Week 5 Studio Class

This weeks guest speaker was from Sosa labs. Neil Brown came and spoke about the way in which people in his field of work collaborate. An interesting and insightful presentation, as alot of his concepts and methods of communicating during a working project are quite similar to which our class and in particular our group is going through and researching.

Neil was saying that he works with the software Linux and is a programmer. He explained that Linux is a software much like windows, but a integral component of how it works is that it is constantly developing and evolving through the process of collaboration. Users inform programmers like Neil about problems and bugs and hence a process of fixing problems begins. Neil is part of a worldwide collaborative effort in running Linux.

Because Neil has to interface with people around the world whilst integrating with customers/users of Linx, most of the tools he uses to collaborate are predominately email, forums and other internet based communication programs. A unique system of collaboration not commonly used in the mainstream workplace. We're more known to collaborate face to face and discuss issues in team meetings rather than with short messages and bulletin boards.

I found the lecture quite motivating as our group has a unique obstacle in collaborating across from Perth to Sydney. We've found it difificult to exchange ideas and information with each other, but after Neils presentation its evident that professional businesses do communicate and manage in such schemes.