Engineering of a Virtual Community Platform: Realization of Socialware with Integration of the 'User as Editor' Concept

Abstract

UseWorld.net is a federated user adaptive Internet portal that supports information exchange and cooperation in research and development in the area of human machine interaction. It has been jointly developed with members of Center of Human-Machine-Systems (ZMMS, TU Berlin), Chair of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics (RWTH Aachen), Chair for Industrial Design (University of Essen) and Center for Human-Machine-Interaction (ZMMI, University of Kaiserslautern). The portal is operated by an independent open incorporated society. It integrates manifold information services (online journal, different thematic link collections, conference database, expert database) and a sophisticated cooperation component to support distributed teams by providing shared workspaces. Software agents for community awareness tasks and a clean and consistent interaction design complete the solution and support the portal’s innovative operation concept, which intends to activate the users to become editors.