Usually online forums allow users to only sort through submissions by author, date, title, and at best, a word search. They can then navigate through a thread of responses and hopefully make sense of the discussion, and possibly contribute to it. Submissions are not given any context. What is the point of the submission? What are the topics? What fo other people think of the submission? In what ways do the submissions relate to the original submissions? With out knowing this information, a user must read many submissions to find anything of value to their current interest and to make any sense of the discussion.
Contextual forums will move beyond these shortcoming by forcing the users to provide context to their submissions. Much further research is required but the following are my current suggestions for forum structure that to create context.
Using this additional meta data users can search and sort through submissions, navigate through responses in specific ways, and users will know the point of a submission without having to read it completely.
As well, users will have the opportunity to rate submissions on several characteristics such as value to topic, intelligence, entertainment value, educational value, originality, or what ever more appropriate characteristics we can come up with.
{look to slash code for a model} Based on distributed moderators based on reputation, history, specialty and experience.
One of the values of site forums is there specificity to a topic. Our forums will also have this feature by allowing sites to incorporate the common forum engine, format and content to their site, but retaining control of the topics discussed and the esthetics. Using this technique users will get the value of an attractive related forum specific to the site, yet still the common content of all those discussing the topic from any where.
Users can add new fields for specific characteristics of a genre of submissions
Text with standardized typographic options with defined meaning. Also files with text descriptions. Also links.
There are multiple ways of approaching the task: Internal development, support/join an already established external project or release the concepts in hopes that another qualified party will take up the task of actually doing it. I suggest trying all three.
We use our internal development resources to apply some of the techniques to an already existing project, and thus demonstrate the ideas to the public, gain recognition and attention for the project, create a useful tool for use and possibly make some partnerships with other developers.
From there we engage the skills of multiple dedicated developers, information management and theory specialists and usability engineers, (this may require funding). With this larger team we will start the application development process from scratch using the most highly recommended techniques and communication tools.
I can not guess what the best process and technology will be to attain our final goals. Whether the final application is based on an already existing platform, or a new Internet standard We develop specifically for the project, it will be an exciting and worth while exercise and will lead the way in effective online communication.