Information technology bore a lot of useful communication system enabling users to transfer messages from any place to another in different kind of quality and using various media.

But just walk one step back and consider the basic question what communication, im meanings of communication science means. As this blog should use and refer to social software information provided in the internet we take a look on http://www.wikipedia.org for a proper definition what communication consits of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication

There we find three main dimensions of which communication is defined: Content, Form and Desination.

If we talk about social software we think about communication inside social system, which of course consit of human individuals. So communication in relation to social software still is communication between human begins. This kind of communication as most communication in general consits of much more than some roman alphabetic letters jogged into a computer system using an 102 letter keyboard.

So there is to some extent a clear lack in communication content using computer based systems. Of course the more intelligent ones may argue, that computer do not support text based messaging only and that there is the option of using very different media types like audio and video: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multimedia

And if you use communication systems and social software for communication for information transfer between participants you will discover and interessting feeling of belonging to some elitist group of people. You are member of this community, you can participate and you will be heard. Your chance of "success" is not limited to your strings to empowered persones you have or do not have.

But we miss some very important aspect of communication. The surrounding in which you live in has an important influence on how you understand a message. Social Software and communication system are not able transfer this meta layer you relfect your messages with. Information throughout communication is always understood in relation to an actual context in/of your mind.

In face to face communication you have a lot of feedback given unconsciously to proof or check if you message was understood the same way you idented it to be understood. This feedfack options and possibilites given in a face to face meeting are always narrowed down to the capabilites of the communication technology you use.

So at this stage of understanding we have to admint that technology is cutting off some information part of the communication. But this should not draw a picture meaning that social software can not be useful, of course it is useful.

As always Microsoft is not first if understanding the power and possibilities they were cleary again second in enabling an user plattform and instant communication. But as Markting is a clear domain of the World´s second lagerst software company (IBM is still first) they set up an impressiv user communication space, called Windows Live, http://spaces.live.com/ and combined it with a powerful instant messaging tool - the Live Messanger. Of course, delivered automatically throughout every Windows installation.

Yes and they were intelligent enough to use their powerful pool of technology and set up this user communication plattform on the SharePoint Technology (http://www.microsoft.com/SharePoint), which is Microsofts Enterprise Portal and Content Management Software. Of course this software supports classic standards like RSS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS) enhanced by a new Workflow functionality beiing available with the release of Microsoft Windows Vista and available for all Windows XP and 2000 versions.

This technology is called .net Framework 3.0 and besides the workflow foundation it provides another, in relation to this topic very important issue, an communication foundation as well. As all modern products running on Windows systems are based on .net Framework (http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/netframework/aa663323.aspx) , the communication possibilites, which are enhanced by this Framework, are opened to all software applications running on the system at the same time: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/netframework/aa663324.aspx

So in the mid of 90ties we faced the emporement of the internet and discovered a periode of "information at your fingertips" and clearling heading to the next dimension which could be described as the next stage of information speed, which is now "communication and your fingertips".

But as in the 90ties many persons argued that "information at your fingertips" was narrowed down to "animation at your fingertips" throughout providing colored, loud and multimedia animations on websites (http://www.balthaser.com) we have to consider if the same might happen to new communication possibilites in closed future?

So technology mainly puts a drive to social software based on its wonderful possibilites and yes there is a clear profit offered by systems like wikipedia, topic guided (discussion) forums and email lists. But is there really some offered by systems like youtoube, pandora or last.fm? Or are they just only a very well boxed systems for gathering market information?

Just think about gmail, the email plattform of google (http://mail.google.com). There it is necessary to get invited by someone else to be able to get an account. So google himself owns a link structure between all its members and than you use the same mail account for other systems. This usage may cause that your email address can be found again by the search engine of googel and this company owns (again) some more information about you, liked again to other information objects. Powerful concept and where is your advantage?

So just do not use these systems on because they look cool, sound great and are trend. Always use them consciously and think about the advantages really provided to you and at the same time the secrets you provide to them? And always believe there is not a thing like lunch for free in economics.

Quellen:
http://www.wikipedia.org
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multimedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication
http://spaces.live.com/
http://www.microsoft.com/SharePoint
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/netframework/aa663323.aspx
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/netframework/aa663324.aspx
http://www.balthaser.com
http://mail.google.com