Abstract: A computer-implemented method is provided for representing an environment having at least one aspect. The method includes representing the aspects in an activity map comprising at least two perspectives, and representing a state of a user within the environment as a tangible link between each perspective. The state of the user includes user activity within the environment. The method further includes the step of dynamically incorporating the state of the user in the activity map. The tangible link is a tangible cue which associates perspectives represented by the activity map.

Abstract: A method (and system) of requesting help includes connecting a user to a help request generator, accessing, by the help request generator, a database including a list of helpers, selecting helper from the list of helpers, and transmitting a help request from the help request generator to the helper.

Abstract: A method (and system) of requesting help includes connecting a user to a help request generator, accessing, by the help request generator, a database including a list of helpers, selecting helper from the list of helpers, and transmitting a help request from the help request generator to the helper

Abstract: A method (and system) of requesting help includes connecting a user to a help request generator, accessing, by the help request generator, a database including a list of helpers, selecting at least one helper from the list of helpers, and transmitting a help request from the help request generator to the at least one helper.

Abstract: A method of searching a collection of data that includes specifying a compound query having two or more search parameters; identifying data objects in the collection that match the search parameters; and providing results that include both an identification of matching data objects and an extent to which the objects match respective ones of the search parameters. The extent of match is shown by graphical bars having elongated segments of a unique color associated with each search parameter so that the user may visually appreciate the relevance of respective parameters in the compound query. A client device communicating with a server, receives an applet to effect the user interface. Each search parameter has an associated unique color and the user may specify a range of relevance desired in the results by altering the strength of any one of the search parameters. A computer-readable medium embodying program code and a corresponding apparatus are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method (and system) of requesting help includes connecting a user to a help request generator, accessing, by the help request generator, a database including a list of helpers, selecting at least one helper from the list of helpers, and transmitting a help request from the help request generator to the at least one helper

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product for initiating a conference call are disclosed. The method includes running a conference call managing application. The method also includes receiving at least one participant-defined condition. The participant-defined condition is associated with at least one conference call defining a status of a participant's communication device to connect the participant to the conference call. At least one alert is sent out to at least all required participants of the conference call, in response to the participant-defined condition being satisfied to start the conference call.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for product that enables users of broadcast messaging systems to more expediently and efficiently find communities, both for subscribing and for sending messages. The system, method and computer program product provides an end-user with the ability to send messages for delivery to more targeted communities of messaging users. In this aspect, the system and method determines one or more attributes of messaging activity associated with one or more communities of users communicating messages in a messaging system; and, displays via an interface, a graphical representation of the attributes and inter-relationships between the attributes. The user may then select via the interface a recipient community for receiving a message to be sent based on the graphical representation displayed.

Abstract: A method of searching a collection of data that includes specifying a compound query having two or more search parameters; identifying data objects in the collection that match the search parameters; and providing results that include both an identification of matching data objects and an extent to which the objects match respective ones of the search parameters. The extent of match is shown by graphical bars having elongated segments of a unique color associated with each search parameter so that the user may visually appreciate the relevance of respective parameters in the compound query. A client device communicating with a server, receives an applet to effect the user interface. Each search parameter has an associated unique color and the user may specify a range of relevance desired in the results by altering the strength of any one of the search parameters. A computer-readable medium embodying program code and a corresponding apparatus are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for representing users within an online environment. The method allows users to define environmental parameters for controlling user interaction, define user representation parameters of user data within the environment, capture user data from the users, build an abstract graphical display of the environment, and build a user representation within the abstract graphical display for each user's data.

Abstract: A system and method for conducting an online multi-speaker presentation comprises the implementation of a presentation agenda that specifies a plurality of phases, each phase having a speaker for presenting in a pre-specified order; and the agenda including policies for coordinating data feeds to one or more client devices according to an activated phase. Data feeds for audio, video, audio-visual or non-speaker data sources are provided to one or more clients and activated in accordance with an agenda phase policy, the data feeds being triggered automatically upon new phase activation. Thus, many users of the on-line meeting participate according to feed policies specified by said agenda without users at the client devices having to explicitly select or coordinate the feed controls during the presentation.

Abstract: An Agenda-Driven Meeting (ADM) allows a distributed set of users to have an online, not necessarily synchronous meeting including an agenda which specifies both the topics or goals of the meeting's phases, as well as the interrelationship between the phases, including the order of execution. The system provides a graphical representation, which shows the status of each phase—including indicators of user participation—as well as the relationship between the phases. Input can include text comments; queries, potentially directed to one or more users; responses to these queries; task assignments, also potentially directed to one or more users; summaries of phases; and indicators of users interest in a given query or response. The ADM graphic representation reflects each of the elements including the particular phase to which a given element is related. The system allows a given user to replay a given ADM instance, even after the meeting has been completed.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is provided for representing an environment having at least one aspect. The method includes representing the aspects in an activity map comprising at least two perspectives, and representing a state of a user within the environment as a tangible link between each perspective. The state of the user includes user activity within the environment. The method further includes the step of dynamically incorporating the state of the user in the activity map. The tangible link is a tangible cue which associates perspectives represented by the activity map.