Definitions of Groupware

Groupware is a term I have no memory of running into before I took the course, so I figured I could take some time to think about the definitions of groupware in my first blog post. There are multiple definitions for groupware, but to put it simply, as I understood it, groupware is computer software that helps a group of people achieve their goal by helping them communicate and collaborate more effectively. There are multiple alternative terms for groupware – like collaborative computing, multiuser applications and computer-supported cooperative work (Grudin, 1994).

Examples of groupware include some very familiar applications, like email and instant messaging. When thinking about it, I quickly formed the impression that nowadays almost any software is, to some extent, groupware. This may be the result of web 2.0 and the rise of social media applications, in which communication with others are greatly supported.

It is also important to define what a group is. According to the lecture slides, a group is a set of “people having a shared purpose, being aware of each other, interacting and communicating with each other”. It was said in the lecture that there may be a difference between a team and a group. My impression was that in a team there is a stricter structure and the responsibilities of each individual are defined in greater detail than in a group.

As a sidenote, I started to wonder if videogames and such can be considered to be groupware. It is common that players have shared goals and collaboration to reach these goals is required. However, it should be noted that in these cases the goals are generated inside the software itself and only exist inside the software. Thus, strictly speaking, the game is not “supportive software” to reach the goals, but rather a requirement. Then again, it could also be argued that some individual elements inside the games are groupware – for example party chats.