Steps Towards an Ecology of Infrastructure: Complex Problems in Design and Access for Large-Scale Collaborative Systems
Item
Title
Steps Towards an Ecology of Infrastructure: Complex Problems in Design and Access for Large-Scale Collaborative Systems
Abstract/Description
This paper analyzes the initial phases of a large-scale custom software effort, the Worm Community System (WCS), a collaborative system designed for a geographically dispersed community of geneticists. Despite high user satisfaction with the system and interface, and extensive user feedback and analysis, many users experienced difficulties in signing on and use, ranging from simple lack of resources to complex organizational and intellectual trade-offs. Using Bateson's levels of learning, we characterize these as levels of infrastructural complexity which challenge both users and developers. Usage problems may result from different perceptions of this complexity in different organizational contexts.
Author/creator
Date
In publication
Pages
253–264
Resource type
Background/Context
Medium
Print
Background/context type
Conceptual
IRE Approach/Concept
Open access/free-text available
Yes
Peer reviewed
Yes
Alternate version
Citation
Star, S. L., & Ruhleder, K. (1994). Steps towards an ecology of infrastructure: Complex problems in design and access for large-scale collaborative systems. Proceedings of the 1994 ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work, 253–264. https://doi.org/10.1145/192844.193021
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| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
 Steps Toward an Ecology of Infrastructure: Design and Access for Large Information Spaces |
Journal Article |
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