People frequently ask me about where their Web Publishing efforts should end and Social Software begin. Like so many things, the answer is, "it depends." For example, one important question is whether you are talking about intranets versus a public site, which will likely exhibit very different interaction and security models.

I can certainly understand the confusion. Our recent research on Web CMS and Enterprise Social Software suggests a definite overlap from a tools perspective. But our research also found most Web CMS tools coming up short when it comes to deeper forms of Social Networking and Collaboration. (See today's press release for more details).

Meanwhile, most Social Software tools lack -- in some cases deliberately lack -- the sort of heavier-duty systems and administrative services that you would want behind an enterprise website.

Some enthusiasts argue that multidimensional platforms (like Drupal or SharePoint, to name just two) give you the best of both worlds. I disagree. But perhaps it's best to look at this less as a competition between two different types of software and more as distinct approaches to addressing two rather different objectives: one for enabling the publishing of "official" information, and the other supporting the creation and social interaction around unofficial content.

For most cases in most enterprises today, I think this means investing in two (or more) different types of tools to get you there.