What we need are examples of high-value emergence use of social software Yet it seems clearer these days that highly general purpose software like simple e-mail, blogs, wikis, and other social software can enable and form the foundation of almost uncounted open ended and adaptable collaboration scenarios. I often get asked for example of this happening in the enterprise, and while negative examples often come to mind first (pyramid schemes via e-mail, creative phishing attempts, and so on), some of the real emergent Enterprise 2.0-like scenarios I can cite are really back out on the Web. ^{link »}

My favorite real-world example of effective, useful, truly emergent collaboration is last year's PeopleFinder project (aka KatrinaList) and shows the real potential that can be tapped if — and only if — you have seeded your organization with these tools and found a way to make them the easiest, default choice for the workers in an organization. ^{link »}

Enterprises that don't learn from the co-evolution process of development that many successful Web 2.0 sites are using to "find" the right set of features and capabilties are likely acquiring software that few users will find useful or effective. This may be the biggest legacy that McAfee's work gives us; that emergent, social software results in: 1) Richer, reusable information ecologies in our organizations ala the Web, and 2) A workable framework for co-developed situational software based on social software platforms that can readily adapt to what users need at a given point in time. ^{link »}

tags: feb 09, blogs.zdnet.com

blogs.zdnet.com/Hinchcliffe/?p=68 · Original page