Ellis et al
[
Ellis CACM
]
also describe a taxonomy based on application-functionality consisting of several
(non-orthogonal) function classes:
Message Systems -- allow users to exchange
textual messages among themselves.
Examples: Information Lens, Coordinator, PREP, and Quilt.
Multiuser Editors -- allow users to edit a shared textual document.
Examples: CES, Quilt, PREP, and Grove.
Group Decision Support Systems and Electronic Meeting Rooms -- allow users to explore ``unstructured''
problems involving decision making.
Examples: RTCAL, IBIS, PREP.
Real-Time Computer Conferencing Applications -- support same time interaction
among the collaborators.
Examples (depend on definition of same time): GROVE, Groupsketch.
Computer Teleconferencing Applications -- support conference calls and video conferencing.
Examples: Video walls.
Desktop Conferencing Applications -- support real-time conferencing and teleconferencing.
Examples: Video walls + Grove.
Intelligent Agents -- include non-human participants.
Example: The LIZA toolkit
[
Gibbs LIZA CHI
]
allows a special application called Liza to join a conference and
displays the image of an android.
When Liza participates, a set of rules become activated,
which allow it to respond to other user's input.
Another example is computer programs playing with humans in MUD or even the Elisa AI program.
Coordination systems--allow users to ``coordinate'' their activities.
These are further classified into form-oriented workflow systems,
which route forms among users,
(e.g. ActionWorkflow),
procedure-oriented systems,
which impose fixed procedures among the collaborators
(e.g. Cognoter and process programming systems in software engineering),
conversation-oriented systems,
which are based on social theories of conversation
(e.g. Coordinator, ActionWorkflow),
and communication structure-oriented systems,
which are based on role relationships (
Example:
ITT,
[
Holt Coordination
]
which organizes a person's work environment into several centers
representing different functions performed by the person.
Centers are associated with roles and connected to other centers by a Petri Net).