HAVE IT YOUR WAY, YOU HAVE THE CONTROL

USING THE IDEA WEAVER™ (the Flying Shuttle or Virtual Toolkit)

In most groupware applications, there are rigidly defined sections, and a discussion area is usually a threaded discussion.

Human conversation is dynamic; it flows back and forth and can jump around. The Idea Weaver™ allows you to enter at any point and share a comment, ask a question, share a file or image, or do a number of other things. At first it may seem confusing and unstructured, but with a little time and practice, it is fun to be able to drill down at any point to spark a new line of reasoning.

Remember when the weaving framework was first invented. The weaving was dependent on a shuttle to intertwine the threads. We have re-created this capability in a living community. It is now possible to weave ideas together into a rich context of meaning. As colorful insights are combined, yours and mine, and those of others, we discover we have just created a tapestry of new business possibilities.

In addition, most groupware is usually asynchronous, although chatting is synchronous. The Idea Weaver™ supports synchronous communication, but in a much livelier way, and of course it is also asynchronous.

The Idea Weaver™ is the new way of providing content. There are no standard sections in the Comty and there are no restrictions on adding any object in any section. For example, you can add a file object as a comment in a news item)

Here is what one version of the Idea Weaver™ looks like (remember, depending on your choice of use, it will take the appropriate form):

Here is an example of the "News" versions of the Shuttle. As you begin to participate in a Comty, try out the various ways to use the shuttle in the practice area. [Please note, the Shuttle takes various forms, depending on your context.]

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THE IDEA WEAVER™ (Shuttle or Virtual Toolkit):

To use the Idea Weaver™, place your arrow (cursor) over almost any item and left click the mouse. Up pops the shuttle. It is context sensitive, so it provides just what you will most likely need at the time. Try it out, using the various options in the practice area. This is the fastest way to learn and master the metalayer environment.

Please always close your Idea Weaver™ after using it by clicking on the dash between the two end brackets in the upper right corner of the Shuttle:

Don’t worry if you make a mistake, you can correct it or delete it. Return to the item you have just entered, click on it, and then click on the EDIT button at the top left. You will now be able to make any changes and if you want to delete the item, click the red ARCHIVE at the bottom of the Shuttle. It could not be easier. To summarize the working of the Idea Weaver™:

As you become familiar with metalayer, you will begin to notice the location of other participants in the Comty by the presence of their usernames. And if a person is active online, then there will be an @ sign after his or her name. You can always click on this person’s name and their profile will come up. If they have entered their eMail and their mobile phone number into their profile, you can click on this eMail address and send them an eMail message off-line or send an SMS message

Perhaps an additional few words about metalayer’s design objectives concerning the Shuttle are in order. Traditional computing was very rigid and organized, while collaborative interaction requires a different type of environment. Click on the link below for metalayer’s explanation of the new environment design.

Design Considerations

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