Johanna Kollmann studies how technology helps move society from communication to conversation then to collaboration. This involves managing transformative technology and doesn't have to mean previous forms of communication become obsolete. They may take on different or enhanced meaning instead, says Kollmann.

Since orality is so basic to the human communication experience, secondary orality, as Walter Ong said, makes us yearn for interpersonal relationships instead of for isolation. This secondary orality, which includes the printed word, allows information to transcend time and place. Krollmann cites other examples such as Skype (a basic example of secondary orality), Google groups (which enables communal conversation), and Facebook which improves collaboration because it shows whole conversations.

Kollmann believes microblogging has made long-form blogging more important, for instance, the  ambient intimacy of Twitter is not ideal within secondary orality because, in her opinion, it doesn’t preserve and link the knowledge it generates. There is more potential to collaborate using Google Wave, says Kollmann.  According to her, the Google Wave interface and approach is not only a means of communication but is an example of the necessary movement from communication to conversation then to collaboration.