Designing Software for Collaboration

Collaboration: Same time / same place

• Face to face interaction
• Roomware
• Shared tables, wall displays
• Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS)
• Single display groupware

Collaboration: Different time / same place

• Message Boards
• Dedicated Team rooms
• Large displays

Collaboration: Same time / different place: 

• Remote interaction
• Video-Conferencing, 
• Real-time groupware 
• Messaging (Instant messaging, Email) 
• Virtual worlds 
• Multi-User editors 
• Shared Screen (vnc)

Collaboration: Different time / different place:

• E-mail
• Wiki
• Blogs
• Workflow
• Version control

It is hard to synchronize things, much more easier asynchronous.