Sharing of Information Associated with Events

• US 20110145727A1
• Filed: 02/17/2011
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dov Koren
• Original Assignee: Dov Koren
• Inventors: Koren, Dov
• Granted Patent: US 9,098,828 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

Techniques are provided that allow users to collaborate in relationship to data views, application displays, applications or events. A user can type in a text view related to a specific view in an application display, and the information is shared with other users that take part in sharing that view. A user that expresses an interest in an event is notified about the event and has the capability to interact, in relation to the event, with other users (e.g. by text). The particular form of interaction (and sharing) can be selectively specified. This interaction is comparable to a dynamic bulletin board where the subject is event driven, and where a user can specify who are allowed to participate. In the case of an event interest(s), users specify their interest (e.g. in other user application events or system events) and the system automatically alerts them to the occurrence of the event.

Claims

1. A method of sharing information associated with events, comprising:

providing a computer-based service over a network to a set of users;

wherein each user in the set of users interacts with at least one application from one or more applications that are associated with the computer-based service through at least one application display from a plurality of application displays;

wherein the plurality of application displays are associated with the computer-based service;

wherein the plurality of application displays include a plurality of views;

enabling each user in the set of users to display at least one application display, from the plurality of application displays, on a computing device, of a set of computing devices;

enabling a particular user, from the set of users, to send a sharing message to at least one other user in the set of users to share a shareable component;

wherein the shareable component includes at least a portion of at least one shareable application display, from the plurality of application displays, that is associated with the particular user;

monitoring, by the computer-based service, a plurality of application events associated with use of at least one of the one or more applications, by users from the set of users;

in response, at least in part, to occurrence of a first application event, from the plurality of application events, associated with use of an application, of the one or more applications, by a first user of the set of users, causing display of a first alert to each user of a plurality of second users, from the set of users, about the first application event;

wherein causing display of the first alert to each of the plurality of second users includes causing the first alert to be displayed, on a respective application display from the plurality of application displays, of each of the plurality of second users;

wherein the respective application display of each of the plurality of second users includes at least one other alert about a different application event from the plurality of application events;

wherein the first alert includes one or more links for accessing one or more views that are associated with the first application event;

enabling the plurality of second users to comment on at least some application events from said plurality of application events and to share comments among the plurality of second users, in relation to said at least some application events;

receiving by the computer-based service, a comment from a particular second user, of the plurality of second users;

wherein the comment was entered in a text view that is related to the first alert;

causing display of the comment to each user from the plurality of second users;

wherein said computer-based service is executing on one or more servers that are remote relative to each computing device in the set of computing devices; and

wherein the method is performed by two or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of application events corresponds to one or more updates, made through at least one application display, from the plurality of application displays, to content of at least one of the one or more applications.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first alert is sent in response, at least in part, to occurrence of one or more conditions specified by at least one of the users from the set of users.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the computer-based service receiving input, from a user of the set of users, that controls which users belong to the plurality of second users.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the first alert and the comment.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing subsequently redisplay of the first alert and the comment.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response, at least in part, to occurrence of a second application event associated with use of one of the one or more applications, by the first user, causing display of a second alert to each user of a plurality of third users, from the set of users, about the second application event;

wherein the second alert includes one or more links for accessing one or more views that are associated with the second application event; and

wherein the plurality of second users differs from the plurality of third users.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of application events are specified by one or more conditions, and the one or more conditions are specified by one or more users of the set of users.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein use of the sharing message by the at least one other user does not cause automatic sharing with the particular user of any portion from any application display, of the one or more application displays, that are associated with the at least one other user.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving input, from said particular user, to send the sharing message to the at least one other user.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the first application event corresponds to the first user loading a file through at least one application display, from the plurality of application displays, to a particular computer-based service that is remote to the set of computing devices.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the particular computer-based service and the computer-based service are the same.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein:

at least one of the users from the plurality of second users receives the first alert through a locally-installed application that was downloaded to a wireless computing device from application storage that is remote from the wireless computing device; and

said locally-installed application is not a web browser.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the application storage is maintained remote from said computer-based service.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of application displays are generated at least in part by the computer-based service.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said first user and the plurality of second users are peers.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of second users does not include the first user.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein causing display of the comment to each user from the plurality of second users includes causing display of the comment, in response to receiving the comment by the computer-based service, only to each user from the plurality of second users.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of second users include at least one second user that receives the first alert based on having specified an interest in the first application event.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the first application event corresponds to the first user sharing, with the plurality of second users, a view that includes a second alert; and

the second alert was sent to the first user, by the computer-based service, based, at least in part, on occurrence of a second application event from the plurality of application events.

21. The method of claim 10 wherein the application includes a plurality of views that are associated with the particular user, and the shareable component includes some but not all of the plurality of views that are associated with the particular user.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein:

for at least one of the users from the plurality of second users, the first alert and the comment are displayed in a first application display, from the plurality of application displays, that is generated by a locally installed client-based program that is not a web browser;

for at least one of the users from the plurality of second users, the first alert and the comment are displayed in a second application display, from the plurality of application displays, that is generated by a web browser from content downloaded from the computer-based service to one or more computing devices from the set of computing devices.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the locally installed client-based program is a program that is downloaded at least in part to one or more computing devices, in the set of computing devices, from an application storage that is remote relative to the one or more computing devices.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein:

the set of computing devices includes a particular set of computing devices that are wireless computing devices; and

the locally installed client-based program is downloaded at least in part from the application storage to a wireless computing device from the particular set of computing devices.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the application storage is maintained remote from said computer-based service.

26. The method of claim 10 further comprising enabling the particular user to control access to specific content within the shareable component.

27. The method of claim 10 further comprising enabling the particular user to control what kind of interaction the at least one other user can have with the shareable component.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response, at least in part, to occurrence of a second application event associated with use of an application, of the one or more applications, by the first user, causing display of a second alert, to each user of the plurality of second users, about the second application event;

wherein the second alert includes one or more links for accessing one or more views that are associated with the second application event.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

receiving, by the computer-based service, a second comment from a user of the plurality of second users;

wherein the comment was entered in a text view that is related to the second alert; and

causing display of the second comment to each user from the plurality of second users.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more applications include a plurality of distinct applications;

the plurality of distinct applications includes the application and a second application; and

the method further comprises;

monitoring, by the computer-based service, a plurality of application events associated with use of the second application by users from the set of users;

in response, at least in part, to occurrence of a second application event associated with use of the second application by the first user, causing display of a second alert to each user of the plurality of second users, about the second application event;

wherein the second alert includes one or more links for accessing one or more views that are associated with the second application event.

31. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the computer-based service creates an association that causes the plurality of second users to receive the first alert in response to input from a user from the set of users, that is not one of the plurality of second users; and

said association is between the plurality of second users and the first application event.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein:

the first alert and the comment are displayed in a particular application display, of the plurality of application displays; and

the second alert and the second comment are displayed in the particular application display.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the particular application display includes a particular view that operates as a bulletin board;

the first alert and the comment are displayed in said particular view;

the second alert and the second comment are displayed in said particular view.

34. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of causing display of the first alert is performed, at least in part, by the computer-based service.

35. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the first application event was caused, at least in part, by the first user interacting with at least one view from the one or more views that are associated with the first application event; and

at least one link from the one or more links for accessing the one or more views that are associated with the first application event enables the plurality of second users to interact with the at least one view.

36. The method of claim 28 wherein the second application event corresponds to the first user using the sharing message.

37. The method of claim 28 wherein the second application event corresponds to the first user using a second sharing message to join a group of users, from the set of users, that share at least a portion of at least one application display, of the plurality of application displays, that is associated with the group of users.

38. The method of claim 28 wherein the second application event corresponds to the first user sending a second sharing message to a third user, from the set of users, to share at least a portion of at least one application display, of the plurality of application displays, that is associated with the first user.

39. The method of claim 28 wherein:

the second application event corresponds to the first user interacting with a view of the application;

the view of the application is a view from the plurality of views;

at least one of the one or more links that are included in the second alert provides access to said view of the application; and

the first user interacting with the view of the application resulted in changing appearance of said view of the application.

40. The method of claim 1 wherein the following steps are performed in real-time:

receiving by the computer-based service, a comment from a particular second user, of the plurality of second users; and

wherein the comment was entered in a text view that is related to the first alert.

41. The method of claim 1 wherein:

wherein the particular user is the first user;

the at least one other user is a user from the plurality of second users that used the sharing message from the first user; and

the shareable component includes a view from the one or more views that are associated with the first application event.

42. The method of claim 1 wherein the comment from the particular second user is a comment about the first application event.

43. The method of claim 1 wherein the each user from the set of users has at least one distinct view, of the plurality of views.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein:

the at least one distinct view of the each user is a view where the each user receives alerts about application events, from the plurality of application events, that are associated with the use of the one or more applications by other users from the set of users; and

the first alert is received in a respective distinct view of each second user.

45. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one shareable application display is an application display that displays content that is specific to the particular user.

46. The method of claim 16 wherein said first user and the plurality of second users are professional peers.

47. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said first user is a customer of at least one of the users from the plurality of second users;

said first user is a supplier of at least one of the users from the plurality of second users; and

said first user is a peer of at least one of the users from the plurality of second users.

48. The method of claim 39 wherein changing the appearance includes changing arrangement of content in the view of the application.

49. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of second users includes users that have at least two types of relationships with the first user from a set of relationships consisting of:

a customer of the first user;

a supplier of the first user;

or a peer of the first user.

50. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the first alert is displayed in a particular view, from the plurality of views, that operates as a bulletin board; and

the comment is displayed in said particular view.

51. The method of claim 50 wherein:

the particular view is dynamically updated with new alerts in response to the new alerts being generated by the computer-based service, and with new comments as the new comments are received by the computer-based service from the users, of the set of users, that are allowed to interact with the particular view;

the new alerts are alerts generated, at least in part, in response to occurrence of new events of the plurality of application events; and

the at least one of the new alerts includes one or more links for accessing one or more views that are associated with a corresponding new event.

52. The method of claim 50 wherein the particular view is one of a plurality of particular views that operate as bulletin boards and display the first alert and the comment;

and

each user from the plurality of second users has access to a respective particular view of the plurality of particular views.

53. The method of claim 50 wherein:

the particular view is dynamically updated with new alerts in response to the new alerts being generated by the computer-based service, and with new comments as the new comments are received by the computer-based service from the users, of the set of users, that are allowed to comment in relation to the new alerts; and

the new alerts are alerts generated, at least in part, in response to occurrence of events of the plurality of application events; and

the at least one of the new alerts includes one or more links for accessing one or more views that are associated with a corresponding new event.

54. The method of claim 1 wherein said first user is a customer of at least one of the users from the plurality of second users.

55. The method of claim 1 wherein said first user is a supplier of at least one of the users from the plurality of second users.

56. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of specifying an interest in the first application event is done by specifying an interest in events, associated with use of at least the application, of the one or more applications, by the first user of the set of users.

57. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one shareable application display is an application display to which the particular user controls access relative to the at least one other user.

58. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the computer-based service creates an association that causes the plurality of second users to receive the first alert; and

said association is between the plurality of second users and the first application event.

59. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the computer-based service creates an association that causes the plurality of second users to receive the first alert in response to input from a user from the plurality of second users; and

said association is between the plurality of second users and the first application event.

60. The method of claim 1, wherein the first application event occurred in response, at least in part, to the first user accessing a particular functionality of the application, and at least one of the one or more links enables at least one user from the plurality of second users to access said particular functionality of the application.

61. The method of claim 1, wherein the first application event occurred in response, at least in part, to the first user accessing a particular functionality of the application, and at least one of the one or more links enables at least one user from the plurality of second users to access only a portion of said particular functionality of the application.

62. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one application display from the plurality of application displays is displayed in a window generated by a browser.

63. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one application display from the plurality of application displays is displayed in a window generated by an applet.

64. The method of claim 1 wherein the application is a financial application.

65. The method of claim 64 wherein the first application event relates to a financial instrument trade entered by the first user.

66. The method of claim 64 wherein the application is a real-time financial application.

67. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user and the plurality of second users belong to a group of users, from the set of users, that share a shareable group component;

wherein said shareable group component includes at least a portion of at least one application display, of the plurality of application displays, that is associated with the group of users.

68. The method of claim 67, wherein the first application event corresponds to input of a text, by the first user, into a text view that is related to the shareable group component.

69. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling to send the sharing message includes enabling the particular user to use one of the one or more applications to send the sharing message to the at least one other user.

70. The method of claim 1 wherein sending the first alert is performed automatically in response to occurrence of the first application event.

71. The method of claim 1 wherein:

causing display of the comment includes causing display of the comment in a particular view, from the plurality of views, that operates as a dynamic bulletin board; and

the dynamic bulletin board includes a subject that is derived from the first application event.

72. The method of claim 1 wherein the first alert includes a description corresponding to the first application event.

73. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling to send the sharing message includes enabling each respective user of a plurality of users, from the set of users, to send a sharing message to at least one other user in the set of users to share a respective shareable component;

wherein the respective shareable component includes at least a portion of at least one shareable application display, from the plurality of application displays, that is associated with the each respective user.

74. The method of claim 67, wherein one user from said group of users sent at least one second sharing message to other users in said group of users to enable said other users to join said group of users and to share the shareable group component.

75. The method of claim 72 wherein the description corresponding to the first application event includes information related to a context of the first application event that triggered, at least in part, sending of the first alert.

76. The method of claim 72 wherein the description corresponding to the first application event includes information corresponding to one or more changes that triggered at least in part the sending of the first alert.

77. The method of claim 20 wherein the second application event corresponds to an update of a globally presented view, of the plurality of views, that is accessible to all users in the set of users.

78. The method of claim 10 wherein the particular user is the first user and the at least one other user is a user from the plurality of second users that used the sharing message from the first user.

79. The method of claim 1 wherein the following step is performed in real-time:

in response, at least in part, to occurrence of a first application event, from the plurality of application events, associated with use of an application, of the one or more applications, by a first user of the set of users, causing display of a first alert to each user of a plurality of second users.

80. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling to send the sharing message includes enabling to send the sharing message to a corresponding application display, of the plurality of application displays, that is associated with the at least one other user.

81. The method of claim 28 wherein:

the first application event corresponds to one of;

a1) the first user loading a file to the computer-based service;

b1) input of a text, by the first user, that is related to content that is shared at least in part among the first user and the plurality of second users, wherein said shared content maintained by the computer-based service; and

c1) first user interacting with a view of application;

the view of the application is a view from the plurality of views; and

at least one of the one or more links that are included in the first alert provides access to said view of the application; and

the second application event corresponds to one of;

a2) the first user using the sharing message from the particular user; and

b2) first user using a second sharing message to join a group of users, from the set of users, that share at least a portion of at least one application display, of the plurality of application displays, that is associated with the group of users.

82. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

monitoring, by the computer-based service, a plurality of system events that relate to the computer-based service receiving information updates from one or more sources that are external to the computer-based service;

wherein said one or more sources are remote to each computing device in the set of computing devices that is used by a plurality of third users, from the set of users;

in response, at least in part, to a system event, of the plurality of system events, that relates to the computer-based service receiving an information update from a source of the one or more sources, causing display of a system alert to each user of the plurality of third users, about the system event;

wherein the system alert includes one or more links for accessing one or more views that are associated with the system event.

83. The method of claim 82, further comprising:

receiving by the computer-based service, a second comment from a particular third user, of the plurality of third users;

wherein the second comment was entered in a text view that is related to the system alert; and

causing display of the second comment to each user from the plurality of third users.

84. The method of claim 83 wherein the information update is related to a transaction from said source.

85. The method of claim 83 wherein the information update is related to a news update from said source.

86. The method of claim 83 wherein the information update is related to a price update from said source.

87. The method of claim 1, wherein the first application event corresponds to recalculation of numeric content in a view, from the plurality of views, that was caused, at least in part, by input entered by the first user.

88. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one or more links is a URL.

89. The method of claim 1 wherein:

causing display of the comment includes causing display of the comment, in relation to the first alert, to each user from the plurality of second users.

90. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining which users, of the set of users, receive alerts for each application event, of the plurality of application events, based on a set of associations maintained by the computer-based service.

91. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating, for a third user from the set of users, a respective application display, from the plurality of application displays, that includes the at least one other alert; and

filtering the first alert from being displayed on the respective application display of the third user.

143. A computer-readable non-transitory storage that stores instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 1.

144. A system, comprising one or more processors, configured to execute instructions that cause the system to perform the method recited in claim 1.

92. A method of sharing information associated with events, comprising:

a second user using a computer-based service;

wherein the second user is one of a set of users that use the computer-based service over a network;

the second user interacting with at least one application from one or more applications that are associated with the computer-based service through at least one application display from a plurality of application displays;

wherein the plurality of application displays are associated with the computer-based service;

wherein the plurality of application displays include a plurality of views;

wherein the second user uses a particular computing device to display at least one application display, from the plurality of application displays;

the second user using a sharing message to obtain access to a sharable component;

wherein the sharing message was sent by a first user from the set of users to share the sharable component;

wherein the sharable component includes at least a portion of at least one application display, from the plurality of application displays, that is associated with the first user;

the second user receiving alerts while the first user interacts with at least one application of the one or more applications;

wherein the second user receives each of two or more alerts of the alerts through a particular application display, of the plurality of application displays, from the computer-based service, in response, at least in part, to each of two or more application events;

wherein the two or more application events are two or more application events of a plurality of application events that are monitored by the computer-based service;

wherein the two or more application events occur in association with interaction of the first user with the at least one application of the one or more applications;

wherein a first application event is one of the two or more application events;

wherein a first alert is one of the two or more alerts;

wherein the first alert includes one or more links for accessing one or more views that are associated with the first application event;

wherein the first alert is caused, at least in part, by the first application event;

the second user entering a comment, in a text view that is related to the first alert;

wherein the comment is displayed to each user of a plurality of second users; and

wherein the plurality of second users are users from the set of users that received the first alert.

93. The method of claim 92 wherein at least one of the one or more links is a URL.

94. The method of claim 92 wherein:

the first application event corresponds to the first user loading a file to the computer-based service;

at least one of the one or more links that are included in the first alert enables access to content of said file.

95. The method of claim 94 wherein the loaded file is a spreadsheet.

96. The method of claim 95 further comprising:

while a table view that corresponds to the loaded spreadsheet is being displayed, by an application of the one or more applications, on the particular computing device, the second user providing input on the particular computing device that sorts a column in the table view, and wherein the input that sorts the column in the table view causes display of the sorted table view on computing devices of other users in the plurality of second users and causes display of the sorted table view on the particular computing device.

97. The method of claim 96 wherein the following steps are performed in real-time:

the second user providing input on the particular computing device that sorts a column in the table view, and wherein the input that sorts the column in the table view causes display of the sorted table view on computing devices of other users in the plurality of second users and causes display of the sorted table view on the particular computing device.

98. The method of claim 92 further comprising receiving comments on the particular computing device, from the computer-based service, wherein the comments were provided by multiple users, from the plurality of second users, in relation to the first application event.

99. The method of claim 92 wherein following step is performed in real-time:

the second user receiving alerts while the first user interacts with at least one application of the one or more applications.

100. The method of claim 92 wherein:

the comment is displayed to the second user in a particular view, from the plurality of views, that operates as a dynamic bulletin board; and

the dynamic bulletin board includes a subject that is derived from the first application event.

101. The method of claim 98 wherein receiving the comments on the particular computing device includes receiving the comments in the particular application display.

145. A computer-readable non-transitory storage that stores instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 92.

146. A system, comprising one or more processors, configured to execute instructions that cause the system to perform the method recited in claim 92.

102. A method of sharing information associated with events, comprising:

a first user using a computer-based service;

wherein the first user is one of a set of users that use the computer-based service over a network;

the first user interacting with at least one application from one or more applications that are associated with the computer-based service through at least one application display from a plurality of application displays;

wherein the plurality of application displays are associated with the computer-based service;

wherein the plurality of application displays include a plurality of views;

wherein the first user uses a particular computing device to display at least one application display, from the plurality of application displays;

the first user sending at least one sharing message to enable a first set of users, of the set of users, to share a shareable component;

wherein the shareable component includes at least a portion of at least one application display, from the plurality of application displays;

the first user interacting with at least one application, of the one or more applications;

wherein two or more application events occur in association with the first user interacting with the at least one application;

wherein the two or more application events are two or more application events of a plurality of application events that are monitored by the computer-based service;

wherein the two or more application events cause each user from a plurality of second users to receive each of two or more alerts through a respective application display, of the plurality of application displays;

wherein a first application event is one of the two or more application events;

wherein a first alert is one of the two or more alerts;

wherein the first alert includes one or more links for accessing one or more views that are associated with the first application event;

wherein the first alert is caused, at least in part, by the first application event;

receiving comments on the particular computing device, from the computer-based service, wherein the comments are provided by multiple users, from the plurality of second users, in relation to the first application event;

wherein the comments are displayed to each user of the plurality of second users;

wherein the plurality of second users are users from the set of users that received the first alert.

103. The method of claim 102 wherein the shareable component is associated with the first user.

104. The method of claim 102 wherein:

the first application event corresponds to the first user loading a file to the computer-based service.

105. The method of claim 104 wherein at least one of the one or more links that are included in the first alert enables access to content of said file.

106. The method of claim 102 wherein:

the plurality of second users belong to the first set of users;

the first user and the plurality of second users are sharing the shareable component;

the first application event corresponds to input of a text, by the first user, that is related to the shareable component; and

the shareable component is associated with the first user.

107. The method of claim 102 wherein:

the first application event was caused, at least in part, by the first user interacting with at least one view from the one or more views that are associated with the first application event; and

at least one link from the one or more links for accessing the one or more views that are associated with the first application event enables the plurality of second users to interact with the at least one view.

108. The method of claim 107 the first application event corresponds to the first user entering a first transaction involving an item;

and the at least one link enables the plurality of second users to access a transaction view that enables the plurality of second users to engage in a second transaction involving the item.

109. The method of claim 108 wherein the first transaction involving the item is a transaction of purchasing or selling the item.

110. The method of claim 108 wherein said item is a financial instrument.

111. The method of claim 104 wherein the loaded file is a spreadsheet.

112. The method of claim 111 further comprising:

while a table view that corresponds to the loaded spreadsheet is being displayed, by an application of the one or more applications, on the particular computing device, the first user providing input on the particular computing device that sorts a column in the table view, and

wherein the input that sorts the column in the table view causes display of the sorted table view on computing devices of users in the plurality of second users and causes display of the sorted table view on the particular computing device.

113. The method of claim 112 wherein the following steps are performed in real-time:

the first user providing input on the particular computing device that sorts a column in the table view, and

wherein the input that sorts the column in the table view causes display of the sorted table view on computing devices of users in the plurality of second users and causes display of the sorted table view on the particular computing device.

114. The method of claim 102 wherein the comments are entered by each of the multiple users in a corresponding text view that is related to the first alert.

115. The method of claim 104 wherein the first user controls which users belong to the plurality of second users.

116. The method of claim 115 wherein:

the first user controls which users belong to the plurality of second users by selecting a user group with which to share access to content of the file; and

the plurality of second users belong to the user group.

117. The method of claim 116 the shareable component is associated with the user group.

118. The method of claim 102 wherein the following step is performed in real-time:

the first user interacting with at least one application, of the one or more applications, to cause each user from the plurality of second users to receive each of two or more alerts through a respective application display, of the plurality of application displays.

119. The method of claim 111 further comprising:

while a table view that corresponds to the loaded spreadsheet is being displayed, by an application of the one or more applications, on the particular computing device, the first user providing input on the particular computing device that enters user-provided data into a cell of the table view; and

causing transfer of said user-provided data, to the computer-based service, to cause display of the table view with the user-provided data in an application display, from the plurality of application displays, that is used by at least one of the plurality of second users.

120. The method of claim 119 wherein transfer of the user-provided data causes:

the computer-based service to recalculate data dependent on the user-provided data; and

display of the table view with recalculated data in the application display of the first user and in the application display used by at least one of the plurality of second users.

121. The method of claim 120, wherein the first user specifies one or more analytical functions that are executed by the computer-based service to recalculate the data dependent on the user-provided data.

122. The method of claim 102 wherein the first application event corresponds to the first user sharing, with the plurality of second users, a view that displays an item;

and at least one link, from the one or more links, enables the plurality of second users to access a transaction view that enables the plurality of second users to engage in a transaction involving the item; and

wherein, sharing of the view that displays the item is performed, at least in part, by activating one or more controls associated with the view that displays the item.

123. The method of claim 122 wherein the transaction view enables the plurality of second users to purchase or sell the item.

124. The method of claim 122 wherein:

sharing of the view that displays the item includes receiving input from the first user that selects a choice of with whom to share the view that displays the item;

the plurality of second users belong to the first set of users;

the first user and the plurality of second users are sharing the shareable component; and

the choice includes the plurality of second users.

125. The method of claim 124 wherein the shareable component is associated with the first user.

126. The method of claim 122 wherein the first application event corresponds to the first user sharing the view that displays the item by selecting a link;

and

wherein the one or more controls include the link.

127. The method of claim 102 wherein:

the comments are displayed to at least one user of the plurality of second users in a respective particular view, from the plurality of views, that operates as a dynamic bulletin board; and

the dynamic bulletin board includes a subject that is derived from the first application event.

128. The method of claim 105 further comprising:

receiving input from the first user that selects a choice of users to receive the first alert;

the plurality of second users belong to the first set of users;

the first user and the plurality of second users are sharing the shareable component; and

the choice includes the plurality of second users.

147. A computer-readable non-transitory storage that stores instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 102.

148. A system, comprising one or more processors, configured to execute instructions that cause the system to perform the method recited in claim 102.

129. A method of sharing information associated with events, comprising:

providing a computer-based service over a network to a set of users;

wherein each user in the set of users interacts with at least one application from one or more applications that are associated with the computer-based service through at least one application display from a plurality of application displays;

wherein the plurality of application displays are associated with the computer-based service;

wherein the plurality of application displays include a plurality of views;

enabling each user in the set of users to display at least one application display, from the plurality of application displays, on a computing device, of a set of computing devices;

enabling a particular user, from the set of users, to send a sharing message to at least one other user in the set of users to share a shareable component;

wherein the shareable component includes at least a portion of at least one shareable application display, from the plurality of application displays, that is associated with the particular user;

monitoring, by the computer-based service, a plurality of application events associated with use of at least one of the one or more applications, by users from the set of users;

in response, at least in part, to occurrence of a first application event, from the plurality of application events, associated with use of an application, of the one or more applications, by a first user of the set of users, causing display of a first alert to each user of a plurality of second users, from the set of users, about the first application event;

wherein causing display of the first alert to each of the plurality of second users includes causing the first alert to be displayed, on a respective application display from the plurality of application displays, of each of the plurality of second users;

wherein the respective application display of each of the plurality of second users includes at least one other alert about a different application event from the plurality of application events;

wherein the first alert includes one or more links for accessing one or more views that are associated with the first application event;

enabling the plurality of second users to comment on at least some application events from said plurality of application events and to share comments among the plurality of second users, in relation to said at least some application events;

receiving by the computer-based service, a comment from a particular second user, of the plurality of second users;

wherein the comment was entered in a text view that is related to the first alert;

causing display of the comment to each user from the plurality of second users;

wherein the first application event was caused, at least in part, by the first user interacting with at least one view from the one or more views that are associated with the first application event;

wherein at least one link from the one or more links for accessing the one or more views that are associated with the first application event enables each of the plurality of second users to interact with the at least one view;

in response, at least in part, to occurrence of a second application event associated with use of an application, of the one or more applications, by the first user, causing display of a second alert, to each user of a plurality of third users, about the second application event;

wherein the plurality of third users are from the set of users;

wherein the second alert includes one or more links for accessing one or more views that are associated with the second application event;

wherein at least one user from the plurality of second users is not in the plurality of third users;

monitoring, by the computer-based service, a plurality of system events that relate to the computer-based service receiving information updates from one or more sources that are external to the computer-based service;

wherein said one or more sources are remote to each computing device in the set of computing devices that is used by a plurality of fourth users, from the set of users;

in response, at least in part, to a system event, of the plurality of system events, that relates to the computer-based service receiving an information update from a source of the one or more sources, causing display of a system alert to each user of the plurality of fourth users, about the system event;

wherein the system alert includes one or more links for accessing one or more views that are associated with the system event;

wherein said computer-based service is executing on one or more servers that are remote relative to each computing device in the set of computing devices; and

wherein the method is performed by two or more computing devices.

130. The method of claim 129, further comprising:

receiving, by the computer-based service, a second comment from a user of the plurality of second users;

wherein the comment was entered in a text view that is related to the second alert; and

causing display of the second comment to each user from the plurality of second users.

131. The method of claim 129 wherein:

the first application event corresponds to input of a text, by the first user, into a text view that is related to content that is shared at least in part among the first user and the plurality of second users; and

said shared content is associated with the first user and maintained by the computer-based service.

132. The method of claim 129 wherein the first application event corresponds to the first user entering a transaction involving an item.

133. The method of claim 132 wherein said item is a financial instrument.

134. The method of claim 129 wherein:

the first user controls which users belong to the plurality of third users; and

the second application event corresponds to the first user loading a file to the computer-based service.

135. The method of claim 129, further comprising:

receiving, by the computer-based service, a second comment from a particular fourth user, of the plurality of fourth users;

wherein the second comment was entered in a text view that is related to the system alert; and

causing display of the second comment to each user from the plurality of fourth users.

136. The method of claim 129 wherein the information update is related to a transaction from said source;

and

the transaction is a transaction entered by a user from the set of users.

137. The method of claim 136 wherein said transaction is a trade of financial instrument.

138. The method of claim 135 wherein the information update is related to a news update from said source.

139. The method of claim 135 wherein:

the first alert is displayed in a particular view, from the plurality of views, that operates as a bulletin board;

the comment is displayed in said particular view;

the second alert is displayed in said particular view; and

the system alert and the second comment are displayed in said particular view.

140. The method of claim 129 wherein:

the at least one link enables the plurality of second users to participate in same type of interaction, with the at least one view, as the interaction, of the first user, that caused the first application event;

the at least one view includes a text view that is related to shared content;

said shared content is shared at least in part among the first user and the plurality of second users;

the interaction, of the first user, that caused the first application event corresponds to input of a text, by the first user, into the text view;

the at least one link provides access to said shared content and enables the plurality of second users to input text, into the text view, that is related to said shared content; and

said shared content includes one of;

content of a view from the plurality of views;

or content from an application display from the plurality of application displays.

141. The method of claim 140 wherein the shared content is associated with the first user.

142. The method of claim 141 wherein the shared content is a content to which the particular user controls access relative to the at least one other user.

149. A computer-readable non-transitory storage that stores instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 129.

150. A system, comprising one or more processors, configured to execute instructions that cause the system to perform the method recited in claim 129.