Patent Publication Number: US-8543926-B2

Title: Managing item access in a collaborative workspace

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     A collaborative workspace (henceforth “workspace”) refers to functionality that allows individuals to work on a shared task in a coordinated fashion. A typical workspace defines permissions which identify a collection of members who are permitted to interact with the workspace. The permissions also define the manner in which the respective members are permitted to interact with the workspace. The workspace also commonly defines a collection of items (e.g., document items, etc.) associated with the workspace. In operation, authorized members may engage the workspace (in a manner defined by the permissions) to work on the shared items in a coordinated fashion. 
     In one approach, a user may add items to a workspace in a generally manual and ad hoc manner. For example, the user may interact with a separate general purpose tool for accessing items stored in a particular repository. The user may then add the accessed items to the workspace. The user performs this task by suspending her work in the workspace and activating the separate tool. If the user is interested in accessing items stored in different repositories, she may find it appropriate to use multiple different access tools. This approach has potential shortcomings. For instance, the user may find it a burdensome, disruptive, and error-prone task to access and interact with the separate item access tool or tools in an ad hoc manner. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to one illustrative implementation, an approach is described for managing item access in a collaborative workspace. The approach entails presenting a workspace user interface presentation to a user, which allows the user to interact with the collaborative workspace. The approach also entails presenting an item user interface presentation to the user without losing a context associated with the workspace user interface presentation. The item user interface presentation identifies an initial set of items (such as document items, etc.) on which action can be taken. The initial set of items may be selected from a plurality of sources. 
     According to another illustrative feature, the user may take action by entering a search selection. In response, the item user interface presentation displays a modified set of items that excludes items from the initial set of items that do not satisfy the search selection. Again, the modified set of items is presented without losing a context associated with the workspace user interface presentation. 
     According to another illustrative feature, the user may take action by entering a filtering selection. In response, the item user interface presentation displays a modified set of items that excludes items from the initial set of items that do not satisfy the filtering selection. Again, the modified set of items is presented without losing a context associated with the workspace user interface presentation. 
     According to another illustrative feature, the user may take action by adding a selected item to the collaborative workspace from the item user interface presentation. This operation may entail using a drag-and-drop operation to move the selected item from the item user interface presentation to the workspace user interface presentation. 
     This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form; these concepts are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows an illustrative workspace-providing system for providing a collaborative workspace. 
         FIG. 2  shows an illustrative item management module for use in the workspace-providing system of  FIG. 1 ; the item management module is used for managing access to items. 
         FIG. 3  shows one illustrative network-related implementation of the workspace-providing system of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  shows an illustrative workspace user interface presentation provided by the workspace-providing system of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  shows an illustrative item user interface presentation providing by the item management module of  FIG. 2 , the item user interface presentation showing an initial set of items (e.g., document items). 
         FIG. 6  shows the illustrative user interface presentation of  FIG. 5  after the user&#39;s entry of a search selection. 
         FIG. 7  shows the illustrative user interface presentation of  FIG. 6  after the user&#39;s entry of a filtering selection; the user then drags a desired item from the item user interface presentation into the workplace user interface presentation. 
         FIG. 8  shows an illustrative item user interface presentation for presenting an initial set of contact items associated with people. 
         FIG. 9  shows a different illustrative view of the item user interface presentation of  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 10  shows the illustrative item user interface presentation of  FIG. 9  after the user&#39;s entry of a search selection. 
         FIG. 11  shows additional information that can be presented upon the user&#39;s activation of any contact item shown in  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 12  is a flowchart that shows an illustrative general procedure for presenting an item user interface presentation and then taking an action within respect to the item user interface presentation. 
         FIG. 13  is a flowchart that shows one illustrative application of the general procedure of  FIG. 12 . 
         FIG. 14  shows illustrative processing functionality that can be used to implement any aspect of the features shown in the foregoing drawings. 
     
    
    
     The same numbers are used throughout the disclosure and figures to reference like components and features. Series 100 numbers refer to features originally found in  FIG. 1 , series 200 numbers refer to features originally found in  FIG. 2 , series 300 numbers refer to features originally found in  FIG. 3 , and so on. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An approach is described for managing item access in a collaborative workspace. A user interacts with the collaborative workspace through a workspace user interface presentation. The approach entails presenting an item user interface presentation to a user without losing a context associated with the workspace user interface presentation. The user can enter searching and filtering selections into the item user interface presentation to successively narrow an initial set of items provided by the item user interface presentation. Upon locating a desired item, the user can add the item to the collaborative workspace using a drag-and-drop operation or other technique. 
     By virtue of this approach, a user can add items to the collaborative workspace in an efficient and user-friendly manner. For instance, the user can add items to the collaborative workspace without losing her main focus on the workspace user interface presentation. Moreover, the user is not asked to perform disparate procedures when adding items from multiple different sources. More generally, the concepts disclosed herein may address one or more of the challenges or problems previously noted, but are not limited to addressing all or any of these challenges or problems. 
     As used herein, the term “user” is used to describe the person who performs the process of managing items using the above-summarized approach, e.g., by adding items to the collaborative workspace. The term “members” refers to individuals who are assigned rights to access and interact with the workspace, where such rights are defined by permissions. The person that manages items (e.g., the user) will typically also be defined as a member, although need not be. 
     This disclosure is organized as follows. Section A describes illustrative systems for managing item access in a collaborative workspace. Section B describes illustrative methods for performing the same functions. Section C describes illustrative processing functionality that can be used to implement any aspect of the features described in Sections A and B. 
     A. Illustrative Systems 
     As a preliminary matter, the various components shown in the figures can be implemented in any manner, for example, by software, hardware, firmware, manual processing operations, and so on, or any combination of these implementations. The phrase “configured to” refers to any way of providing a function, and may encompass any implementation or combination thereof (software, hardware, firmware, manual processing operations, and so on).  FIG. 14 , to be discussed in turn, provides additional details regarding one illustrative implementation of the functions shown in the figures. 
       FIG. 1  shows a workspace-using environment  100 . The workspace-using environment  100  includes a workspace-providing system  102 . The workspace-providing system  102  provides a collaborative workspace (henceforth simply “workspace”). A workspace defines functionality which allows individuals to work on one or more shared tasks. The workspace includes permissions which define the individuals who are permitted to work on the workspace (referred to as “members” herein). The workspace also includes items (document items, data items, discussion items, etc.) that the members are permitted to work on in a collaborative fashion. In operation, authorized members may engage the workspace to work on the shared items in a coordinated fashion. 
     The workspace-providing system  102  includes, or can be conceptualized to include, a collection of components. More specifically,  FIG. 1  is a logical depiction of the workspace-providing system  102 . In the logical depiction, the components perform different prescribed functions (to be described below). The logical functions may map to physical infrastructure in different ways. For example, the workspace-providing system  102  includes a workspace management module  104 . The workspace management module  104  manages the general set-up and operation of a workspace. In doing so, the workspace management module  104  can be conceptualized as providing a main workspace user interface (UI) presentation (as shown in  FIG. 4 ) through which members may interact with the workspace. In a physical implementation, however, these logical functions may be performed by a combination of backend functionality and frontend functionality. For instance, a physical implementation of the workspace-providing system  102  may include an interface component  107  which performs the task of interfacing with members (and which thus implements all of the user interface presentations provided by the workspace-providing system  102 , including the workspace UI presentation). Accordingly, reference to the workspace management module  104  should be understood as referring to whatever combination of functionality is used to perform its associated functions, however allocated among one or more components in a physical implementation. The same explanation applies to other logical components within the workspace-providing system  102 . 
     The workspace management module  104  interacts with a permissions management module  106 . The permissions management module  106  allows a user to grant individuals the right to access the workspace, thus assigning these individuals the status of members. The permissions management module  106  also allows the user to define the permission level of members. Illustrative permission levels include an owner permission level, and editor permission level, and a viewer permission level. A member who is assigned an owner permission level enjoys certain administrative rights with respect to the workspace, such as the ability to set up, manage, and terminate the workspace. (In general, the specific set of rights assigned to an owner-member may be environment-specific; for instance, different companies may decide to grant owner-members different respective sets of privileges.) A member who is assigned an editor permission level has the right to make changes to the workspace items. A member who is assigned a viewer permission level has the right to view the workspace items, but does not have the right to makes changes to the workspace items. 
     The workspace management module  104  may also interact with an item management module  108 . The item management module  108  identifies candidate items that a user may wish to add to the workspace. Adding an item to a workspace has the effect of “placing” the item in a shared location where it can be accessed and acted upon by members of the workspace (as defined by the respective permissions of the members). The items can include any type of information, including document items (word processing document items, spreadsheet document items, presentation-related document items, and so on), data items, discussion items, and so on. No limitation is placed on what may constitute an item as used herein. 
     More specifically, the item management module  108  provides (or can be logically conceptualized to provide) an item UI presentation. Upon activation, the item UI presentation provides an initial set of items to the user. As stated, these items represent candidate items that a user may wish to add to the workspace. The item UI presentation further provides functionality that allows the user to find a particular item (or items) in the initial set of items by entering search selections and filtering selections. For instance, upon entry of a search selection, the item management module  108  will exclude that subset of the initial set of items that do not match the search selection. Upon entry of a filtering selection, the item management module  108  will further narrow the remaining items to exclude those items that do not match the filtering selection. Upon finding a desired item, the user can move the item to the workspace, e.g., using a drag-and-drop procedure, or other method. Later figures will illustrate each of the above-summarized operations in greater detail. 
     The item management module  108  may cull items from plural item stores  110 , including representative item store A  112 , item store B  114 , and item store n  116 . Accordingly, the initial set of candidate items presented in the item UI presentation may include items from the plural item stores  110 . To perform this function, the item management module  108  can identify the stores  110  that contain items which may be relevant to a particular workspace under consideration. The item management module  108  then interacts with the identified stores  110  to select items to be included in the initial set of items provided in the item UI presentation. Further details regarding this operation are provided below. 
     In general, the item management module  108  is configured to display the item UI presentation without losing a context associated with the main workspace UI presentation. In other words, the item UI interface is displayed inline with respect to the main workspace UI presentation. This helps the user maintain her focus when performing tasks using the workspace UI presentation. Moreover, as discussed, the item management module  108  provides a uniform approach for interacting with items from plural stores  110 . This aspect helps reduce the complexity of the task of adding items to a workspace when the items are scattered across multiple locations. 
     The workspace management module  104  may also interact with an activity management module  118 . The activity management module  1118  manages tasks associated with the workspace. For example, the activity management module  118  can be used by the user to set up tasks for one or more workspace members. The activity management module  118  may also provide information regarding tasks that the user is asked to performed. The activity management module  118  can also provide various notifications to members. For example, the activity management module  118  can alert a member regarding who has used (or who has failed to use) the workspace within a specified period of time. 
     The workspace management module  104  may also interact with a discussion management module  120 . The discussion management module  120  manages communication among workspace members. For instance, the discussion management module  120  can maintain a blog-type message thread which captures the exchange of messages among members. The discussion management module  120  can allow a member to reply to an existing message, start a new message thread, and so on. 
     The enumeration of logical modules in  FIG. 1  is illustrative. Other implementations can include additional modules. In addition, or alternatively, other implementations can omit one or more modules shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     The result of setting up a workspace will be workspace information. The workspace information defines a linked collection of members, permissions, items, activities, notifications, and so on. A workspace information store  122  can be used to store workspace information  124  associated with different respective workspaces (represented in the figure as ovals). In one case, the workspace information store  124  can store an actual copy of the items that are included in a workspace. Alternatively, or in addition, the workspace information store  124  can store reference pointers which point to various workplace items that are stored elsewhere. A workspace itself is a logical concept. That is, a workspace corresponds to a logical “space” that is defined by workspace information in conjunction with the functionality used to interact with the workspace information. 
     Advancing to  FIG. 2 , this figure provides additional details regarding the item management module  108 . As summarized above, the item management module  108  items presents an initial set of items to the user, where the items are potentially selected from the plural data stores  110 . The item management module  108  also provides functionality which enables the user to locate desired items within the initial set of items and to add the desired items to a workspace. 
     The item management module  108  includes (or can be conceptualized to include) multiple modules. An item indexing module  202  performs the task of creating an index of items stored in the plural item stores  110 . These items will be identified by the item UI presentation in its initial list of items. The indexing task itself may include multiple components. As a first component, the item indexing module  202  identifies item stores that are likely to contain items that a user may wish to add to a workspace. The item indexing module  202  can apply various application-specific rules to perform this task. In one approach, the item indexing module  202  can be expressly configured, in advance, to index items from particular locations. For example, the user may instruct the item indexing module  202  to index items that are locally stored by the user&#39;s device at particular locations (such as items located in particular folders, or items located on the user&#39;s device desktop, etc.). The user may also expressly instruct the item indexing module to index items in certain network-accessible stores. Alternatively, or in addition, the user may instruct the item indexing module  202  to index items that the user has chosen to share in the past in the context of any workspace or in particular types of workspaces, regardless of where these items are presently stored. 
     In addition, or alternatively, the item indexing module  202  can apply any type of dynamic analysis to determine the item stores from which it should index items. For example, the indexing module  202  can determine the characteristics of a particular workspace under consideration and then select the item store(s)  110  which are suitable for that particular workspace. The characteristics of the workspace may be determined based on keywords in the title of the workspace, the identities of the workspace members, the types of items already attached to the workspace, and so on. 
     In addition, or alternatively, the item indexing module  202  can incorporate a learning engine which determines a user&#39;s pattern of behavior in attaching items to workspaces. This yields habit information. The item indexing module  202  can use such habit information to select item stores  110  that the user has accessed in the past when building a workspace, e.g., based on the theory that item stores accessed many times in the past may remain relevant to the user&#39;s current workspace-related interests. Still other application-specific rules can be used to identify relevant item stores  110 . 
     As another component of its operation, the item indexing module  202  can select specific items provided in the identified stores  110  for inclusion in the initial set of items presented in the item UI presentation. Again, the item indexing module  202  can rely on various application-specific rules to perform this task. In one approach, the item indexing module  202  can select all items from the identified stores  110 . In addition, or alternatively, the item index module  202  can select certain items that match defined criteria. For instance, the item indexing module  202  can select items that include certain keywords in their file names or contents, items that identify certain authors, items that correspond to certain date ranges, and so on. In addition, or alternatively, the item indexing module  202  can select items, in part, based on the prior actions of the user. In other words, as discussed above, the item indexing module  202  can employ a learning engine to make a more intelligent selection of items based on the user&#39;s pattern of behavior. Still other application-specific rules can be used to identify relevant items in identified item stores  110 . 
     As another component of its operation, the item indexing module  202  can perform the actual act of generating the list of candidate items to be presented in the item UI presentation. In one case, the item indexing module  202  can assemble a list of reference pointers which point to the identified items. In this case, the items may still be stored in their respective original item stores  110 . In another case, the item indexing module  202  can actually copy or move the identified items to a central repository associated with the workspace. In this scenario, the initial set of items in the item UI presentation will then identify the items in the central repository. 
     An item locating module  204  performs the task of interacting with the user to locate a desired item or items in the initial set of items. In one implementation, the item locating module  204  allows a user to locate items by entering search selections and filtering selections. For instance, upon entry of a search selection, the item locating module  204  will exclude that subset of the initial set of items that do not match the search selection. Upon entry of a filtering selection, the item locating module  204  will further narrow the remaining items to exclude those items that do not match the filtering selection. The item locating module  204  can employ yet other mechanisms for locating items within the initial set of items. 
     An item adding module  206  performs the task of adding selected items to the workspace. The item adding module  206  can perform this task using different mechanisms. In one approach, the item adding module  206  allows a user to move a desired item from the item UI presentation to the workspace UI presentation using a drag-and-drop procedure. The item adding module  206  interprets this operation as an instruction to add the identified item to the workspace&#39;s list of shared items. More specifically, in one case, the item adding module  206  can physically copy or move the identified item from its original store location to a store location associated with the workspace. In another implementation, the item adding module  206  can provide a reference pointer that points to the identified item within the workspace, that is, without creating a separate copy of the item itself. Still other ways of attaching items to a workspace can be used. 
       FIG. 2  also shows that the item managing module  108  can include other modules  208  for performing other respective functions relating to the management of items. 
     Advancing to  FIG. 3 , this figure shows one illustrative system  300  that can be used to implement the workspace-providing system  102 . The system  300  implements the workspace-providing system  102  in a network environment. In the network environment  102 , members may access the workspace-providing system  102  using respective member electronic devices ( 302 ,  304 , . . .  306 ) via a network  308 . 
     The electronic devices ( 302 ,  304 , . . .  306 ) can correspond to any type of data processing device or any combination of types of data processing devices. For instance, an electronic device can be implemented by a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a personal data assistant (PDA) device, a mobile communication device, a set-top box, a game console device, and so on. Or the device can correspond to special-purpose equipment expressly designed for interacting with the workspace-providing system  102 . Members may access network-accessible resources using browsing functionality (not shown) provided by the member electronic devices ( 302 ,  304 , . . .  306 ). 
     The network  308  may represent any type of mechanism for allowing the member electronic devices ( 302 ,  304 , . . .  306 ) to interact with the workspace-providing system  102 . The network  308  can correspond to a wide area network (such as the Internet), a local area network (LAN), a point-to-point connection, or any combination of connectivity mechanisms. The network  308  can be physically implemented using any combination of hardwired links, wireless links, name servers, gateways, routers, and so on (not shown). The network  308  can be governed by any protocol or combination of protocols. 
     In one scenario, the functionality and information associated with a workspace are provided by the workspace-providing system  102  at some network-accessible location (or locations). This means, for instance, that all of the items associated with a workspace may be stored at some network-accessible location (or locations). Alternatively, or in addition, parts of the workspace functionality and/or workspace information can be implemented locally by the member electronic devices ( 302 ,  304 , . . .  306 ). For instance, a workspace may include one or more items that are stored locally on one or more member electronic devices ( 302 ,  304 , . . .  306 ). The workspace information provided by the workspace-providing system  102  may provide reference pointers which point to these items, rather than a copy of these items. In another alternative case, part (or all) of the workspace-providing system  102  can be implemented using peer-to-peer (P2P) infrastructure, thus eliminating or reducing the role of a centrally provided workspace-providing system  102 . Still other implementations are possible. 
       FIG. 3  also shows two dashed-line bubbles ( 310 ,  312 ) to indicate the various locations from which the item management module  108  may select items for presentation in the item UI presentation. A first collection of stores  310  are provided at various network-accessible locations. A second collection of stores  312  are provided at various local-accessible locations. In other words, the local stores  312  may correspond to stores provided by the member electronic devices ( 302 ,  304 , . . .  306 ). 
     Advancing now to  FIG. 4 , this figure shows a workspace UI presentation  402  that can be provided by the workspace management module  104  (although, as stated above, the workspace-providing system  102  may physically provide the workspace UI presentation  402  using a combination of backend functionality and the interface component  107 ). The workspace UI presentation  402  serves as a main interface through which authorized members may interact with the workspace. In the discussion below, the person who interacts with the workspace UI presentation  402  is referred to as a user. 
     The workspace UI presentation  402  includes various component parts. The selection and arrangement of these parts shown in  FIG. 4  is representative; other implementations can adopt different selections and arrangements of parts. 
     A menu part  404  of the workspace IU presentation  402  allows the user to invoke different functions provided by the workspace UI presentation  402 . For instance, a “workspace” option allows the user to select a particular workspace with which to interact. A “documents” option allows the user to view items that can be added to the workspace, and to then select and add such items. A “people” option allows the user to view people who may be added to the workspace, and then to select and add such persons. The menu part  404  can include yet additional options. 
     In the representative case of  FIG. 4 , the user has selected a workspace related to a graduate student conference. A title part  406  of the workspace UI presentation  402  identifies a title associated with the workspace, namely “Grad school conference.” A message part  408  of the workspace UI presentation  402  provides a message to the user. In this case, the message is an introductory message which reads “Welcome Anne. You have no tasks for today.” In this representative example, the user, “Anne,” is an owner of the workspace, which allows her to perform various administrative functions with respect to the workspace. 
     A member indicator part  410  of the workspace UI presentation  402  identifies how many members are currently assigned to this workspace (in this case, there are eight members). The user can activate the member indicator part  410 , upon which the workspace UI presentation  402  will reveal information that identifies the eight members. An “add file” part  412  of the workspace UI presentation  402  allows a user, upon activation, to add items to the workspace. 
     An item presentation part  414  of the workspace defines a space for displaying some of the items associated with the workspace. The item presentation part  414  may represent each item using a graphical icon in combination with the item&#39;s file name. This is merely an example. For instance, alternatively, or in addition, the item presentation part  414  can identify each item by only listing the file name of the item. The user can activate an item by clicking on the item (or activating it in some other way). The user can then view the item and edit the item (if the user has editing rights). In the example of  FIG. 4 , all of the items correspond to document items that pertain to the workspace theme, that is, the graduate school conference. 
     A side panel part  416  provides different functions associated with different tabs.  FIG. 4  shows three representative tabs in the side panel part  416 : an activity tab; a discussion tab; and a clipboard tab. The tabs activate associated panels for performing associated functions. Other implementations may include additional tabs, fewer tabs, and/or different types of tabs. The user can remove and restore the side panel part  416  by activating an appropriate command, such as a “hide panel” command and a “restore panel” command, respectively. 
     The activity tab activates an activity panel (which corresponds to the panel that is activated in illustration of  FIG. 4 ). The activity management module  118  can implement the activity panel. The activity panel provides information regarding various tasks that are assigned to the user in connection with the workspace. The activity panel also provides functionality that allows the user to assign new tasks and schedule events. The activity panel may also provide information regarding various notifications generated by the activity management module  118 . 
     The discussion tab activates a discussion panel (not shown in  FIG. 4 ). The discussion management module  120  can implement the discussion panel. The discussion panel provides discussion items (less formally, “messages”) pertaining to the workspace. In this case, the discussion items forms a thread of discussion items exchanged among members of the workspace. In one case, the discussion panel can organize the discussion items in a blog-type format, that is, with indentations illustrating the sequence of discussion items in the exchange. The discussion panel may include one or more prompts which enable the user to contribute to the discussion thread, e.g., by replying to an existing discussion item, starting a new discussion thread, and so on. The discussion items in the discussion thread constitute particular types of workspace items, as broadly defined herein. 
     The clipboard tab activates a clipboard panel (not shown in  FIG. 4 ). The clipboard panel identifies items that have been stored in the user&#39;s clipboard. The user may add any of the items in the clipboard to the workspace, e.g., by moving the items from the clipboard panel to the item presentation part  414  using a drag-and-drop operation or other technique. 
     With this introduction, next assume that the user activates the “documents” option  418  in the menu part  404 . This prompts the item management module  108  to present an initial set of items that are potentially selected from the multiple data stores  110  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     More specifically,  FIG. 5  shows an item UI presentation  502  that is invoked when the user activates the “documents” option  418 . First, note that the item UI presentation is displayed inline with respect to the main workspace UI presentation  402 . This means that the item UI presentation  502  can be displayed without losing the context of the workspace UI presentation  402 . This, in turn, means that the user is less likely to lose focus on his or her task at hand in interacting with the workspace UI presentation  402 . 
     The item UI presentation  502  itself includes multiple parts. An item list part  504  provides identifying information regarding items that have been selected from the plural item stores  110 . For instance, the item list part  504  can identify each item by providing any one or more of an icon associated with the item, a file name associated with the item, and so on. A scroll bar  506  allows the user to navigate through the list of items in the event that the complete list is too large to fit within a single panel associated with the item list part  504 . An item add part  508  invokes a procedure whereby the user can add any item to the workspace. 
     A search part  510  allows a user to enter a search selection. The search selection can include one or more keywords or phrases. The user may enter such a search selection because the user cannot readily find a desired item (or items) within the item list part  504 . That is, the user may enter the search selection in an attempt to narrow down the choices identified in the item list part  504 . 
     More specifically, advancing to  FIG. 6 , assume that the user enters the search selection “germans” in the search part  510 . This causes the item management module  108  to exclude the items in the initial set of items (shown in  FIG. 5 ) which do not match this search selection. The search operation can proceed in different ways, depending on how the search engine is set up. For instance, assume that the items are associated with respective files. The search operation can proceed by matching the search selection with file name information, file metadata information, file content information, and so on, or any combination thereof.  FIG. 6  shows the results of this operation in the modified item list part  504 . The items identified therein have been narrowed to exclude all the items in the initial set of items which do not match the search selection “germans.” A search result message  602  informs the user that eleven document items matched her search. 
     As this stage, the user may be able to pick out the document item that matches her interests. If not, the item UI presentation  502  provides a “refine search” part  604  that invites the user to enter further narrowing criteria. Alternatively, the user may change the search selection in the search part  510 . Alternatively, the user may activate a “clear” command to return to the initial set of items. 
     Assuming that the user activates the “refine search” part  604 , the flow advances to  FIG. 7 . Here, the item management module  108  presents a filter part  702 . The filter part  702  allows the user to enter various types of filtering selection with the intent of further narrowing the items presented in the item list part  504 . In this case, the filter part  702  invites the user to input a “shared with” filtering type selection (to indicate the people with whom the item of interest is shared), a “tagged with” filtering type selection (to indicate the information with which the item of interest is tagged), a “file format” type of filtering selection (to indicate the format that is used by the item of interest), and so on. This list of filtering selection is merely representative. Other implementations may use additional types of filtering selections, different types of filtering selections, and so on. 
     Assume in the merely representative case of  FIG. 7  that the user enters the filtering selection “frank” to restrict the list of candidate items to those which are shared with the individual “frank.” As a result, the item management module  108  presents a further refined list of candidate items in the item list part  504  (as shown in the modified list of  FIG. 7 ). In particular, a message  704  informs the user that there are now only four document items that match the combination of the user&#39;s selections, namely a first search selection of “germans” and a second “shared with” filtering selection of “frank.” 
     At this point, assume that the user identifies an item of interest. The user may then proceed by adding the item to the workspace. The item management module  108  can provide different mechanisms for accomplishing this task. According to one approach (denoted by arrow  706 ), the user can drag the identified item from the item UI presentation  502  to the main workspace UI presentation  402 . The item now becomes a part of the workspace. Workspace members can interact with this item in shared manner in accordance with their assigned permissions. 
     Note that, throughout the entire process of adding an item to the workspace, the context of the main workspace UI presentation  402  was not lost. Again, this is potentially useful because it allows the user to maintain focus while interacting with a workspace. 
     The procedure for adding an item was described above with respect to a specific sequence of item-locating operations. Namely, the user entered a search selection first, followed by a filtering selection. This is merely a representative example. In other cases, the item management module  108  can allow the user to enter different types of selections in any type of sequence. For example, the user can enter a filtering selection first, followed by a search selection, and so on. 
     Further, the procedure for adding items was described above in the illustrative context of actions performed on document items. The same principles can be applied to locate other types of items. For example,  FIGS. 8-11  show another series of UI presentations in which the user applies the principles described above to locate one or more desired contact items (e.g., people). Upon finding a desired contact item, the user can then add the associated person as a new member of the workspace. Or the user can perform some other action with respect to that person. 
     More specifically, starting with  FIG. 8 , assume that the user begins the search by activating the “people” option  802  within the menu part  404 . This prompts the item management module  108  to provide a list of the user&#39;s contact items from potentially across multiple item stores  110 . The item management module  108  presents an initial list of such contact items in the item UI presentation  502 . In this case, the items shown in the item list part  504  correspond to a list of people. More specifically, the item list part  504  presents the name associated with each contact item, together with other fields of information regarding the contact item. Namely, a “Status” field indicates whether the identified person is currently online with respect to a messaging service. A “Groups” field indicates one or more groups to which the identified person belongs. And a “Last Activity” field identifies the last activity performed by the identified person, and so on. Other implementations can provide different fields. 
     Assume that the user identifies a person that she would like to add to the workspace. To perform this function, the user may activate an “ad person” part  804 . This prompts the permissions management module  106  to grant permission rights to the selected person in the list of contact items. The user may also define the permission level associated with the selected person. 
     Alternatively, assume that the user does not readily notice a person that she is seeking. The user may respond by activating a scroll bar  806  to view additional parts of the complete list of contact items. If the user still does not notice the desired person, the user may enter one or more search selections in the search part  510 . Instead, assume that the user, at this juncture, activates an “expand” command  808 . This action prompts the item management module  108  to reformat the list of contact items in the item list part  504  into the format shown in  FIG. 9 . 
     Advancing to  FIG. 9 , the item management module  108  now displays the list of contact items in an expanded panel form. Each panel presents additional information regarding an associated person. The expanded information, for example, may include an enlarged version of a personalized icon associated with a person. 
     Advancing to  FIG. 10 , assume, at this juncture, that the user decides to enter a search term in the search part  510 . In this case, the user enters the search term “Texas.” The item management module  108  responds by presenting a modified list of contact items that exclude contact items in the initial set of items that do not match the search term “Texas.” Matching can be performed in various ways, as described above, such as by matching search selections with file name information, file metadata information, file content information, and so on, or any combination thereof. The item list part  504  shown in  FIG. 10  displays the modified list of contact items that results from the search operation. The message  1002  informs the user that three contact items match the user&#39;s search term. 
     The user can enter additional selections to further narrow the list of matching items. For example, the user can activate a “refine search” command  1104  to enter one or more filtering selections (in the manner explained above with respect to  FIG. 7 ). 
     But since there are only three matches, assume, at this point, that the user is ready to take action with respect to the remaining contact items. As stated above, one action the user can take is to add one of the remaining contact items to the workspace. This can be performed, in one example, by using a drag-and-drop procedure to move a contact item from the item UI presentation  502  to the workspace. In particular, the user can drag a contact item from the item UI presentation  502  into a permissions UI interface presentation (not shown) which groups the existing workspace members into different permission-level categories (e.g., owner, editor, viewer, etc.). That is, the user can drop the contact item in the desired permission-level category to assign an appropriate permission level to the person associated with the contact item. 
     Instead of the above operation, assume that the user simply wishes to discover more information regarding one of the contact items shown in  FIG. 10 . To discover such additional information, the user may proceed by activating a desired contact item (e.g., by clicking on the contact item). As shown in  FIG. 11 , this action results in the presentation of a panel  1102  which presents additional information regarding the selected person, in this case the person named “Etta Sun.” 
     As in the case of the above-described document-related scenario, note that the contact-related item UI presentations  502  are displayed inline with respect to the core workspace experience associated with the workspace UI presentation  402 . Again, this helps the user maintain her focus on the workspace tasks at hand, and also reduces the complexity of item management tasks. 
     B. Illustrative Flowcharts 
       FIGS. 12 and 13  illustrate the operation of the workspace-providing system  102  in flowchart form. To facilitate discussion, certain operations are described in  FIGS. 12 and 13  as constituting distinct blocks performed in a certain order. Such implementations are illustrative and non-limiting. Certain blocks described herein can be grouped together and performed in a single operation, and certain blocks can be performed in an order that differs from the order employed in the examples set forth in this disclosure. The blocks shown in the flowcharts can be implemented by software, firmware, hardware, manual processing, any combination of these implementations, and so on. 
     As the functions described in the flowcharts have already been set forth above, the following explanation will serve as a summary and review of those functions. 
     Starting with  FIG. 12 , this figure shows a general procedure  1200  for accessing items and adding items to a workspace. The procedure  1200  is described from the general vantage point of being executed by the workspace-providing system  102 . 
     In block  1202 , the workspace-providing system  102  presents a workspace UI presentation  402  to the user through which the user can interact with a workspace. 
     In block  1204 , the workspace-providing system  102  receives the user&#39;s selection of an appropriate item management category, e.g., a “documents” option  418  as selected in  FIG. 4  or a “people” option  802  as selected in  FIG. 8 , and so on. 
     In block  1206 , the workspace-providing system  102  (and, in particular, the item management module  108 ) responds by presenting an item UI presentation  502  that presents an initial list of items that is potentially culled from multiple stores  110 . 
     The user may proceed at this point by taking different possible actions. In block  1208 , assume that the user has entered a search selection (e.g., in search part  510  of  FIG. 5 ). Block  1208  entails accepting the entered search selection. Or, in block  1210 , assume that the user has entered a filtering selection (e.g., in filter part  702  of  FIG. 7 ). Block  1210  entails accepting the entered filtering selection. In block  1212 , the workspace-providing system  102  responds to these types of selections by providing a modified list of items within the item UI presentation  502 . 
     Alternatively, in block  1214 , assume that the user has made a decision to add one or more items to the workspace. Block  1214  entails receiving the user&#39;s instruction to add an item to the workspace, while block  1216  entails carrying out the instruction by adding the item to the workspace. Together, blocks  1214  and  1216  can be implemented using a drag-and-drop procedure whereby an item in the item UI presentation  502  is moved to a relevant destination UI presentation, such as the workspace UI presentation  402 . 
     Finally, block  1218  indicates that any of the above operations can be repeated in any order. For example, the user may decide to enter a search selection followed by a filtering selection, and so on. 
       FIG. 13  shows a procedure  1300  that represents one specific sequence of operations which conforms to the general principles set forth in  FIG. 12 . The flow in procedure  1300  also corresponds sequence of operations shown in UI form in  FIGS. 4-7 . 
     In block  1302 , the workspace-providing system  102  presents the workspace UI presentation  402  to the user. 
     In block  1304 , the workspace-providing system  102  receives the user&#39;s selection of a desired item management category, e.g., “documents,” “people,” etc. 
     In block  1306 , the workspace-providing system  102  provides an initial set of items in the item UI presentation  502 . 
     In block  1308 , the workspace-providing system  102  receives the user&#39;s search selection. 
     In block  1310 , the workspace-providing system  102  presents a first modified list of items which matches the user&#39;s search selection. 
     In block  1312 , the workspace-providing system  102  receives the filtering selection made by the user. 
     In block  1314 , the workspace-providing system  102  presents a second modified list of items which match both the user&#39;s search selection and the user&#39;s filtering selection. 
     In block  1316 , the workspace-providing system  102  receives the user&#39;s instruction to add a selected item to the workspace. In block  1318 , the workspace-providing system  102  performs the actual act of adding the selected item to the workspace. As mentioned above, in one example, blocks  1316  and  1318  can be implemented using a drag-and-drop procedure. 
     C. Representative Processing Functionality 
       FIG. 14  sets forth illustrative electrical data processing functionality or equipment  1400  (simply “processing functionality” below) that can be used to implement any aspect of the functions described above. With reference to  FIG. 1 , for instance, the processing functionality  1400  can be used to implement the workspace-providing system  102  or any component thereof. With reference to  FIG. 3 , the processing functionality  1400  can also (or alternatively) be used to implement any of the user electronic devices ( 302 ,  304 , . . .  306 ). The processing functionality  1400  may correspond to a general purpose computing device, a special purpose computing device, or any other implementation. 
     The processing functionality  1400  can include volatile and non-volatile memory, such as RAM  1402  and ROM  1404 , as well as one or more processing devices  1406 . The processing functionality  1400  also optionally includes various media devices  1408 , such as a hard disk module, an optical disk module, and so forth. The processing functionality  1400  can perform various operations identified above when the processing device(s)  1406  executes instructions that are maintained by memory (e.g., RAM  1402 , ROM  1404 , or elsewhere). More generally, instructions and other information can be stored on any computer-readable medium  1410 , including, but not limited to, static memory storage devices, magnetic storage devices, optical storage devices, and so on. The term “computer-readable medium” also encompasses plural storage devices. The term “computer-readable medium” also encompasses signals transmitted from a first location to a second location, e.g., via wire, cable, wireless transmission, etc. The term “logic” describes instructions for performing identified tasks; for example, item management logic corresponds to instructions associated with the tasks performed by the item management module  108  as described above. 
     The processing functionality  1400  also includes an input/output module  1412  for receiving various inputs from a user (via input modules  1414 ), and for providing various outputs to the user (via output modules). One particular output mechanism may include a presentation module  1416  and an associated graphical user interface (GUI)  1418 . The processing functionality  1400  can also include one or more network interfaces  1420  for exchanging data with other devices via one or more communication conduits  1422 . One or more communication buses  1424  communicatively couple the above-described components together. 
     In closing, the description may have described various concepts in the context of illustrative challenges or problems. This manner of explication does not constitute an admission that others have appreciated and/or articulated the challenges or problems in the manner specified herein. 
     More generally, although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.