I see lots of tools and they all have good and bad points.
- email is good for mindful conversations. It is slow and doesn't need to interrupt. mailing lists feed into this.
- wikis are great for information that is designed. But it takes a lot of energy, and really requires dedicated maintenance. I've never worked anywhere where internal wikis were better than mediocre.
- bug systems have an off-label use - they are great for finding out about problems in company specific software/systems
- ticket systems are great for resolving small problems. But they seem to be closed systems that aren't searchable.
- slack. Now slack is good, not evil. I think where slack shines is up-to-the-minute communication where several people help work through a problem. but in moderation! Be polite, do not nag.
It is also exceptional at "trivial" knowledge that nonetheless holds back bright minds from progress - and is searchable.
What goes into slack is the less-formal-than-email stuff, the less-organized-than-wiki stuff, and less-critical-than-bug-report stuff.
- email is good for mindful conversations. It is slow and doesn't need to interrupt. mailing lists feed into this.
- wikis are great for information that is designed. But it takes a lot of energy, and really requires dedicated maintenance. I've never worked anywhere where internal wikis were better than mediocre.
- bug systems have an off-label use - they are great for finding out about problems in company specific software/systems
- ticket systems are great for resolving small problems. But they seem to be closed systems that aren't searchable.
- slack. Now slack is good, not evil. I think where slack shines is up-to-the-minute communication where several people help work through a problem. but in moderation! Be polite, do not nag.
It is also exceptional at "trivial" knowledge that nonetheless holds back bright minds from progress - and is searchable.
What goes into slack is the less-formal-than-email stuff, the less-organized-than-wiki stuff, and less-critical-than-bug-report stuff.