Friend and Foe? Technology in a Collaborative Writing Group

Abstract

This is a partial account of the journey undertaken by a group of academic nomads in search of collaborative writing space. Never intending to permanently settle anywhere, we chose to explore writing technologies that supported collaborative forms of engagement with our task and with each other. Along the way we took up with, and discarded, a variety of writing technologies. Reflecting teamwork and collective biography practices sustained our work and our commitments towards collaboration. Although we have not found any electronic technologies helpful in creating or maintaining our sense of community, they enabled collective ways of re-presenting our work to ourselves and, later, to others. Twenty of us set out and twelve* remain on this journey. The current text includes three voices, each woven from writings and silences of many members of our group, thereby including traces of us all. The text explores our relationship with electronic technology and its role in our collaborative writing venture.