International Teledemocracy Centre International Teledemocracy Centre Powerpoint slides Download slides or view web version . Abstract Transparency is a term that has particular meanings in distributed computing, linguistics and other fields that knowledge management draws upon, and of course it has everyday uses and connotations that are carried over into these domains, coalescing around some common issues in knowledge management. Transparency is also a common term in political theory and practice, and one that has been associated with new applications of information and communication technology to support the political process. For example, 'greater transparency' is a common rationale for using ICTs to help governments to consult with the governed, the topic of the study reported here and of ongoing research at the International Teledemocracy Centre.
Transparency is an abstract benefit, even more so than 'knowledge management' itself.
It promises gain for all, but risks being lost between expectations first raised by political and managerial 'spin' and then deflated by the same corporate forgetting it is meant to address. The paper explores some of this dangerous territory, reflecting on how everyday notions of 'transparency' relate to two current issues in knowledge management and social informatics. Firstly, the design of systems to promote shared awareness of activity and identity, and secondly the study of ICTs to illuminate the invisibility of the 'social infrastructure' they depend upon. The paper will touch on the literature dealing with these topics, aiming to delineate dimensions of transparency that may help designers, policy makers or citizens to evaluate what can or should be made transparent in the interplay between technology and due political process. Using brief extracts from field notes, the web site itself, and audio and video transcripts of it in use, the paper will show how those participating in the consultation collaboratively shared and managed awareness of their activities and identities.