes appear on the screens during the
discussion, and they are actually less intrusive than having a person
walking around the front of a room writing on the wall and tearing off
sheets of paper while the participants are talking.  

The second example is the U of Arizona decision conference center.  This
is a much more hardware intensive system with PC's networked to support
both individual (and team) efforts and inter-group sharing of
information.  Additional software provides a structure for developing
agendas, setting priorities, identifying interests and decision
criteria, and other steps that are needed whether or not a computer is
used to support decision making.

In some discussions about computer support for international
negotiations, a major focus has been on the management of successive
drafts of an agreement, access to past agreements and discussions that
are relavent to the negotiations but which are not in the direct
knowledge base of the negotiators, and access to related international
law and treaties.  Not rich in sophistication, but these simple tasks
would be a big help (of course, that is a lot of textual data to enter
into a system and to index in an appropriate way).  

In part, since I work with people who feel that they can get by without
computer assistance, I favor the "minimalist" approach as a starting
point.  I think by starting with simple tools that facilitate current
practices there will be rapid acceptance of computer supported groupware
and then newer technologies can be introduced.


-- 

Lance Antrim                            Project on Multilateral Negotiation
..!uunet!embassy!lance                  American Academy of Diplomacy
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