Sociological Rob:
How Rob Kling Brought Computing and Sociology Together

Barry Wellman
Starr Roxanne Hiltz

Abstract

In this short article, we discuss Rob Kling in his early 1970s-1980s days, when a bright young computer scientist brought his knowledge of sociology to bear on understanding the organization of computing, work and science. Rob was a key founder of social analyses of computing. He was a leader among that most rare of species: the sociologically acute computer scientist. More personally, he was a long-time friend and colleague whose work strongly influenced our own.