An innovation diffusion approach to investigating these potential
adoptions would have looked for explanations for the uptake, or lack of uptake, primarily
in the characteristics and properties of the technology itself. It would not have regarded as
particularly important the human and non-human interactions described here. Innovation
translation, from actor-network theory, would seem to offer a much better explanation in its
investigation of the series of interactions, some human-to-human and some human-to-nonhuman,
which led to adoption of the portal by each of these organisations. In our view, the
decision to adopt, or not to adopt, has more to do with the interactions and associations of
both human and non-human actors involved in the project rather than with the characteristics
of the technology itself.
Problems.Leading.to.the.Demise.of.the.Portal
Even though the portal infrastructure was in place by mid 2001, there was still a great deal
of work to be done to encourage businesses to use the tools now provided. This work was
to continue during 2001 and 2002, but by early 2003, WREDO realised that their hopes that
things would finally work out well were not being realised, and that something drastic would
have to be done.
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