System - Minimize user effort (Usability)
Control of the equipment
Easy to access or start-up (ref: Buxton)
If Groupware is to be widely used and to keep on being used, then it should
be easy to access and start-up (15). Users will not use
the Groupware if they can communicate more easily some other way (14).
Easy to learn and operate
Groupware should be easy-to-use for all users (45), novices
and experts, children (9) and groups other than office workers
(40).
If it is perceived to be difficult to operate it will not be used, particularly
if the outcome of the work is poor (16).
If users needs a lot of time to learn how to operate the Groupware, it will
not be widely adopted (18).
Easy- to Customize (ref: Bly)
Groupware must be suitable for each user and group and should be tailorable
for each member of the group(55). Preferences may need
to be recognized independent of the location the user is at (1).
Each group has its own demands and way of working (2) and
Groupware must accommodate this(5). Another possibilities
is to design Groupware that copes with broad user demands (7).
Quality and Speed
Groupware technologies are still being developed. Also, many organizations
do not yet have the broad-band networks required for quality communications.
These two factors mean that quality is often an issue. If users wants to
talk to somebody urgently, they need synchronous and speedy communication,
but often they get slow reaction from a machine(6, 38).
Another problem is image quality- Ideally "What You See Is What I See"
but if network communication are poor , this will not be the case(39).
Systems must scale up appropriately as usage increases (10).
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