Net-based collaboration tools

NEWCOMERS TO the Web tend to hop aimlessly from one site to another. Such random web travels are natural and unavoidable, given the Net's unique and enviable stature that generates unimaginable excitement in anybody who is new to the cyber-world.

This excitement, however, will slowly fade away once Net browsing becomes a serious endeavour and includes functions such as finding more information on a particular topic, interacting with other like-minded netizens.

An experienced web surfer slowly gravitates to sites that fall under one or two categories that are of interest to her/him and at this stage she/he requires tools that facilitate her/him move more deep into this niche segment.

Necessity, it is said, is the mother of invention and the need of netizens to share experiences and interact quickly with peer group members has led to the development of Net-based `collaboration' tools/services.

These tools, if used sensibly, can make web navigation a much more enriching and productive experience. This week NetSpeak discusses a few of them.

Expression

Suppose you are networking on a project and come across a site that has some information related to this project. If you want to send this information to other team members, the process is quite simple - just send an email with the link of the page.

However, if you want to insert some comments or want to highlight some important points you read in the page, then the process becomes complex and demands deployment of other tools as well. Don't worry. Here is an excellent tool that can comfortably meet all of these needs.

The utility `Expression' presents many features that help you express your thoughts on a site's content through textual and visual means and send the page immediately to the people concerned via e-mail. To use the service, you need to download the client program (2.4 MB) using the link www.expression- net.com/exp102.exe. Install it and register with the service to become an `Expression' user. Once logged in successfully and with `Expression' enabled, you will get the `Expression' bar through which you can access the various tools.

The software provides tools to write (Text tool) to a web page through which you can insert your comments (for example, on the site's various features).

You can doodle on the web page as well, using the `Pen' tool - this can be used to highlight interesting points that you find in the site. To use a tool, select it by clicking at the icon and start drawing on your browser window.

To stop drawing, click on the icon again. The service allows you to save the marked pages in their site, which can be retrieved later.

Having made the necessary additions and alterations on the web page, now you can send it through e-mail to your group members using the `Send' button.

Your friend/partner will get the annotated web page as an attached picture file, which can be viewed by just clicking at the attachment icon. The site provides a chat facility also through which you can have real-time communication with other 'Expression' users.

E-Quill

This is another cute program that helps you in your efforts to collaborate with other fellow team members/friends/clients.

As in `Expression', this utility helps you add comments (using `Note' option); digital ink specific parts of the page; mark certain parts of the page just like marking a paper text using marker pens; or highlight a portion of the web page (using 'Hilite' option) and transmit it to through e-mail.

E-Quill sends the marked-page as a link, which the recipient can view using his browser. As this is a link to the content is stored in the E-Quill server, one can send/access the commented page anytime.

This will be useful for people doing collaborative research projects. The client part of E-Quill has to be installed on-line. Since the utility is a small one (just 230K) the installation will not take much of your time.

Once installed, the next time you invoke your browser, its window will contain an E-Quill tool bar in the lower left corner. You can take the tool bar to any part of the window; you can also shrink it to a minimised position. To use this utility you need IE5 (or higher) installed in your machine. To avail of the service access the site at: http://ink.equill.com/. If you want to see the performance of this product, access the demo page I have created at: http://ink.e-quill.com/view/363d0c212caec5ad

uTOK

uTOK (User's Tree Of Knowledge) is another utility created to enrich a surfer's web experience by providing necessary tools to connect him/her with other web users with similar needs and tastes.

The service provides necessary features that help you write your opinion on the sites you visit, which can later be read by other site visitors.

The utility accompanies you wherever you go and immediately loads the notes written by former (uTOK) visitors of the current site and presents it for you to read - you can read others' comments and discussion threads.

This takes web surfing from a dry individualised process to a more group/team process. Actually, the potential of this kind of collaborative Net journey is astonishing. Initially this did not strike me and I was not very much enthusiastic about this service (though I just kept it on while browsing the Net).

But slowly, I started realising the significance of this utility. In fact the information on 'E-Quill' mentioned in the beginning of this piece was obtained from a 'uTOK-note' I happened to read during one of my visits to the New York Times (www.nytimes.com) site.

Another notable feature of this product is the cute interface the system presents to the user. To read a note or write your comments on a site the utility provides its own interface and this helps you in using the service without disturbing other application windows.

The service can be accessed by downloading the client program from the site www.utok.com

J. Murali

(The author can be contacted at: murali27@satyam.net.in)

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