Software/Situated
Situated Software
- A concept first proposed by Person/Clay Shirky in 2004, defined as software "designed in and for a particular social situation or context"
Definition
- Software designed for a specific social context or situation
- Applications that could be used by dozens of users rather than thousands or millions
- Communities would get very form-fit tools for their particular needs, rather than trying to adapt generic software
- Focused on solving local problems for specific communities
Historical Context
- First proposed by Person/Clay Shirky in 2004
- Person/Clay Shirky was ahead of his time - it was practically impossible to build this small-scale software in 2004
- The technology and tools weren't accessible enough for most people to create situated software at that time
- Sixteen years later, in 2020, Robin Sloan's "An App Can Be a Home-Cooked Meal" picked up on similar themes
Characteristics
- Designed for small, specific communities (dozens of users)
- Form-fit to particular needs rather than generic solutions
- Context-specific and situation-aware
- Local and community-oriented
Related Concepts
Source