Introduction to the Electronic Symposium on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work

Abstract

Computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) holds great importance and promise for modern society. This paper provides an overview of seventeen papers comprising a symposium on CSCW. The overview also discusses some relationships among the contributions made by each paper, and places those contributions into a larger context by identifying some of the key challenges faced by computer science researchers who aim to help us work effectively as teams mediated through networks of computers. The paper also describes why the promise of CSCW holds particular salience for the U.S military. In the context of a military setting, the paper describes five particular challenges for CSCW researchers. While most of these challenges might seem specific to military environments, many others probably already face similar challenges, or soon will, when attempting to collaborate through networks of computers. To support this claim, the paper includes a military scenario that might hit fairly close to home for many, and certainly for civilian emergency response personnel. After discussing the military needs for collaboration technology, the paper briefly outlines the motivation for a recent DARPA research program along these lines. That program, called Intelligent Collaboration and Visualization, sponsored the work reported in this symposium.