Walter
===========================================
(Source: The Rapidly Changing Face of Computing, RCFoC, Oct. 4, 1999,
Compaq)
Dynamic Roving Communities.
A while back we discussed a unique product from ThirdVoice, which
(non-destructively) lets you plaster "sticky notes" over any page on
the Web -- any other ThirdVoice-equipped user can then read your
comments (http://www.thirdvoice.com/). Thus, communities of
discussion are born around any Web page. But these are not
real-time communities; similar to a Newsgroup, you go back
periodically to see what notes others have left on the virtual wall.
Now though, brought to our attention by RCFoC reader Adam Gaber, we
find that Hypernix has taken this a step farther by establishing, in
Adam's words, "Dynamic Roving Communities" that live on top of any
Web page.
In effect, if you're surfing a random Web page and you have
Hypernix's "Gooey" software enabled
(http://www.hypernix.com/cmp/about.html), you see a chat-like window
which shows you every other Gooey user who is also surfing that Web
page at that moment -- a very real, if perhaps fleeting,
"community." If you want to chat with the other surfers, you can.
Or, you can simply click your way to some other Web page and see a
list of people surfing THAT site.
I haven't tried this yet, but it is an intriguing extension to the
Web. And, like ThirdVoice, it's another great demonstration of how
an innovative person can literally pull something (a new form of
community) out of nothing (the vast Opportunities of the Web.) I
can't wait to find out what's next!
Walter Derzko
Director Brain Space
(formerly the Idea Lab at
the Design Exchange)
Toronto
(416) 588-1122
wderzko@pathcom.com
--"Walter Derzko" <wderzko@pathcom.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>