The need for categorization of groupware

There is a proliferation of terms all relating to support of groups or collaboration in some form, and there is a proliteration of software and systems all purporting to support groups in some form. This paper examines the terms and categorization models that have been used in the literature to define the different types of computer supported group systems and argues tor the need for a new classitication system that can provide a framework tor identitying the characteristics of each type of system. This framework can then be used to more clearly define these systems.