Featurama
This is my attempt to create an exhaustive list of all the known features of major collaborative technologies available on the Internet today. These are not imaginary or proposed features, but ones that can be found in at least one tool from a commercial or non-commercial source. On the other hand, I can not think of any existing tool, be it a scheduling application or a discussion board, which would have all the features listed under its category below. In other words, this is a bit of a wish list. However, I hope that it may be helpful to those of you, who are considering giving online collaboration or distance education a try, and are in the process of thinking about what features are really important to you, before embarking on a search for an appropriate tool. Enjoy (and please feel free to send me additions or corrections to the list. Note, however, that I consciously chose not to include the core, unremovable features, such as "the ability to send and receive messages" under "E-mail".)!
Please click on any of the technologies below to jump to the list of its currently obtainable features:
- Real-time discussions (chat)
- Asynchronous discussions
- File exchange
- Whiteboard
- Slide presentations
- Scheduling
- Awareness
- Collaborative browsing
- Application/desktop sharing
- Voting and polling
- Web publishing (content creation and serving)
- Real-time discussions (chat) [TOP]
- textual
- audio (full duplex)
- audio and video
- persistent (e.g.. newcomers can see what happened before they joined)
- moderation (i.e. screening of textual responses)
- can be saved or logged to external file
- whispering (i.e. private, 1-on-1 messages invisible to other participants)
- browser-based (no native client required)
- multipoint (vs. point-to-point only)
- ability to expel or block users
- scheduling sessions in advance
- interoperability of clients from different vendors (e.g. Netmeeting and CU-SeeMe)
- multi-platform and/or multi-browser compatibility
- PC-to-phone calls
- good performance in low-bandwidth environments
- graphical emoticons
- Asynchronous discussions [TOP]
- threading
- automatic notification of new postings
- listserv capability (i.e. participation via e-mail)
- spam protection (e.g. via e-mail address verification)
- moderation (i.e. screening of postings)
- foul language filtering
- file attachments
- full text searching of postings
- browser-based (no native client required)
- spell checker
- self-registration for users
- fine-grained access control (e.g. read-write, read only)
- automatic archiving of discussions
- usage statistics
- customizable interface
- live links and HTML formatting in messages
- editing of already posted comments
- multi-platform and/or multi-browser compatibility
- graphical emoticons
- topic ratings
- File exchange [TOP]
- version control
- check-in/check-out
- routing
- instant previewing (e.g. via automatic conversion to HTML)
- support for multiple file types
- storage and sharing of Web links
- fine-grained access control (e.g. private, read-write, read only)
- guest (public) access
- grouping of files into folders (collections) or subfolders
- browser-based (no native client required)
- SSL and/or encryption security
- full-text searching
- support for drag-and-drop file transfer
- customizable interface
- usage statistics
- built-in virus protection
- automatic compression/decompression
- transfer of multiple files or entire folders
- built-in backup-and-restore capability
- built-in templates for common forms of documents (e.g. invoice)
- digital signatures for documents
- synchronization with files on desktop
- saving Web content directly
- multi-platform and/or multi-browser compatibility
- built-in office productivity applications (e.g. word processor, spreadsheet, database)
- creating teams
- rating of files/documents
- integration with Microsoft Office
- Whiteboard [TOP]
- drawing and writing tools
- importing of documents and images (at least via "cut-and-paste")
- on-the-fly inclusion of screenshots
- multiple sheets or rooms
- recording of sessions
- browser-based (no native client required)
- passing full control to other participants
- built-in support for call-in and call-out phone conferencing
- multi-platform and/or multi-browser compatibility
- Slide presentations [TOP]
- broadcast mode and collaborative mode
- support for multiple presenters
- markup and annotation tools
- on-the-fly importing of slides, without pre-processing
- on-the-fly inclusion of screenshots
- full duplex VoIP (Voice over IP) audio
- browser-based (no native client required)
- recording of sessions
- visual feedback (e.g. virtual hand-raising, changing "seat" color)
- scheduling in advance
- password protection for events
- built-in support for call-in and call-out phone conferencing
- good performance in low-bandwidth environments
- multi-platform and/or multi-browser compatibility
- Scheduling [TOP]
- ability to schedule recurring events
- multiple views (e.g. day, week, month)
- fine-grained access control (e.g. private, read-write, read only)
- alarms
- automatic e-mail notifications of schedule changes
- searchable (e.g. via event's name or attributes)
- synchronization between personal and group calendars
- synchronization with other PIMs (e.g. Palm Pilot, Microsoft Outlook)
- support for vCal or iCalendar "standards"
- browser-based (no native client required)
- inviting people to events
- RSVPs
- task management
- file attachments
- customizable interface
- printable schedules
- automatic event tracking (TV programs, sport, movie releases, etc.)
- usage statistics
- off-line mode (with synchronization)
- multi-platform and/or multi-browser compatibility
- creating teams
- wireless access from handheld devices
- Awareness [TOP]
- automatic recognition of inactivity
- blocking undesirable people from contact
- instant paging or chat
- visual and/or audio alerts of "buddies" online
- multi-platform and/or cross-client compatibility
- Collaborative browsing ("Web tours") [TOP]
- annotation and markup tools
- passing control to other participants
- recording of sessions
- direct connection, without a reflector server
- scheduling in advance
- password protection for events
- built-in support for call-in and call-out phone conferencing
- multi-platform and/or multi-browser compatibility
- Application/desktop sharing [TOP]
- "view only" and "remote control" modes
- passing full control of application/desktop to other participants
- direct connection, without a reflector server
- built-in support for call-in and call-out phone conferencing
- good performance in low-bandwidth environments
- multi-platform and/or multi-browser compatibility
- collaborative viewing of 3D objects
- E-mail [TOP]
- support for SMTP, IMAP and POP protocols
- support for HTML formatting
- file attachments
- filtering
- address book (with import/export capability)
- full-text searching of messages
- fully accessible via a Web browser
- vCards
- spell checker
- text-to-voice access via telephones
- compatible with handheld devices (e.g. Palm, PocketPC)
- consolidation of multiple e-mail accounts
- integrated newsreader (NNTP)
- message templates
- Unsend feature
- off-line mode (with synchronization)
- sorting of messages by various criteria
- customizable interface
- wireless access from handheld devices
- SSL and/or encryption security
- multi-platform and/or multi-browser compatibility
- creation of mailing lists
- Voting and polling [TOP]
- on-the-fly creation of polls
- ability to hide results from users
- instant updating of vote count
- graphical representation of results
- blocking users from voting multiple times
- automatic e-mail notifications of poll results
- multi-platform and/or multi-browser compatibility
- Web publishing (content creation and serving) [TOP]
- standard file transfer protocols: FTP, HTTP
- support for drag-and-drop file transfer
- one-button publishing
- compatible with popular content creation software (e.g. Dreamweaver, FrontPage)
- support for Dynamic HTML, Java, JavaScript, CGI, Flash, Shockwave, streaming content
- wizards and templates for easy creation of content
- fine-grained access control (e.g. execute, read-write, read only)
- browser-based administration
- dynamic database connectivity
- version control for content
- check-in/check-out
- automatic link checking
- HTML validation
- site building tools
- SSL and/or encryption security
- XML support
- access statistics
- virtual servers
- WYSIWYG content editing
- support for VIR (Visual Image Retrieval)
- annotating existing Web pages
- content submission via e-mail
- built-in backup-and-restore capability
- form-based database building
- import/export of content (e.g. spreadsheets into HTML tables)
- multi-platform and/or multi-browser compatibility
- printable
