Action Center: A software application to move a group through the steps of a specific high-value recurring collaborative tasks. Created to support a Work Practice. Is defined by using CEML. Is a Collaborative environment to help a group work toward a common goal.
Anchor: A data element containing the ID the contribution in an ActionCenter component that most recently took focus.
Anchor Item: The contribution that most recently took focus. Some visible attribute in the UI of an ActionCenter component indicates which contribution currently has the anchor.
CACE tool: Computer Assisted Collaboration Engineering – a collection of editors for designing collaborative work practices and configuring ActionCenters to support those designs. One output of the CACE tool is the CEML that defines an ActionCenter.
Capability: The facility or potential for an indicated tool to be used for deployment. (i.e.: The user needs to move items from one list to another. The user needs to be able to record, store, sort, and prioritize peoples’ ideas. The user needs an audio channel, IM channel, etc. Or, the user needs to record ideas: whiteboard, electronic whiteboard, software application).
CEML (Collaboration Engineer Modeling Language): It is the way an Action Center is defined, stored, and transported.
GSS: Group Support Systems.
HCI: Human Computer Interface.
Match Views: The ability to change another participant’s focus to a specific item.
PSS: Process Support System. The software application that executes the Action Center.
Thinklet set: The smallest piece of information which needs to be transferred to someone in order to facilitate the invocation of a pattern of collaboration. This includes facilitator instructions, participant instructions, and required capabilities.
Work Practice: The tools and steps involved for developing an Action Center.
AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML): Technique of sending requests to the server and receiving something back with or without initiation by the user. It uses Javascript to send the request, and no full screen refresh is involved.
Bayeux Transport: Publish / Subscribe hierarchical topic technology. Allows clients to listen to a specific topic.
Comet (Reverse Ajax): Long Polling method which specifically includes JavaScript.
Component: A loosely-coupled software item that which instantiates a different collaborative capability.
Control: An object in a view that users may manipulate, but which does not accept contributions.
CRUD: Create, Update, and Delete.
DOM: Data Object Model.
DISA: Government’s provider for managing the software standards.
FFFIBBUD: Font, Font size, Font color, Italic, Bold, Background Color, Underline, Default
IYO: Indirect Yet Obvious.
J Tunnel: Commercial RMI over port 80 technology.
Long Polling: The generic method of which a request is started from a client to the server waiting for changes. This request is kept open as long as possible by suspending it.
Match Views: The ability to change another participant’s focus to a specific item.
Parent Child Shell: The child content is determined by what is selected in the parent. Container for 2 components, the first component contains the parent contributions, the 2nd component displays children of the most recently activated parent contribution in the first component.
REST (Representational State Transfer) Channels / Architecture: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REST
RMI: Remote Method Invocation.
Story cards: Agile technique for capturing requirements (i.e.: the user needs to do this . . . .)
Viewport Management: Concept of keeping things anchored for a particular user. One rule: Don’t surprise the user.
Virtual Private Server: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_private_server