ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book presents collaboration systems from three perspectives: concepts, value, and use. It has outlined some of the history of collaboration systems since the advent of the electronic computer, as well as lessons learned from over four decades of research. Even at the dawn of the computer age, hackers found useful ways to use computers to support collaboration. Collaboration systems, however, have been around much longer than computers. It also firmly established the potential of computers to serve as tools for human collaboration. The collaboration engineering research community also developed and tested theories to explain key outcomes of interest to collaborators. Exploratory and theoretical work on collaboration and satisfaction finally explained that productivity is related to group goals, while satisfaction is related to the private goals of the members.
