Computer-supported cooperative work

Abstract

Computer supported cooperative work (CSCW) refers to cooperative work carried out by a group of individuals with computer support. Groupware is generally taken to refer to the software which supports this interaction. For example, email is a CSCW term. Any of the many competing email products (e.g. cc:Mail, Microsoft Mail, etc.) are examples of groupware. Groupware (often used as a synonym for CSCW) has received an enormous amount of press in recent years, as the advantages of using computers as support for business processes and workflow has been realized. As an understanding of CSCW and use of groupware tools becomes more prevalent, an introduction to the terminology and the tools in use should become a part of a computer science curriculum if only for the prospective gains to be had in group communication.