Social Software Engineering

Book excerpt: Although the precepts of software engineering have been around for decades, the field has failed to keep pace with rapid advancements in computer hardware and software. Modern systems that integrate multiple platforms and architectures, along with the collaborative nature of users who expect an instantaneous global reach via the Internet, require updated software engineering methods. Social Software Engineering: Development and Collaboration with Social Networking examines the field through the spectrum of the social activities that now compose it. Supplying an up-to-date look at this ever-evolving field, it provides comprehensive coverage that includes security, legal, and privacy issues in addition to workflow and people issues. Jessica Keyes, former managing director of R&D for the New York Stock Exchange and noted columnist, correspondent, and author with more than 200 articles published, details the methodology needed to bring mission-critical software projects to successful conclusions. She provides readers with the understanding and tools required to fuse psychology, sociology, mathematics, and the principles of knowledge engineering to develop infrastructures capable of supporting the collaborative applications that today’s users require.