What Happened to our Document in the Shared Workspace? The Need for Groupware Conventions

Abstract

Conventions for conducting work with groupware are essential. They include rules for how the groupware functionality should be used for communication about work, for how data should be processed, and for decision-making. Based on user experiences with POLITeam, a large groupware system implemented in a German ministry, we report how conventions are difficult to establish and to follow. We illustrate how conventions are necessary in practice, through a cooperative task using a shared workspace. Two solutions are presented to aid users in following conventions.