Collaboration & Social Computing James Ure

Topics Introduction Social Computing Collaboration - Then & Now What business benefit does this provide? Tools: blogs, wikis, tagging, RSS, etc. How these tools can be used. Why business should consider this. Links to tools Conclusion

Introduction

Social Computing

Collaboration - Then & Now

What business benefit does this provide?

Tools: blogs, wikis, tagging, RSS, etc.

How these tools can be used.

Why business should consider this.

Links to tools

Conclusion

1. Introduction A new generation of tools and business practices has emerged that facilitate a dynamic form of collaboration. This leverages the impact of social networking sites in personal computing. The expanding presence personal publishing tools (blogs) and collaborative knowledge tools (wikis) is a related factor. The core concept is that business functions are driven by people. Enabling social connections and group participation is the most effective way to work with teams, departments, across divisions and with distributed offices. Social computing practices also enable deeper and more effective relationships with customers, clients and partners.

A new generation of tools and business practices has emerged that facilitate a dynamic form of collaboration. This leverages the impact of social networking sites in personal computing.

The expanding presence personal publishing tools (blogs) and collaborative knowledge tools (wikis) is a related factor.

The core concept is that business functions are driven by people.

Enabling social connections and group participation is the most effective way to work with teams, departments, across divisions and with distributed offices.

Social computing practices also enable deeper and more effective relationships with customers, clients and partners.

2. Social Computing Social networks (Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, etc.) Web 2.0 => Enterprise 2.0 Fueled by technology innovation & adoption Expanding trends in personal computing (social media, blogging, social tagging, etc.) Wide-spread use Generational demographics / technographics Technology & connectivity are now native to Gen Y Socializing online is a key experience Work tools need to mirror personal computing Tendency towards " technology populism "

Social networks (Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, etc.)

Web 2.0 => Enterprise 2.0

Fueled by technology innovation & adoption

Expanding trends in personal computing (social media, blogging, social tagging, etc.)

Wide-spread use

Generational demographics / technographics

Technology & connectivity are now native to Gen Y

Socializing online is a key experience

Work tools need to mirror personal computing

Tendency towards " technology populism "

3. Collaboration used to mean: Document focus Knowledge Management, document library Planning & process focus, policies Increased email communications Some web based information sharing, intranets, partner and supplier extranets

Document focus Knowledge Management, document library

Planning & process focus, policies

Increased email communications

Some web based information sharing, intranets, partner and supplier extranets

Collaboration in a social computing context People at the center Technology tools that enable a high degree of social interaction Participation: tagging, ranking, comments, postings, etc. Empowerment: everyone can participate more actively Centralized communication dialog documents activity tracking Powerful searching & tagging Ease of use Email use is more limited, more as a notification means

People at the center

Technology tools that enable a high degree of social interaction

Participation: tagging, ranking, comments, postings, etc.

Empowerment: everyone can participate more actively

Centralized

communication

dialog

documents

activity tracking

Powerful searching & tagging

Ease of use

Email use is more limited, more as a notification means

4. What business benefit does this provide? Improved communications Productivity gains Breaking down organizational silos Better access to information Improved retention and morale Innovation Stronger team solutions Better new employee orientation

Improved communications

Productivity gains

Breaking down organizational silos

Better access to information

Improved retention and morale

Innovation

Stronger team solutions

Better new employee orientation

5. New collaboration tools Wiki - collaborative documents Discussions (forums) Blogs - viewpoints, personal reflections w comments Rich user profiles, with areas of expertise & interests Social networking Connections, groups, recent activity, ratings, most viewed, etc. Notifications (RSS) Content tagging Digital media Can be individual tools, or aggregated with a central system.

Wiki - collaborative documents

Discussions (forums)

Blogs - viewpoints, personal reflections w comments

Rich user profiles, with areas of expertise & interests

Social networking Connections, groups, recent activity, ratings, most viewed, etc.

Notifications (RSS)

Content tagging

Digital media

Can be individual tools, or aggregated with a central system.

Tools - how are they used? Wikis : shared project documents, drafts, research and learnings, meeting notes, status reports, updates, etc. Blogs : individual viewpoints, position statements, questions posed to a group (with request for comments), etc. RSS : notification & alerts, can be specific to any content or change within a system User profiles : areas of expertise (searchable), resource sourcing, team / group / individual identity Activity tracking (micro-blogging): Notifications of current activity, resource bottleneck alerts, staff management Tagging : user based content reference system, vs. pre-determined heirarchy Social networking : can become a configurable digital workspace

Wikis : shared project documents, drafts, research and learnings, meeting notes, status reports, updates, etc.

Blogs : individual viewpoints, position statements, questions posed to a group (with request for comments), etc.

RSS : notification & alerts, can be specific to any content or change within a system

User profiles : areas of expertise (searchable), resource sourcing, team / group / individual identity

Activity tracking (micro-blogging): Notifications of current activity, resource bottleneck alerts, staff management

Tagging : user based content reference system, vs. pre-determined heirarchy

Social networking : can become a configurable digital workspace

6. Why should business consider this? Improved project & team collaboration Centralized space for document generation Help unify distributed offices - everyone works in a shared space Enable better collaboration with external project partners Improve communications Better resource awareness - visibility to tasks and activities Productivity enhancement Enable topical 'expert communities' Improve new employee orientation Certain employee demographics will utilize this fully (younger, recent grads, those higher on the ladder of participation)

Improved project & team collaboration

Centralized space for document generation

Help unify distributed offices - everyone works in a shared space

Enable better collaboration with external project partners

Improve communications

Better resource awareness - visibility to tasks and activities

Productivity enhancement

Enable topical 'expert communities'

Improve new employee orientation

Certain employee demographics will utilize this fully (younger, recent grads, those higher on the ladder of participation)

7. Example Toolsets BaseCamp Online team project tool SocialText Wiki based collaborative document environment Microsoft Sharepoint Jive Software - Clearspace Full-featured, enterprise workspace Google Sites Intended for team collaboration FMYI (For My Innovation) Collaborative tools - list (Mashable.com)

BaseCamp Online team project tool

SocialText Wiki based collaborative document environment

Microsoft Sharepoint

Jive Software - Clearspace Full-featured, enterprise workspace

Google Sites Intended for team collaboration

FMYI (For My Innovation)

Collaborative tools - list (Mashable.com)

Related terms Self-organizing teams Technology populism ( Forrester research ) Adoption trend where tech-native users self-provision collaboration tools without IT or with minimal IT involvement. The "Network Effect" - The more people use something, the more valuable it becomes. The "Gift" economy - new collaboration tools have built-in social incentives - contribution is simple and unstructured. Trend where users provide content.

Self-organizing teams

Technology populism ( Forrester research ) Adoption trend where tech-native users self-provision collaboration tools without IT or with minimal IT involvement.

The "Network Effect" - The more people use something, the more valuable it becomes.

The "Gift" economy - new collaboration tools have built-in social incentives - contribution is simple and unstructured. Trend where users provide content.

Conclusion New collaboration tools provide a powerful way for organizations to leverage the benefits of social computing. It represents a legitimate way to embrace cultural and demographic / technographic trends.

New collaboration tools provide a powerful way for organizations to leverage the benefits of social computing. It represents a legitimate way to embrace cultural and demographic / technographic trends.