Differences between human oriented and machine oriented information standards: Implications for design of enterprise-scale information systems

Enterprise-scale information systems are deeply entwined with the networks of social practice that use and support them. Yet “interoperability” between information systems and social communities of practice is not always easily achieved, because these disparate types of entities operate according to different logics and respond differently to innovation processes. In this paper we identify differences between the types of information standards used in information systems and those commonly used within social communities of practice, terming the former “machine oriented standards” and the latter “human oriented standards.” We then provide a catalog of commonly used human oriented standards. We conclude by suggesting that these distinctions have significant implications for designers and developers of enterprise-scale information standards and information systems.