Automatic Workspace Sharing via Pointer Records
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for sharing personal notes and work products among users in a multi-user computer system require manual administration through traditional groupware applications like email, which becomes inefficient and cumbersome, especially for large teams and numerous shared notes.
Innovation Solution
A system that automatically distributes knowledge-based objects by creating records with pointers in the target recipients' workspaces, allowing users to access and interact with shared objects as if they were locally created, eliminating the need for manual management and administrative overhead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional groupware applications like e-mail are used to share personal notes, then users can exchange work products, but the administrative overhead and manual management become oppressive especially for large teams
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic sharing of personal notes through workspace integration. When a note is shared with a user, it is automatically distributed to their workspace without requiring manual intervention from recipients. The system self-manages the distribution process, eliminating the oppressive administrative overhead associated with traditional groupware applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-configures the sharing infrastructure by integrating note storage directly into user workspaces. Before sharing is needed, the system already has the capability in place to automatically distribute notes, so when sharing occurs, it happens immediately without manual setup or administrative intervention.
2Quantity of substance
If manual distribution of shared notes is required, then users can receive notes, but the process becomes annoying and inefficient when large numbers of notes are shared
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically handles the distribution of large numbers of notes without requiring user intervention. When notes are shared with multiple recipients, the system self-manages the entire distribution process, creating and delivering notes to each recipient's workspace automatically, eliminating the time-consuming manual management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates copies of shared notes in each recipient's workspace rather than requiring manual forwarding. The original note remains in the author's workspace, and automatic copies are generated and placed in the appropriate workspaces, enabling efficient handling of large quantities of shared notes.
3Ease of operation
If users must personally review and save each shared note, then notes can be received, but the process becomes oppressive for large teams
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically saves shared notes to recipients' workspaces without requiring personal intervention. When a note is shared, the system self-services the entire process of delivering and storing the note in the recipient's workspace, eliminating the oppressive manual review and save process.
Solution Approach 2:
The workspace integration acts as an intermediary that automatically receives and stores shared notes. Instead of users directly managing note reception, the workspace system mediates the process by automatically capturing and storing notes, freeing users from manual management tasks.
Data Source
AI summary
A software tool assists users of a computer network to share items from each others' personal workspaces without requiring manual interaction on the users' part to receive and store items therein. An authoring user enters a command to share the object with “target recipients” and identifies the target recipients. Thereafter, the computer system creates records corresponding to the shared object in the workspaces of the target recipients. The records include pointers to the shared object. When a target recipient elects to open the records, it causes the computer system to access the author's workspace and create a copy of the personal object for the target recipient, who is then free to interact with the copy as if it were in his own personal workspace. Significantly, the target recipient does not participate in the distribution of the personal object from the author's workspace to his own. There is no administrative overhead as is required commonly in e-mail distribution systems.