  Design choices can be clarified when group interaction software is directed
at solving the interaction needs of particular groups that pre-date the
groupware. We describe an example: the Deme platform for online deliberation.
Traditional threaded conversation systems are insufficient for solving the
problem at which Deme is aimed, namely, that the democratic process in
grassroots community groups is undermined both by the limited availability of
group members for face-to-face meetings and by constraints on the use of
information in real-time interactions. We describe and motivate design
elements, either implemented or planned for Deme, that addresses this problem.
We believe that "problem focused" design of software for preexisting groups
provides a useful framework for evaluating the appropriateness of design
elements in groupware generally.
