Ramonamap—an example of graphical groupware

Ramonamap is an iterative map for database and communication services within our workgroup. Resources are represented as icons on the map, which preserves their actual (or implied) physical location and capitalizes on a user's understanding of maps. The map is interactive, giving the user control over the level of detail visible, allowing more information and services to appear than could be placed on a static map. The interactivity also allows users to change the map and add icon annotations. Since the map is continuously derived from an on-line database, changes and annotations are immediately shared by all users. As the database contains a wealth of information about the group, it also serves as a source for static maps for other purposes.