Toward an analytic framework for understanding and fostering peer-support communities in using and evolving software products

The fundamental challenge for social computing is to contribute to fostering communities in which humans can transcend the limitation of the unaided, individual human mind by helping each other. Going beyond antidotal examples requires an analytical framework in which to interpret data in order to understand the context- and application-specific nature of these collaborations. We have studied peer-support communities (PSCs) in the context of the SAP Community Network (SCN), which relies on forums and conferences to support their collaboration. This research attempts to create a deeper understanding of the effectiveness of social support provided by peers in software development communities from the following perspectives:

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2009
• Where: CANDT
• Authors: Andrew Gorman, Gerhard Fischer
• Keywords: CANDT 2009, Emerging Technology, Individual Human Mind, Peer-support Communities, SAP Community Network