Implementing a Tool for Role-Based Collaboration

Computer supported cooperative work (CSCW) allows large groups of people to collaborate more efficiently through the use of information systems. Current research in the area has shown that role based collaboration (RBC) is a powerful tool to implement a complex CSCW system. It allows the separation of concerns and the flexible definition of rights and responsibilities. However, RBC has not gained wide spread acceptance, partly because there is no robust proof of concept. In this paper, we implement a framework based on the E-CARGO model using the Java language that can support many types of user environments (e.g. Web-based, Eclipse Rich Client Platform, Console) and provide a tool for adding new collaborative activities to the system. We then give examples of how typical collaborative activities are added to the system and conclude by investigating the pros and cons of such a method and suggesting further steps to create robust RBC systems. This new framework hopes to allow RBC systems to be more widely accepted in practice. The main contributions of this paper include the first consistent tool for collaborative systems that uses RBC as a base and a novel method for adding new types of collaborations to the role-based CSCW system