Please print this readme and read it in its entirety. It gives you important information that will help you get the most from your "Keen Minds Package."
Please read the 'Distribution' and 'Warrantee' sections of this file. By accepting delivery of this software and by using it, you agree to the terms outlined in these two sections. Copyright laws apply to the "Keen Minds Package" and its contents, and Bittco retains all rights with a few specific exceptions as outlined in these two sections.
Keen Minds is utilizing Co-motion™ Lite for Internet software from Bittco solutions. You may in the documentation find the application program used for Keen Minds described as Co-motion Lite for Internet. While you can freely use the specially-customized version of Co-motion Lite in this package for Keen Minds, you'll find information on how you can get the full commercial version of this software for yourself, your company, organization or group in the file 'About Bittco and Co-motion Lite.'
In addition to the brief overview on the installation and use of "Keen Minds Package" in this readme file, you'll find detailed documentation in the 'Documentation' folder.
Your "Keen Minds Package" will work only when the Keen Minds group is in session. For a comprehensive list of session times and topics, contact Bittco. You can reach Bittco at bittco@ccinet.ab.ca or by phone at (403) 922-5514 and fax at (403) 922-2859 for more information. We'll be happy to assist you with questions, concerns, or orders.
OVERVIEW OF KEEN MINDS
Bittco Solutions welcomes all interested parties to take part in real-time brainstorming and issue resolution with Macs over the Internet. We're always seeking any and all from the Internet community who want to contribute their ideas on topical politcal and social issues using the latest and greatest groupware from Bittco. It's not-for-profit fun with the opporunity to foster mutual understanding -- and make a difference.
Keen Minds was formed in December 1994 by Bittco Solutions to generate, organize, and unify the ideas of the Internet community. We present the results to the decision-makers, leaders, and the media. Bittco's new software, Co-motion Lite for Internet, turns the Internet into an activist arena, a virtual democracy.
Co-motion Lite, the software used for Keen Minds, is for collaborative brainstorming and idea evaluation. Participants, each at their own computer on the Internet, contribute and evaluate ideas in a shared, live discussion. At the end, participants can produce reports that list and sort all the generated ideas based on the level of support they received from the group. The reports provide a wealth of information about the group's concerns, objectives and actions regarding the topical issue. Participants can also chat with others, sort, list and review the ideas in a variety of ways. Everyone talks at once and is heard; it's fun, easy, and it all works over the Internet.
We address issues at various times weekly. In order to have your say, drop Bittco an email at bittco@ccinet.ab.ca that indicates your areas of interest and the type of Internet access you have ( we'll want to make sure that you won't have any problems ). Bittco will send you more details about Keen Minds session times and upcoming topics.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Participation in Keen Minds requires a Mac® running System 7 or better, 4 Mb of total RAM, a hard disk, MacTCP, and a connection the Internet (SLIP, PPP, or direct network connection).
A Windows version is on the way.
INSTALLATION
The software and documentation you need for Keen Minds is distributed as a single file called “Keen Minds Package” which is a self-extracting archive. When this file is opened from the Finder™, it creates a folder containing software and supporting documentation.
To install the "Keen Minds Package", double-click this archive. When prompted to extract, choose a location on your hard drive, preferably on the startup disk (the one which has your System folder).
CONFIGURATION
Very important: Rename your application in the 'Keen Minds' folder so that it has a unique name. Right now, it'll have the title '( your name )'s Keen Mind.' As this title suggests, a good name would incorporate your name. For instance, 'Sam B's Keen Mind.' The software cannot communicate with any other software with the same name. Renaming your software will ensure that you won't have any problems joining up.
USE
The balloon help will get you off to a good start so use it until you thoroughly understand the software. Also, review the documentation as required. This section will get you off to a quick start.
First, get in contact with bittco@ccinet.ab.ca for a schedule of the times and topics of sessions.
Make sure that you have an active connection to the Internet.
Make sure that you have renamed your application as outlined above.
To link to a Keen Minds session, choose 'Link' from the 'File' menu. After a short delay, you'll receive a list of sessions available on the host here at Bittco.
If your link attempt fails, there is likely no Keen Minds session in progress. Again, contact Bittco for a comprehensive list of session times and topics.
You can freely join any or all of the sessions listed.
Choose a session from the list and click 'join.' At any time, you can return to the list of sessions by choosing '198.161.96.252,' the title of this window that lists sessions, from the 'Windows' menu.
Once you join, a Session window displays. The swirl icon in the center of the screen represents the issue under consideration.
Everyone joined, including yourself, can create and move ideas in the Session window. To create an idea, choose an idea type from the Idea palette at the top-left of the screen, then click in the Session window to place the idea. Type in the text of your idea, and hit enter or return. Your idea is immediately visible to everyone.
Use the three types of idea icons constructively. Broadly, the shovel tool is used for concerns, the target tool for objectives, and the runner tool for actions.
Use the browse hand on the idea palette to select and move ideas.
At any time, enter chat in the chat palette at the bottom-left of the screen. Type your contribution, hit enter or return -- or click the arrow button -- to send your chat to the group.
If the variety and number of ideas become bewildering, use the Scroll palette, accessed by the 'Scroll' item under the 'Windows' menu, to quickly navigate around the session window. You can also work with lists, and subsetted lists, of ideas with the Find window opened from the 'Find' item on the 'Ideas' menu.
Initially, your group will be brainstorming using the three types of ideas. This brainstorming can prove a bit disturbing to some as lots is happening fast and it's messy. Be assured that this is what is supposed to happen. The ideas need not be ordered, stacked, or arranged in any particular way. The polling and reporting will sort out the ideas.
After a while, the brainstorming will slow or stop. Again, this is to be expected. This means that it's time for the group to move on to completing the polling.
The best way to poll is to choose the 'Select Unpolled' command from the 'Ideas' menu. This command selects all of the ideas that you have not polled on. Then choose 'Idea Info', also from the 'Ideas' menu, to open the Info windows for polling the first 10 selected ideas. Poll on each of these and close the windows when you are done.
This procedure can be repeated until all of the ideas are polled. You will know that you are done when you choose 'Select Unpolled' and discover the 'Idea Info' command remains dimmed, indicating that there are NO unpolled ideas remaining.
During and after the polling process, you can politic and discuss ideas by adding notes in each idea's Notes field in the Info window.
For a quick way to review these notes and the notes of others for ideas you have completed the polls on, choose 'Select Polled' from the 'Ideas' menu. Then choose 'Idea Info.' Close the Info windows after you have reviewed them, choose 'Idea Info' again to get the next 10, and so on.
The host may alert the participants through the Chat palette as to when they should be wrapping up their polling and when the session will end.
At the end, determine report options by choosing 'Report Options...' from the 'File' menu. The default report prints the top five ideas by type. You can exclude ideas by type as well as choose to include notes. You can change the sorting direction and type. For instance, low-deviation would show areas of group consensus -- supported or unsupported. The catalog report prints all the ideas in alphabetical order, and the picture report prints the view in the Session window. Once you have determined your report options, choose 'Print' from the 'File' menu to print out the report.
THE “KEEN MINDS PACKAGE”
Everything that you'll need for Keen Minds is distributed as a single file called “Keen Minds Package” which is a self-extracting archive. When this file is opened from the Finder™, it creates a folder containing the Co-motion Lite for Internet application customized for Keen Minds and supporting documentation.
The following items are included in the “Keen Minds Package”: a version of the Co-motion Lite for Internet application program customized for use with Keen Minds, this readme file, complete documentation for participation in Keen Minds, and a file with more information about Co-motion Lite for Internet and Bittco.
DISTRIBUTION
The “Keen Minds Package” is a free package. It is provided at no charge to the user. You may copy and distribute the “Keen Minds Package” for non-commercial use with the following restrictions.
You may copy and distribute the self-extracting “Keen Minds Package” file but not the individual application and document files. This ensures that users receive a complete package with all documentation files.
You may not modify the “Keen Minds Package” file or any of its contents in any way.
You may not charge any fee for the use, copying, or distribution of the product.
All organizations must obtain written permission to distribute copies of “Keen Minds Package” if any fee is charged for the use, copying, or distribution of the “Keen Minds Package”.
WARRANTEE
The “Keen Minds Package” is supplied as is. Bittco hereby disclaims all warranties relating to this software, whether express or implied, including without limitation any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Bittco will not be liable for any special, incidental, consequential, indirect or similar damages due to loss of data or any other reason, even if Bittco, or an agent of Bittco has been advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event shall Bittco's liability for any damages ever exceed the price paid for the license to use the software, regardless of the form of the claim. The person using the software bears all risk as to the quality and performance of the software.
TRADEMARKS AND COPYRIGHT
This readme and the software described in it are copyrighted, with all rights reserved. Under the copyright laws, this readme may not be copied, in whole or in part, without written consent of Bittco. Under the law, copying includes translating into another language or format.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this readme is accurate. Bittco is not responsible for any printing or clerical errors.
Bittco, the Bittco Solutions logo, Co-motion, and the Co-motion logo are trademarks of Bittco Solutions Ltd.
Macintosh, Mac, MacTCP, and Apple are trademarks of Apple Computer Inc., registered in the US and other countries.
Mention of third-party products is for informational purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation. Bittco assumes no responsibility with regard to the performance of these products.
