Online social software is a tremendously exciting area that has the potential to overcome many of the limitations and failings of traditional online enterprise, communication and community systems. It requires a new, more engaging and inclusive approach to the entire development process, from conception and research, through design and development to implementation and rollout.

In summary, social software should be:

Smarter

• XML/RDF/RSS syndication technologies
• Distributed, collaborative metadata
• Ontology development and the Semantic Web
• Adaptive design and context-awareness

Simpler

• Smaller, modular software with common methods and properties
• Web services and shared protocols
• Usability and ‘unfinished’ user experience design
• Shared and open source code

Social

• In the way it is conceived: stakeholder engagement, inclusive process
• In the way it is built: collaborative development, partnership
• In what it does: augments social networking; weblogs, wikis, messaging, etc.
• In how it works: adaptive qualities, personalisation, agent technologies, etc.