In this unit we are concerned with computer supported collaborative work (CSCW)– broadly a set of concerns related to computer support for activities in which more than one person is involved. Within previous units you have focused on the design process (units 2,3 & 6), the user (units 4,5 & 7) and defining the human computer interaction (units 8 & 9). Within CSCW there is the added complexity of the human-to-human interaction, which is important, as well as how technically mediating the process affects the interaction. Specifically this unit will review the background to CSCW as a separate yet related field within human computer interaction (HCI). To understand CSCW applications and design it is important to be able to define the different ways these systems are used and how this helps categorise the array of CSCW specific tools and applications. Finally the social impacts of cooperative work on CSCW and how the technology effects social interactions are established.