I enjoyed talking with about 40 people who attended my session at the CASE V conference here in Chicago. As is often the case, some people were just getting started with social media while others were quite advanced. I hope my presentation generated some starting points for people no matter their level of expertise. We formed six small discussion groups and when I visited each one I heard a lot of information being exchanged.
As a followup I would offer the following set of points I shamelessley borrow from the technology gurus at Brown University’s AISR group. These can help guide decisions about incorporating new tools into one’s communication portfolio.
- What problem are we trying to solve? What effect do we want to achieve? What specific benefit will the use of technology provide?
- Can a tool grow out of an existing tool or existing work process?
- What is the essence of this tool? Collect information, communicate externally, communicate internally, analyze data, facilitate collaboration?
- How do we envision using this tool?
- How will we know if the use of this tool is successful? Do we have a plan to follow up on implementation and evaluate success and effectiveness?
- How do we get input from potential users before developing tool?
- How do we anticipate working with Technology on design and ongoing research, development, and implementation?
- What investment of time/effort will be needed to continue to add to, maintain the content of the tool?
- What work will this tool save? What work will it create?
- How do we anticipate ongoing development of technology use to facilitate, support and extend our work?
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