A technology steward is someone who understands a community's technology needs and has experience with technology to address those needs. They select and configure technology and support its use within the community. Technology stewards help address tensions within communities between individual and group interactions by facilitating the use of tools like discussion boards, wikis, blogs, and other asynchronous and synchronous technologies. Their role is to help cultivate the community through strategic use of technology.
9. “ Technology stewards are people with enough experience of the workings of a community to understand its technology needs, and enough experience with technology to take leadership in addressing those needs…
10. Stewardship typically includes selecting and configuring technology, as well as supporting its use in the practice of the community.” Wenger, White and Smith, 2007
11. Yes, this is a blank slide. You know… invisibility!.
Ten years ago, when someone wanted to set up a set of tools to support a community of practice, they called up IT. Install Lotus notes. “Give me a SharePoint set up.” And that was that. Communities rarely had control of their online environments. There was a gulf between designers and users. Unless of course, they were coders. Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dani3l3/364684710/