Vocabularies in collaboration channels

Collaborators use vocabulary germane to the domain in context. Collaboration applications and collaborating systems use vocabularies at different (lower) layers that are specific to the state in which they execute. Distributed, yet collaborative domain-specific applications have demonstrated success when lower layer vocabularies are well defined. These standard vocabularies enable platform neutral, programming language neutral and client neutral mechanisms to realize successful handshake between collaboration applications. The concept can be extended to an application neutral, protocol neutral, platform neutral, programming language neutral and client neutral vocabulary model that will facilitate harmonious handshake of collaboration channels. This paper addresses the need for standardizing vocabulary at the collaboration channel level and presents a model for realizing vocabulary-awareness in a generalized neutral format. A pilot study done to implement the model using a sample vocabulary is presented.