Virtual Individuals, Virtual Groups: Human Dimensions of Groupware and Computer Networking

Those who design, implement, and use computer network applications are deeply involved in the processes of social and cultural change, whether or not they choose to consider these processes. Issues such as "community" and "privacy," "dependence" and "individualism" are no longer simply the province of philosophers and social scientists; they are tightly interwoven in the design and use of network applications. Virtual Individuals, Virtual Groups explores the social dimensions of the powerful computing applications that are shaping our culture. It addresses design and theoretical issues relating to groupware and other applications of computer networks. It considers computer network applications in terms of the notions of "genre" and "narrative," in a framework that is broadly applicable to the development of a wide range of computing and communication systems, such as virtual reality and multimedia.