The Social Life of Information
by John Seeley Brown, Paul Duguid
Drawing from recent research and practical examples
across a range of organizations, The Social Life of Information dispels many of the futurists' sweeping predictions that information technology will obliterate the need for everything
from travel to supermarkets to business organizations to social life itself. The authors examine the potential and limitations of technology with regard to
intelligent software agents, the automated home office, business reorganization for innovation, knowledge management and work practices, the paperless society, and the digital university. Arguing eloquently for the
important role human sociability plays in the world of bits, Brown and Duguid give us an optimistic look beyond the simplicities of information and
individuals. They show how a better understanding of the contribution that communities, organizations, and institutions make to learning, knowledge,
and judgment can lead to the richest possible use of technology in our work and everyday lives.
John Seely Brown is Chief Scientist at Xerox Corporation and Director of the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). Paul Duguid is a research
specialist in Social and Cultural Studies in Education at the University of California at Berkeley.2000
336 pp/Hardbound • ISBN: 0875847625 |
