Verosee

http://skypejournal.com/blog/archives/2005/11/verosee_skypes_groove_killer.php

Something to look at.  Verosee points to bertorello.biz.

Maybe it’s dead.  I can’t take a thousand, but I want to do the same thing.

Reading another article on collaboration software and email.

A list of common collaboration tools:

1. A Shared Tool for Discussing Project Matters — Forum/Discussion
2.  A Shared Tool for Scheduling Project Meetings and Events — Calendar
3. A Shared Tool for Assigning and Managing Action Points – Tasks
4. A Shared Tool for Storing Shared Documents – File share (needs search/ACLs)
5. A Shared Tool for Listing People’s Contact Details – Contacts/Addressbook
6. A Shared Tool for Recording and Analyzing Structured Information — Forms  & Notifications

Dicussions can be handled by email.  Mailing lists/News groups are a variation that handles this naturally.  More recent (but still ancient) software turns mailing lists into a website discussion.

Most of the rest of this is handled by Outlook.  Maybe that’s what they took the list from.  Bug trackers, Test management, Requirements, etc. are forms.  Build status, etc. is a notification.  A dashboard that isn’t a daskboard, but more like a calendar, showing a history of notifications would be nice.

The key is, that it isn’t trapped in a mailbox, or lost in a wiki, or requires logging into a web page.  Rich client interaction again, I think is key.  Browser plugins, Office tools, OS integration (file shares), Email user interface are all methods.  Pull email is good too.  An IMAP folder that you don’t have to check unless you want to (build statuses, checkins, etc.)  An email like interface but you don’t have to filter your email.  And you want to be able to search the server and get a nice detailed report (web page) or something that you can take with our or fill out offline (Documents, Version control checkouts.)  And something you can do from the browser (open a tab from the sidebar or status bar.)

Multi client capabilities are important.  A browser UI for when you’re not at your desk.  A local copy for when you’re offline.  Rich edits.  Search.  Sharing.

Collaboration Tools and Email

I’ve realized the more I get into it, that the solution I’m targeting is a collaboration tool geared towards dev and qa teams.  I want to stay out of the way, but the dashboard idea  (and web services, and rss feeds) necessitates interconnectedness.  Document management seems me the biggest problem.  That’s why wikis are both good and bad.  That’s why sharepoint works so well (as a file server.)

I read an interesting article called “The Good in Email” on what collaboration tools need in order to be ubiquitous, written by (no surprise) a collaboration software company Central Desktop.

The simple answer:  It’s ubiquitous.  And easy to use.

Their points (in summary):

1. Email  is easy to understand
2. Email  is universal
3. Email is accessible from anywhere
4. Email can be personalized
5. Email is manageable/configurable
6. Email is searchable
7. Email is in your face
8. Email just works

After the first two points, they kind of lost me (except on search), but it’s good nevertheless.  I think for the less savvy audience, the ease of understanding the metaphor “It’s like sending a letter through the postal service, except its electronic” is key.   It’s universality is why it always ends out.  But ask anyone who uses email at work via exchange about it being available anywhere.

One thing I’d like to get towards is submitting bugs, test results, blogs, even wiki edits via email.  I know we should get off exchange, but outlook has a good (enough) editor.  And it’s the search and foldering that make people want to do everything thought it.  Now, the folder synonym is good.  Shared network folders (Alfresco and Sharepoint) if they work are good.  And why not settle nothing but the richest of editors — word and excel.