The Design and Deployment of Loops: A Web-Based Conversation Space for Work Groups

We describe the design of Loops, a second-generation CMC system aimed at smallto medium-sized corporate work groups. We begin by discussing the goals of the system and the rationale behind its design. Next we discuss how an early working version of the system was ‘group tested,’ and the changes that lead to. Then we describe its realization in an implemented system, discuss its deployment within our organization and provide some examples of how Loops is used. We conclude with reflections on the usage patterns of Loops and their implications for the design of similar systems. Author

[1]  Elizabeth F. Churchill,et al.  Virtual environments at work: ongoing use of MUDs in the workplace , 1999 .

[2]  T. Erickson,et al.  Knowledge Communities: Online Environments for Supporting Knowledge Management and its Social Contex , 2001 .

[3]  Wendy A. Kellogg,et al.  Socially translucent systems: social proxies, persistent conversation, and the design of “babble” , 1999, CHI '99.

[4]  Mark S. Schlager,et al.  Cornerstones for an on-line community of education professionals , 1998, IEEE Technol. Soc. Mag..

[5]  Stephanie Houde,et al.  In search of design principles for programming environments , 1994, CHI '94.

[6]  Bonnie A. Nardi,et al.  Interaction and outeraction: instant messaging in action , 2000, CSCW '00.

[7]  Thomas Erickson,et al.  What Counts as Success? Rhythmic Patterns of use in a Persistent Chat Environment , 2003 .

[8]  JoAnne Yates,et al.  Shaping Electronic Communication: The Metastructuring of Technology in Use , 1994 .

[9]  James D. Herbsleb,et al.  Introducing instant messaging and chat in the workplace , 2002, CHI.

[10]  Wendy A. Kellogg,et al.  The adoption and use of BABBLE: A field study of chat in the workplace , 1999, ECSCW.

[11]  Wanda J. Orlikowski,et al.  Learning from Notes: organizational issues in groupware implementation , 1992, CSCW '92.

[12]  Saul Greenberg,et al.  TeamRooms: network places for collaboration , 1996, CSCW '96.

[13]  Marlene Scardamalia,et al.  Computer-Supported Intentional Learning Environments , 1989 .

[14]  Mark Guzdial,et al.  Information ecology of collaborations in educational settings: influence of tool , 1997, CSCL.

[15]  A. Bruckman,et al.  The MediaMOO Project , 1995 .

[16]  Carl Gutwin,et al.  Workspace awareness support with radar views , 1996, CHI Conference Companion.