Complex design problems require more knowledge than any single person can possess, and the knowledge relevant to a problem is often distributed among all stakeholders who have different perspectives and background knowledge, thus providing the foundation for social creativity. Bringing together different points of view and trying to create a shared understanding among all stakeholders can lead to new insights, new ideas, and new artifacts. Social creativity can be supported by innovative computer systems that allow all stakeholders to contribute to framing and solving these problems collaboratively. Technology alone, however, is not the complete answer to social creativity. Social capital that characterizes the features of a social group—such as networks, norms, and trust, which all facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit—is of critical importance to foster social creativity. In this paper, we discuss (1) the roles that social capital plays in facilitating social creativity and (2) approaches to increase social capital. We start by analyzing existing success models (Open Source and Experts Exchange) that support collaborative knowledge construction in order to create a conceptual framework to understand the social-technical aspects of promoting social capital. We further illustrate this conceptual framework with our own efforts in creating social capital-sensitive computer systems (e.g., Evolutionary Reuse Repositories, Envisionment and Discovery Collaboratory, and Courses-as-Seeds) that

We report preliminary results of our ongoing field study of IT professionals who are involved in security management. We interviewed a dozen practitioners from five organizations to understand their workplace and tools. We analyzed the interviews using a variation of Grounded Theory and predesigned themes. Our results suggest that the job of IT security management is distributed across multiple employees, often affiliated with different organizational units or groups within a unit and responsible for different aspects of it. The workplace of our participants can be characterized by their responsibilities, goals, tasks, and skills. Three skills stand out as significant in the IT security management workplace: inferential analysis, pattern recognition, and bricolage. Categories and Subject Descriptors K.6.5 [Management of Computing and Information

We describe participatory programming as a process that spans design, programming, use and tailoring of software. This process, that includes end-users at each stage, integrates participatory design and programmability. Programmability, as a property that relies on a reflective architecture, aims to let the end-users evolve the tools themselves according to their current, specific needs and to let them control better the way results are computed. We present an environment that results from this approach, called biok, developed for researchers in biology, which is both domain-oriented and open to full programming.

Semantic annotation of Web content is in the core of the current Semantic Web Activity. The operationalization of the Semantic Web raises the challenge on how to systematically integrate semantic annotations into generated Web application pages. In this paper, we present VizCo, a tool for systematically integrating RDF based semantically enriched application domain models into the process of setting up dynamically generated Web application user interfaces and supporting their evolution. The form-based Web pages are annotated based on the underlying domain model. Combined with further mapping tools, VizCo is used in our Web application development framework for coupling the domain model views and, indirectly, the underlying application data with other Web application components, especially with elements of the user interface. In contrast to a direct coupling with the application data an additional semantic layer is introduced. We follow a pragmatic approach that utilizes domain information extracted from application schemata and data as a starting point. Both the domain model and its coupling to the data source can be manually refined and extended. The couplings are dynamically translated into bi-directional data bindings at runtime. 1

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This paper seeks to introduce a novel usability design method, culturally empowered design. We describe how this design approach will enable the creation not only of useful notification interfaces but also of a software infrastructure for the creation and modification of socioculturally responsive and tailored interfaces to promote wellness and healthy living among African Americans. This is accomplished through offering the tenets of culturally empowered design along with describing the anticipated outcomes of the development of this design paradigm. ACM Classification Keywords H5.m. Information interfaces and presentation (e.g., HCI):

Although usability methods are widely used for evaluating conventional graphical user interfaces and websites, there is a growing concern that current approaches are inadequate for evaluating complex, domain-specific tools. We interviewed 21 experienced usability professionals, including in-house experts, external consultants, and managers working in a variety of complex domains, and uncovered the challenges commonly posed by domain complexity and how practitioners work around them. We found that despite the best efforts by usability professionals to get familiar with complex domains on their own, the lack of formal domain expertise can be a significant hurdle for carrying out effective usability evaluations. Partnerships with domain experts lead to effective results as long as domain experts are willing to be an integral part of the usability team. These findings suggest that for achieving usability in complex domains, some fundamental educational changes may be needed in the training of usability professionals. ACM Classification H.5.2 [Information interfaces and presentation]: User interfaces—evaluation / methodology.

Abstract. Software systems are not purely technical objects. They are designed, constructed and used by people. Therefore, software design process is not purely a technical task, but a socio-technical process embedded within organizational and social structures. These social structures influence and govern their work behavior and final work products such as program source code and documentation. This paper discusses the organizational, social and psychological aspects of software design; and formulates the context, aims, principles, and techniques of socio-technical software analysis. An illustrative case study demonstrates the application of the socio-technical software analysis method for estimating the extent of code sharing within programmer groups using the proposed Social information sharing metric.

Meta-design characterizes objectives, techniques, and processes for creating new media and environments that allow the owners of problems to act as designers. A fundamental objective of meta-design is to create socio-technical environments that empower users to engage in informed participation rather than being restricted to the use of existing systems. The seeding, evolutionary growth, reseeding model is a process model that supports meta-design. We have explored and assessed meta-design approaches in the development of innovative computational environments and in our teaching and learning activities.

often have difficulty envisioning connections between individual action and social structural outcomes. This is not surprising, given that US culture explicitly values and even celebrates individual control and achievement. Whether they live in a blue-collar neighborhood in Chicago or a penthouse apartment on Fifth Avenue in New York, Americans tend to believe that their achievements are solely the result of individual performance. Connecting historical and social processes with individual outcomes is far less intuitive in our culture than is blaming the victim or praising the victor. For example, studies of Americans' beliefs about stratification consistently show that people believe that others are poor because of insufficient motivation and dissolute morals, rather than because of limited opportunities or other contextual factors (Kluegel and Smith 1981). Americans tend to believe that opportunities to get 2 ahead are available for everyone and that people's position in the stratifi