System for supporting collaborative activity

Abstract

A system includes a processor which has access to a representation of model of activity, which includes workspaces. Each workspace includes domain hierarchies for representing an organizational structure of the collaborating users using the system, and initiatives hierarchies representing process structures for accomplishing goals. An interface permits users to view and modify the workspaces for which the user has access. Each user can have different access permissions in different workspaces. The domain and initiative hierarchies provide two views of the workspace objects without duplicating resources. A resource is a collection of shared elements defined by the users that give users associated with the workspace access to information sources. Users can define knowledge boards for creating reports based on information fields of the resources. The knowledge board is associated with a resource template from which the resource is created.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for enhancing communications among terminal users, wherein a computing system comprises a network of terminals spaced remotely from each other, each terminal operated by one or more users, and at least one main terminal comprising machine instructions to implement the method, the machine instructions executed by a processor of the main terminal, the main terminal further comprising a document storage structure, the method, comprising:
 providing, by the processor, a connection between the main terminal and each of the other terminals;   at the main terminal, the processor providing a chat board accessible to the terminal users at each of the other terminals; and   at the main terminal:
 receiving a discussion topic and first data from a first one of the terminal users, posting the topic and first data along with first metadata associated with the first terminal user on a chat board of the main terminal, 
 making the posted topic and first data and the first metadata on the chat board accessible to others of the terminal users, 
 receiving an input and second data from a second one of the terminal users, 
 posting the input and second data along with second metadata associated with the second user on the chat board, and 
 making the input and second data and the second metadata on the chat board accessible to others of the terminal users.