Workshop report: knowledge media networking

Abstract

Historically, systems for linking and supporting robust social connections between people, whether they are in close proximity or distributed over longer distances, have included point to point solutions (letters, the automobile, telephone), task-focused or work-modeling solutions (memos, forms, manuals), and one-to-many broadcast solutions (radio, TV, newspapers). More recently, computationally based systems have been designed to support various aspects of collaboration, coordination and community: email, newsgroups, bulletin boards, and shared task tools and other examples. New media technologies are emerging to design interactive virtual environments in which humans can interact with one another. People as well as virtual entities would ?inhabit? such local/networked spaces within a mixed reality. In order to make these environments really useful, rich, interesting and engaging places, users should not be imposed a heavy load of manipulating, interpreting, and integrating information. Knowledge media channels would allow coupling media with appropriate processing and integration of knowledge from different sources, domains, media and to support activities and arrangements for teams, organizations, communities, working together over distance and time.