1. An introduction to
ConcertChat
Millions use chat privately
for leisure activities or - in the form of Instant Messenging - to coordinate
at the workplace. Low technical requirements and easy handling are the main
advantages of text-based communication.
However, chat has also a
couple of disadvantages. Communication is always embedded in a specific
communication context. The participants build up knowledge using learning
material, they discuss a draft or react to a message in a discussion. Existing
chat systems do not pay attention to this context. The participants have to
re-construct the communication context on their own. This is timeconsuming and
leads to misunderstandings.
An example:
|
Miller: "We can
implement this sketch in eight weeks". |
What part of which sketch
does Smith refer to? And where is Johnson´s problem? Does he refer to Miller’s
or Smith’s message?
The ConcertChat Technology
The ConcertChat technology
provides innovative functionalities to improve chat communication:
·
Shared material: All
chat users have a shared view on arbitrary documents, web pages or screenshots.
A shared whiteboard supports joint sketching.
·
Explicit references:
Contributions can explicitly refer to other contributions or regions in the
shared material.
·
Persistent storage: All
contributions are archived. Thus discussions can be asynchronous or
synchronous. The chat log is available also after the chat for any kind of
post-processing.
·
Roles and processes: By
defining various roles, rights and phases, also complex communication scenarios
can be supported. Examples are moderated meetings and well-structured discussions.
ConcertChat:
Communication in context
ConcertChat is a technical
framework. All functional building blocks can be combined flexibly according to
the needs of an application scenario. A variety of chat tools have been
developed on its basis. In the VMT project at Mathforum a ConcertChat is used
which provides a shared whiteboard on the left side and a chat with referencing
functionality on the right side. Here, no roles or processes are prescribed.
ConcertChat is implemented
platform independent using the JAVA programming language. ConcertChat is
available as a web-based solution (applet or application). In addition,
ConcertChat can be integrated with existing technical infrastructures, e.g.
groupware platforms such as IBM Lotus Sametime.