Privacy and knowledge management: Challenges in the design of the Lotus Discovery Server

The Lotus Discovery Server™ (LDS) is a knowledge management system that lets users browse and search for information and expertise, collaborate instantly with colleagues, share knowledge, and look for resources, in a time-efficient manner. Because a knowledge management system has the power to make visible what was previously obscure, privacy issues are of particular concern. This paper discusses what the LDS product team learned about privacy issues in an enterprise knowledge management product, how it learned these things, and what steps the team took to protect users' privacy, allay their concerns, and promote the value of the product.