Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for an online community management system. One method calculates users' reputations that are based on the activities of each user in the online community. The reputation measures the quality of the user activities in the community. Further, the method includes operations for periodically calculating reputation statistical measures based on the users' reputations, and for sorting the users based on the reputation statistical measures. A user interface for a manager of the online community is provided, the user interface including a presentation of reputation information about a group of users of the online community identifying trends in changes of the reputation. The group of users is selected based on the sorting, and the user interface provides an option to select a first user from the group of users to obtain a display of events associated with the selected user in the online community.

Abstract: A process for organizing a series of discussion replies is disclosed, including monitoring a discussion thread for a series of single replies, each subsequent reply in the series responding to an immediately preceding reply. Once the system determines the existence of the series of single replies, the series of single replies is arranged into a single horizontally-aligned block, the block being vertically separated from other replies to the discussion comment that are not in the series of single replies. Thus, the horizontal-space used by the discussion thread is minimized and readability of the discussion thread improved.

Abstract: A system and method comprising, sharing information between a plurality of participants in a collaboration; and exposing a set of functions that enable a participant in the plurality of participants to share the information, the set of functions comprising: first functions to facilitate establishing a context in which to interact with the plurality of participants; and second functions to facilitate storing and retrieving values from a shared state, wherein the shared state is accessible within the context.

Abstract: A system and method comprising, sharing information between a plurality of participants in a collaboration; and exposing a set of functions that enable a participant in the plurality of participants to share the information, the set of functions comprising: first functions to facilitate establishing a context in which to interact with the plurality of participants; and second functions to facilitate storing and retrieving values from a shared state, wherein the shared state is accessible within the context.

Abstract: A method for rendering a graphical user interface (GUI), comprising providing for the representation of the GUI as a set of objects wherein the objects are organized in a logical hierarchy, associating a theme with a first object in the set of objects, rendering the first object according to the theme, rendering any descendents of the first object according to the theme, wherein any descendents of the first object can override the theme, and wherein one of the set of objects can communicate with another of the set of objects.

Abstract: A method for accepting a request, comprising mapping the request to a control tree factory, generating a control tree from the factory based on the request wherein the control tree can include at least one control, advancing the control tree through at least one lifecycle stage based on the request, generating a response wherein the response can be used to render at least a portion of a graphical user interface (GUI), and wherein the at least one control can represent a graphical element of the GUI.

Abstract: A system and method for accepting a communication, comprising providing the communication to a controller, associating a model with said communication, determining a state of the model based on said communication, providing a view based on the state of the model, and wherein the view is a page in a page group.

Abstract: A method for navigating a graphical user interface (GUI) having at least one page, comprising providing a first booklet, wherein user interaction with the first booklet can cause the GUI to navigate to a new page; providing a request based on user interaction with the first booklet; mapping the request to a control tree factory; generating a control tree from the factory based on the request wherein the control tree includes a booklet control corresponding to the first booklet; advancing the control tree through at least one lifecycle stage based on the request; and generating a response wherein the response can be used to render the new page.

Abstract: A system and method for building a representation of a graphical user interface (GUI), comprising generating a class, generating a first representation of the GUI, wherein the class can produce a second representation GUI based on the first representation, generating a second representation of the GUI from the class, wherein the second representation includes at least one control, and wherein the first representation can include at least one of hierarchical relationships among controls, control properties, and control event information.

Abstract: A community enables user membership in a distributed collaborative computing environment. The members can have access to a repository of resources. Dynamic notifications between client and server can be provided. A member can be logged onto a client which pings the server computer through no interaction of the user. A notifications manager located on the server can retrieve updates available for the member in response to each ping. The notifications manager can look up any changes to the resources that the member has subscribed to. The server can subsequently notify the client of the available updates. The client's user interface can be updated to reflect the relevant changes. A dynamic and granular interaction between the server and the client can be enabled instead of updating the entire portal page. Each ping can carry an id of the member and community, which the server can use to determine the relevant updates.

Abstract: A community enables user membership in a distributed collaborative computing environment. The members can have access to a repository of resources. Dynamic notifications between client and server can be provided. A member can be logged onto a client which pings the server computer through no interaction of the user. A notifications manager located on the server can retrieve updates available for the member in response to each ping. The notifications manager can look up any changes to the resources that the member has subscribed to. The server can subsequently notify the client of the available updates. The client's user interface can be updated to reflect the relevant changes. A dynamic and granular interaction between the server and the client can be enabled instead of updating the entire portal page. Each ping can carry an id of the member and community, which the server can use to determine the relevant updates.

Abstract: A client and server computers can be provided in the context of a community framework. Portions of the client's user interface can be updated dynamically and granularly via communicating with the server and without reposting the entire page upon each communication. A dynamic content tag library can be provided to add dynamic update functionality to the client's user interface. The developer can use tags contained in the tag library when customizing the user interface for various community members. For example, a dynamic container tag can specify a target area on the client's user interface to be updated dynamically. This target area can be a portlet, portion or a portlet, value or some granular piece of data on the user interface. An action script tag can specify a particular update request to be executed by the server, the results of which replace the old contents of the dynamic container.

Abstract: A system and method for providing an interactive group chat involving a plurality of participants and a business process, comprising initiating the business process to coordinate the plurality of participants; determining the plurality of participants based on dynamic evaluation of a role, wherein the role is based on presence information for the plurality of participants; joining each one of the plurality of participants into the group chat; and distributing a message from one of the plurality of participants to the others.

Abstract: A system and method comprising, sharing information between a plurality of participants in a collaboration; and exposing a set of functions that enable a participant in the plurality of participants to share the information, the set of functions comprising: first functions to facilitate establishing a context in which to interact with the plurality of participants; and second functions to facilitate storing and retrieving one or more values from a shared state, wherein the shared state is accessible within the context.

Abstract: A method for allowing a collaboration process to perform actions on behalf of a client process, comprising: receiving a message from the client process; impersonating a user for the purposes of performing an action on behalf of the user; performing the action with the same privilege(s) of the user; and wherein the client process and the collaboration process are part of a collaboration.

Abstract: A method for providing a collaborative, shared workspace is provided. The method includes receiving an identity of at least one of a plurality of participants. At least one resource to share information between the plurality of participants is determined. A community comprising the identity of the at least one of a plurality of participants and the at least one resource is established. The community can enable the plurality of participants to share information in collaboration using the at least one resource.

Abstract: A system and method for selecting a collaboration participant comprising: defining a role wherein the role includes a plurality potential members and one or more criteria; evaluating the role to determine a set of actual members wherein the set of actual members can vary over time; selecting a first member of the set of actual members; inviting the first member to join a collaboration; wherein the one or more criteria is based at least partially on presence information of the first member; and wherein the first member is a client process.

Abstract: A system and method for providing presence information, said method comprising, defining a role that defines a dynamic set of users wherein the set of users can vary over time and wherein the role is based on presence information of at least one member of the set of users; subscribing to the role by a subscriber wherein the subscriber will receive notification of a change to the dynamic set of users; and wherein the step of subscribing includes obtaining permission to subscribe from at least one member of the set of users.

Abstract: A system and method comprising, receiving a first communication over a first communication pathway; establishing a first process coupled to a host process as a result of the receiving; communicating between the first process and the second process over a second communication pathway; updating a user interface for the host process based on the communication with the second process; and wherein the second communication pathway is asynchronous.

Abstract: A system and method for providing an interactive group chat involving a plurality of participants and a business process, comprising, initiating the business process to coordinate the plurality of participants; determining the plurality of participants based on dynamic evaluation of a role, wherein the role is based on presence information for the plurality of participants; joining each one of the plurality of participants into the group chat; distributing a message from one of the plurality of participants to the others; and wherein the plurality of participants can co-navigate a web page.