Human-computer-human interaction

Abstract

Introduction Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) (Ellis et al., 1991) is ostensibly concerned with supporting the activities of work groups through the use of computer technology. However, to date, CSCW systems (groupware) have emphasised technological issues of support at the expense of social issues such as relationships, roles and social protocols. We postulate that this situation has arisen because the majority of groupware designers are technologists who have both the experience and tools to develop new and effective hardware and software. Unfortunately they do not have tools or experience to effectively analyse and provide support for social facets of group working. Multidisciplinary development teams may contain group work experts, but common languages and vocabulary for precise communication regarding social and relationship aspects of systems are lacking. Groupware designers and developers also require tools to embed their considerations of social issues in systems and then to analyse those systems and the work of the groups which use them. We have attempted to ameliorate this situation by developing a formal notation of the trust that is present between individuals in collaborative activities. The notation can be used in the representation and consideration of social relationships in the context of CSCW. We suggest that trust is a key factor in the efficacy of both intra-group and inter-group activities, and that it can be formalised and then exploited in the design and analysis of CSCW systems. We call our formal description Trust in order to differentiate it from wider definitions. Potential uses of Trust in a group work context include the following: l it can be used as a tool for the discussion of the design of CSCW systems; l it can be embedded in computer systems to mediate cooperative computer based activities; l it can be used to record and analyze group activity; l it provides a tool for the discussion and clarification of trust, and its role in group activities. The development of the formalism addresses the need for support beyond technical issues for designers involved in the development of multi-user-centered systems.