Design of knowledge system as social organization

在本项目中，我们首先通过对复印机维修技师的民族志研究，研究了知识的获取是如何被社会技术组织起来的，以及维修技师是如何使用或忽视与复印机维修技术信息相关的文件和知识管理系统的。在此过程中，我试图以对复印机维修技师的民族志研究为基础，描述某些人工制品如何成为边界客体，并重新表述“边界客体”的概念。例如，它说明了具有某些特定特征的工件，如图形、图纸和列表不一定成为边界对象。更确切地说，当工件被嵌入到在站点之间建立链接的代理活动中时，它们就变成了边界对象。此外，站点之间的等级联系有时会阻止技术人员获取知识和技能，因为在各个领域产生的知识和技能的分配是由等级组织中间的看门人控制和中断的。技术人员之间的非正式网络以移动电话为媒介，支持他们相互获取知识和技能，尽管这种网络的范围相当有限。因此，我提出了如何在不同领域的技术人员之间建立新的联系，以社会技术组织。为了组织各领域技术人员之间的新联系，本项目设计了一个基于参与式设计的服务器上知识系统可访问的移动知识系统。

In this project, first of all, we researched on how access to knowledge is socio-technologically organized based on the ethnographic research of repair technicians of copier and how repair technicians use or ignore documents and knowledge management system concerning technical information of repair and maintenance of copiers. In doing so, I attempt to describe how some artifacts become boundary objects based on ethnographic research on repair technicians of copiers and to reformulate the concept of "boundary object." For example, it is illustrated that artifacts that have some specific characteristics such as figures, drawings and lists do not necessarily become a boundary objects. Rather, artifacts become boundary objects when they are embedded in a broker's activities of making linkage among sites. Further, a hierarchical linkage among sites sometimes prevents technicians from accessing knowledge and skills because distribution of knowledge and skills produced in various fields is controlled and interrupted by gatekeepers in the middle of hierarchical organization. Informal network among technicians mediated by a mobile phone supports their mutual access to knowledge and skills although a span of this network is pretty confined. Thus, I proposed how new linkage among technicians in various fields can be socio-technologically organized. For organizing new linkage among technicians in various fields, this project design a mobile knowledge system that is accessible to knowledge system on a server base on participatory design.