These statements underly the definitions and discussion that follows. The first goal of collaboration is to produce and maintain a set of desired artifacts. The second goal of collaboration is the satisfaction of the participants. Collaborative space consists of artifacts. The dimensions of that space are defined by the types of artifacts available.
Collaborative time consists of events and milestones.
Participants may play different roles in different collaborations. Project deliverables are consumed by the participants and other members of the community. When working together, people must share artifacts and coordinate their activities over time. A group of people who are interested in a set of projects. Most people in the community are not partipants in any project.