This phenomenon should not be news to anybody, but it should be a consideration in the design of any system that allows collaboration, so I need to jot something about it here…

I had a one-sided IM conversation with a co-worker earlier this week - I suspected he’d stepped away from his desk, and he had, but I was queuing it up in the log for him to review when he returned. In typing out a description of the problem I was having, I mostly worked it out on my own. The resulting “conversation” was rambling, but it resulted in a solution without my co-worker lifting a finger. He later told me that he and another team member use each other as “sounding boards” all the time, working out problems simply by describing them.

And here I am, about to go converse with another person who I know has only incidental knowledge of the system I’m working on. But I’m breaking from the usual workflow, and need to ensure I won’t cause any harm. I feel like I won’t have done my due dilligence until I’ve talked it out with another person.