ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the design of groupware tools that can survive and bring good benefits even in the face of common implementation threats, which call such group- ware tools robust. It also focuses on another approach—product design—as a way to reduce or eliminate implementation difficulties. While attention to detail and organizational pressure are important, good product design presents a relatively "free" way to reduce many difficulties. The chapter looks at the importance of "skewed use" in groupware products. This phenomenon, long seen in consumer and industrial marketing, lies at the heart of critical mass, stunted use, and several other important implementation and use problems. One complication in considering design approaches to reduce use problems are intermittently use. Everyone's use fluctuates to some degree over time. But some uneven patterns of use call for special attention. The chapter draws on design rather than individual decision making, falls strongly into the "system blame" category.
