1. Online social networking:
The glue that binds people together
at NASA
Celeste Merryman, Principle, UserSphere Research

2. Talking About
GLUE PEOPLE
GOSSIP
ONLINE
SOCIAL
NETWORKING
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GlueCon 2009, Copyright Celeste Merryman, UserSphere Research

3. People Sticking
things together
since 4000 BC
tree sap, tar,
beeswax,
natural rubber,
animal bones, fish, Greek Glue Recipe
egg whites,
starch, milk protein
blood,
bones,
milk,
cheese,
vegetables and grains.
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GlueCon 2009, Copyright Celeste Merryman, UserSphere Research

4. Today’s adhesives have got to be strong
Photo credit: NASA
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GlueCon 2009, Copyright Celeste Merryman, UserSphere Research

5. Space Shuttle External Fuel Tank
Adhesive agent is used to apply the foam to the tank
Photo credit: NASA
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GlueCon 2009, Copyright Celeste Merryman, UserSphere Research

6. Space Shuttle Tiles
Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
Tiles are mounted to a felt pad using a silicone adhesive
then the tile and pad combination are bonded to the
aluminum skin
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GlueCon 2009, Copyright Celeste Merryman, UserSphere Research

7. Glue is Similar to Social
Networking (i.e., social glue)
Different personality types,
Types of adhesives
different types of bonds
Mechanisms of adhesion
What makes people connect
Testing bond resistance
People create weak or
Failures in adhered
strong bonds based on
surfaces
experience and trust
People test the relationship
bonds daily
Sometimes relationships fail
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GlueCon 2009, Copyright Celeste Merryman, UserSphere Research

8. Gossip & social networking are the social
glue, binding people together.
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GlueCon 2009, Copyright Celeste Merryman, UserSphere Research

9. In Olden Times, Gossip Helped
Keep You Alive
Raiders
Rams
49ers
People used gossip to share stories about who
was a reliable mate, to learn societal rules, and
for storytelling to share morals and fables.
Grassy hill photo - http://jeremy.lwidof.net/downloads/grassy_hill_web.jpg
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GlueCon 2009, Copyright Celeste Merryman, UserSphere Research

10. Today online social networking enables social
bonding across distances at the speed of light
People still trying to find
reliable mates
and to learn societal rules
quot;Gossip is an important bonder.”
quot;By sharing information we develop sense of
trust and intimacy.quot;
Frank McAndrew, PhD, an applied social psychology professor
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GlueCon 2009, Copyright Celeste Merryman, UserSphere Research

11. Applied
Example
“…seamless collaboration of NASA workforce across
multiple centers will be vital in the planning, design,
and development of exploration-related capabilities
and technologies.
~Information Resources Management Strategic Plan, (2007) Jonathan
Pettus, then NASA’s Chief Information Officer
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GlueCon 2009, Copyright Celeste Merryman, UserSphere Research

12. NASA Needs Online Social
Networking
Geographically dispersed
Aging workforce
Mission transition
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GlueCon 2009, Copyright Celeste Merryman, UserSphere Research

13. The NASAsphere Pilot
pilot online
social
networking
in NASA
Need a good
logo and message
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GlueCon 2009, Copyright Celeste Merryman, UserSphere Research

14. Creating the Adhesive Layer
Built trust into the pilot
I used my social networks to invite participants
Then participants invited coworkers they knew
and who trusted them
Set the expectations for participants
Set rules of work conversations and engagement
Knew what they were doing there - gave them tasks
to complete
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GlueCon 2009, Copyright Celeste Merryman, UserSphere Research

15. Mechanism for Bonding
Qualities the participants noted as important to social
network participation
 Person’s attitude and openness, willingness to
embrace (new things),‘ageless’ attitude, and an
attitude to can overcome fears
 Can see the benefit to the individual
 Usability and intuitiveness of the tool
 Wiliness to explore new ways to enhance
communication
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GlueCon 2009, Copyright Celeste Merryman, UserSphere Research

16. Testing the Bonds
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GlueCon 2009, Copyright Celeste Merryman, UserSphere Research

17. Social Glue & Bonding
Questions and Answers
298 participants
93% of answers were by
people from a different
NASA center
Lots of people supporting
NASAsphere content
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GlueCon 2009, Copyright Celeste Merryman, UserSphere Research

18. NASA used online social networking to
bond in the business environment
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GlueCon 2009, Copyright Celeste Merryman, UserSphere Research

19. the POWER
Social Bonding via Online
Networking
You don’t know who knows
what you need. Presenting a
question to a large group of
people, increases your chance
of finding someone who does.
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GlueCon 2009, Copyright Celeste Merryman, UserSphere Research

20. By the end, at least one person from every
NASA center participated.
When asked in a 52%
follow-on survey… recommended
an Agency
implementation
73.5% said 62% said
they would they would
read it contribute
daily/weekly daily/weekly
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GlueCon 2009, Copyright Celeste Merryman, UserSphere Research

21. Bond Failure???
Waiting, waiting on
implementation funding,
a CTO, a CIO
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GlueCon 2009, Copyright Celeste Merryman, UserSphere Research

22. Parting Thoughts
People have an innate need to talk to
each other.
You want to create social glue for your
employees.
Figure out what technology supports it.
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GlueCon 2009, Copyright Celeste Merryman, UserSphere Research

23. Info
Celeste Merryman
Principle, UserSphere Research
Email cjmerryman@sbcglobal.net
Find presentation
@ http://www.slideshare.net/cmerryman
NASAsphere report @ scribd.com cmerryman
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GlueCon 2009, Copyright Celeste Merryman, UserSphere Research

24. Readings
The new word on GOSSIP: Discusses why people gossip. Essential

functions of gossip; Information on evolutionary psychology; Disadvantages
of negative gossip. Nigel Nicholson. Psychology Today, May/Jun 2001
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20010501-000022.html
(3/27/09)
Bonding over others' business. Zak Stambor. Monitor on Psychology

Volume 37, No. 4 April 2006 http://www.apa.org/monitor/apr06/bonding.htm
(3/27/09)
Have you heard the latest?, Monitor on Psychology. Lea Winerman. Volume

37, No. 4 April 2006 http://www.apa.org/monitor/apr06/latest.html (3/27/09)
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GlueCon 2009, Copyright Celeste Merryman, UserSphere Research