Abstract: A collaborative knowledge management system (CKMS) includes application interfaces collecting data objects from and providing data objects to respective application programs including, for example, word processing, spreadsheet, graphics, e-mail, general ledger, ERP and other programs and utilities. The data objects are associated with respective relationships identifying other data objects, applications and users (whereby users include, but are not limited to people, machines and software). A set of rules defines how the data objects are to react to various systems states and actions of the objects of the relationships. Objects may be stored in a common format, or lingua franca, so that diverse applications and users may form, share and interrelate knowledge provided by the data objects and collaborate in the creation of new data objects and define new relationships.