Erdialdean uztailean, I was offered a chance to author two chapters for Brendon Schwartz’s eta Matt Ranlett’s up-coming book, Microsoft SharePoint batera Informatika Gizarte 2007: Implementing Applications for SharePoint to Enable Collaboration and Interaction in the Enterprise. (Izenburua duen luzera lehiaketa bat irabazteko ziren saiatzen ari dela uste dut; Irabazi zuten, uste dut). I jumped on the opportunity and now, azkenik, the entire book is done, arriving at stores in February.
As SharePoint matures, publishers have begun to produce a new wave of books. This book is part of that wave. This wave builds upon the previous round of technical reference manuals explaining core features and functions and begins to describe how to use those features and functions to deliver business value in a very non-superficial way. I’m not saying that is anything superficial about reference manuals or their value. Izan ere,, a book like this on Social Computing probably couldn’t have been written a year ago. (Literally, of course it could have been written, but I don’t think the larger community would have been ready for it). The new wave of books tends to assume the reader basically understands core features and instead describes how to use those core features in interesting new ways.
As the title plainly says, this is a book about Social Computing. Social Computing is a subject ripe for discussion and exploration and indeed, the discussion is well underway among early adopters. Many companies are now quite comfortable with document libraries, eduki mota, bilatu, basic workflow, etc. Having implemented and mastered these bread and butter features, they are ready for the next level. This book offers insights and strategies to do that and thereby, exploit new and interesting opportunities that Social Computing brings to the world.
Social Computing is a big and evolving subject and covers a lot off things, besteak beste, blogetan, orokorra, social tagging, bilatu, interactive media, mashups, "people," and other socially-oriented "stuff." SharePoint has a very strong story to tell in this arena and now, at this time in Internet & SharePoint history, is the time to tell it. All things being equal between companies, those that successfully leverage Social Computing will outpace and outgrow those that do not. The train is getting ready to leave the station and you don’t want to miss it! This book is your ticket for a seat on that train 🙂
Behean line, this is a blog entry pitching the book. It’s due out in February. Pre-order it here: Microsoft SharePoint batera Informatika Gizarte 2007: Implementing Applications for SharePoint to Enable Collaboration and Interaction in the Enterprise
(Full disclosure — there’s no royalty money in it for me if you choose to buy the book, so this isn’t an effort to boost my savings account, though if it sells well, it will help out my ego, which always wants more, more, more!)
As an aside, but very important aside, I thank Bob Fox for connecting me with Brendon. And naturally, I thank Brendon and Matt for taking a chance on a newbie such as myself and letting me author chapters in their very important book!
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