Groove from Groove Networks (founded by Ray Ozzie, the creator of Notes for Lotus
Development) is P2P groupware that provides a platform for direct interaction
among users in shared spaces. Essentially, it provides a forum for small groups
of people to communicate, collaborate, and share data. Groove lets you adapt to
your communications at hand. It provides a variety of tools for creating custom
spaces, that can be added quickly, simply, and conveniently. Supported activities
within shared spaces include speaking or chatting, project collaboration, creating
collaborative drawings, creating collaborative outlines, participating in discussion
forums, organizing and conducting net meetings, planning events, sharing file
collections, and browsing the web. Because groove is P2P, data is transferred
directly between the members of the shared space, automatically and securely.
The data that members of the shared space create during their interactions is
distributed. That is, it is stored on each user's computer. Groove can be used
online or offline, from one computer or many. A user may work from multiple computers
by registering the computers they wish to transfer their account to. Changes are
saved and transmitted automatically. Groove can also automatically update itself.
Knowledge is maintained by Groove in the form of multiple accounts in which can
be saved one or more identities, lists of contacts, messages, and shared spaces.
Furthermore, a user may list their identity or identies in both the groove.net
public directory and in the local network directory, by name or in the form of
a complete fact card. Shared spaces can be modified by any of the space's participants.
Once a space is created, contacts may be invited to participate by e-mail or by
sending a message. A list of participating members is maintained for each shared
space. If after three weeks a member has not worked on a shared space to which
they've been invited, they are suspended, requiring that they be invited again
to continue participating. Any user may create a new space. All the spaces to
which a user belongs are recorded in the account's list of shared spaces. Multiple
tools and tool sets may be utilized within each shared space. The Calander tool
enables entries and details to be saved for each day of the month. The Browsing
tool maintains URLs as a history list and in a Favorites folder. The Contact Manager
maintains a shared list of contacts within a space. The Discussion tool maintains
a detailed exchange of ideas in a hierarchical format. Relevent files may be attached
to a given discussion thread, and links to a discussion thread can be added to
other files. The Files tool maintains an organized list of shared files. The Notepad
enables a document to be written or modified collaboratively. The Outliner provides
a tool for collaboratively outlining ideas. The Picture tool supports the storage
of pictures. The Sketchpad enables the creation of collaborative drawings. What
is more, new tools can be developed and added to a shared space, enabling the
further addition of knowledge.
Messages for each account are saved and sorted by either date Created, who it
is From, or who it was sent To (Identity). Each shared space maintains an alphabetized
list of participating members, and each space has associated tools and tool sets.
The files for all tools and tool sets are maintained separately. The Files tool
maintains an organized list of shared files sorted by Name, Size, Type, Modification
Date, or person Modified By. The Discussion tool maintains a detailed exchange
of ideas in a hierarchical format. A discussion thread on a particular topic can
be copied as a link, which can then be inserted into other documents. The Outliner
provides a tool for collaboratively outlining ideas. The Pictues tool maintains
a list of pictues that can be sorted by Name, Size, Type, Modified Date, or person
Modified By. The Browsing tool set includes a Web browser, a Files tool, and an
Outliner.The Conversation Tool Set includes a Sketchpad, a Notepad, a Web Browser,
and a Files tool. The Custom Tool Set includes any tools which are added. The
Event Planning Tool Set includes an Outliner labeled "Organizer," a
Calander, a Discussion tool, a Contact Manager labeled "Contacts," a
Web Browser labeled "Links," and a Pictures tool labeled "Photos."
The File Collection Tool Set includes a Files tool, a Pictures tool labeled "Photos,"
and a Web Browser labeled "Links." The Forum Tool Set includes a Discussion
tool, a Web Browser labeled "Links," a Files tool, a Photos tool, and
a Sketchpad. The Meeting Tool Set includes an Outliner titled "Agenda",
a Files tool labeled "Presentations," a Sketchpad labeled "Whiteboard,"
an Outliner labeled "Notes," an Outliner labeled "Action Items,"
a Files tool labeled "Documents," and a Contact Manager labeled "Attendees."
The Project Tool Set includes a Discussion Tool, an Outliner labeled "Brainstorming,"
a Files tool labeled "Documents," a Outliner labeled "Task List,"
a Calander labeled "Schedule," a Web Browser labeled "Links,"
and a Contact Manager labeled "Contacts."
The Discussion tool, the Outliner, the Sketchpad, and the Calander all provide
visualization capabilities. The Sketchpad enables a drawing to be created collaboratively
thus providing a visual representation for the task or idea in question. It should
be noted however that the Sketchpad is simple and does not provide any advanced
features. Secondly, the Outliner enables members of a shared space to collaborate
on ideas within a hierarchical structure, which can be expanded and collapsed
as needed. The Discussion tool represents discussion threads in a hierarchical
structure which can also be expanded and collapsed as needed. Finally, the Calander
supports different views: Day, Week, Month, Business Week, Business Month.
The most effective way for retrieving messages is, after sorting all messages
by either date, sender, or reciever, then viewing the Message Preview provided
for whatever message is currently selected. However, the vast bulk of knowledge
Groove maintains is stored in the shared spaces. Thus, retrieval involves selecting
the pertinent shared space, and choosing the relevent tool or tools within the
shared space and retrieving knowledge using the particular tool selected. Of course,
it may be advantageous to communicate with participating members of a shared space.
Whether or not this is done, however, the tools alone can be used for purposes
of knowledge retrieval. Retrieving knowledge from the Web Browser involves either
searching the history for a given URL or utilizing the Favorites folder. Retrieving
knowledge from the Calander involves simply viewing the calander and placing the
mouse cursor over the day and activity in question for futher details. Retrieving
knowledge using the Contact Manager involves first selecting a contact and viewing
their Digital Fingerprint, and then either send a message, chatting, inviting
them to the space, or sending them information pertinent to the matter at hand.
Knowledge retrieval using the Discussion tool involves viewing discussion threads
and any relevent files attached. Knowledge retrieval using the File tool, may
involve sorting by a given file properities or viewing the properties of a file
in question, before opening the file. The File tool provides no searching features.
Knowledge retrieval using the Sketchpad or Pictures tool involves searching through
the various sketchs for the given tool instance. The Pictures tool also enables
the pictures to be listed and sorted. The Notepad provides no find function. Retrieval
of knowledge using the Outliner may involve expanding or collasping topics in
question.
Groove provides usage data about a particular shared space in the capacity that
it displays the members of a shared space as well as detailing who last modified
any files in question. Furthermore, usage data is provided for messaging and the
discussion tool in as much as the author of a message or statement is saved and
displayed. More interestingly, Groove usage reporting services are available which
give IT administrators advanced reporting capabilities on the use of Groove in
their enterprise. "Groove tracks a wide variety of parameters, including
overall usage, component usage and network services usage to support internal
billing and charge backs, and assess the utilization of Groove-based solutions."
It should be possible to make shared spaces available to an organization by having
public accounts and aliases which may be invited to subscribe to the shared spaces
of groups and individuals within the organization.