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168 Chapter 5

Conversing

Logged on
but viewing
other conversations

Figure 5.8
Making CoP interactions visible (adapted from the Babble system, Erickson and Kellogg 2000)

Social computing refers to digital systems that draw upon social information and
context to enhance the activity and performance of people, organizations, and systems.
Examples include “ recommender ” systems such as those that advise you on which
books you would enjoy, which music you would like to hear, and which movies you
would like to see. Social presence is an important concept in virtual networks as it
refers to how much of a sense members have that other people are present. Since
communities are all about social interactions for learning and knowledge exchange,
it is very important that a social connection be felt. The use of buddy lists is another
example of establishing social presence. This is a feature that lets you know who else
is currently online when you log on to a virtual space.

Obstacles to Knowledge Sharing

There are a number of obstacles that can hinder knowledge sharing within organiza-
tions. Chief among these is the notion that knowledge is property and ownership is
very important. One of the best ways to counteract this notion is to reassure individu-
als that authorship and attribution will be maintained. In other words, they will not
lose the credit for a knowledge product they created. In fact, maintaining the connec-
tion between knowledge and the people that are knowledgeable about it is paramount
in any knowledge management system. There is a prevalent notion of knowledge as
power. The more that information is shared between individuals, the more opportuni-
ties for knowledge creation occur. There is, however, a risk in sharing what you know,