"The need for coordinating perspectives is a source of new
meanings as much as it is a source of obstacles. From this perspective,
ambiguity is not simply an obstacle to overcome; it is an inherent condition to
be put to work. Effective communication or good design, therefore, are not best
understood as the literal transmission of meaning. It is useless to try to
excise all ambiguity; it is more productive to look for social arrangements that
put history and ambiguity to work. The real problem of communication and design
then is to situate ambiguity in the context of a history of mutual engagement
that is rich enough to yield an opportunity for negotiation."
~Etienne Wenger, Communities of
Practice (Cambridge University Press, 1998, p. 84)
