Supporting cooperative work with computers: addressing meeting mania

The author argues that CSCW (computer-supported cooperative work) is a renewed recognition of user needs for extensions to current communication media. The argument is based on the fact that the most desirable communication medium is face-to-face meeting; meetings are the largest single office activity. The author begins with a taxonomy of communication media, defines levels of user needs, and then surveys how media such as electronic messaging are being extended to better meet user needs. Emphasis is placed on human behaviour, which must be examined to understand user needs. Four levels of user needs are discussed along with the characteristics of each level.<>