<s>
In	O
computer	B-Protocol
supported	I-Protocol
brainstorming	I-Protocol
,	O
team	O
members	O
contribute	O
their	O
ideas	O
through	O
electronic	O
means	O
either	O
synchronously	O
or	O
asynchronously	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	B-Protocol
supported	I-Protocol
brainstorming	I-Protocol
can	O
be	O
implemented	O
using	O
a	O
wide	O
variety	O
of	O
electronic	O
technologies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
year	O
later	O
,	O
in	O
1985	O
,	O
The	O
Idea	O
Generator	O
,	O
the	O
first	O
software	O
for	O
computer	B-Protocol
supported	I-Protocol
brainstorming	I-Protocol
,	O
became	O
publicly	O
available	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Numerous	O
software	O
platforms	O
have	O
been	O
designed	O
for	O
computer	B-Protocol
supported	I-Protocol
brainstorming	I-Protocol
,	O
each	O
of	O
which	O
has	O
advantages	O
and	O
disadvantages	O
over	O
traditional	O
brainstorming	O
depending	O
on	O
the	O
specific	O
circumstances	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
technology	O
has	O
advanced	O
,	O
so	O
have	O
computer	B-Protocol
supported	I-Protocol
brainstorming	I-Protocol
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Now	O
some	O
web-based	O
brainstorming	O
systems	O
allow	O
contributors	O
to	O
post	O
their	O
comments	O
anonymously	O
through	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
avatars	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Globalization	O
and	O
rapid	O
technological	O
advances	O
have	O
spurred	O
multi-national	O
companies	O
to	O
use	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
and	O
avatars	B-Application
to	O
connect	O
with	O
each	O
other	O
and	O
with	O
consumers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Avatars	B-Application
and	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
are	O
a	O
unique	O
web-based	O
combination	O
of	O
verbal	O
,	O
non-verbal	O
and	O
written	O
communication	O
without	O
physical	O
limitations	O
such	O
as	O
space	O
and	O
geographic	O
location	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
International	O
companies	O
such	O
as	O
IBM	O
and	O
Coca-Cola	O
have	O
used	O
virtual	B-Application
worlds	I-Application
such	O
as	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
to	O
collaborate	O
with	O
avatars	B-Application
for	O
new	O
product	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
2007	O
,	O
Coca-Cola	O
sponsored	O
a	O
contest	O
for	O
residents	O
of	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
to	O
design	O
a	O
virtual	O
vending	O
machine	O
that	O
would	O
not	O
dispense	O
Coca-Cola	O
but	O
provide	O
a	O
refreshing	O
and	O
invigorating	O
experience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
business	O
and	O
market	O
collaboration	O
,	O
over	O
200	O
universities	O
use	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
for	O
educational	O
conferences	O
and	O
collaborative	O
work	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Avatars	B-Application
and	O
the	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
allow	O
brainstorming	O
that	O
is	O
visual	O
,	O
synchronous	O
or	O
asynchronous	O
,	O
anonymous	O
and	O
in	O
different	O
locations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
advantage	O
of	O
computer	B-Protocol
supported	I-Protocol
brainstorming	I-Protocol
over	O
traditional	O
brainstorming	O
has	O
been	O
shown	O
to	O
be	O
greatest	O
with	O
larger	O
groups	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	B-Protocol
supported	I-Protocol
brainstorming	I-Protocol
was	O
not	O
beneficial	O
for	O
small	O
groups	O
,	O
likely	O
because	O
the	O
limited	O
number	O
of	O
participants	O
eliminated	O
the	O
evaluation	O
apprehension	O
and	O
production	O
blocking	O
capabilities	O
of	O
the	O
electronic	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
major	O
benefits	O
of	O
computer	B-Protocol
supported	I-Protocol
brainstorming	I-Protocol
software	O
arises	O
from	O
the	O
anonymity	O
of	O
participants	O
,	O
the	O
archiving	O
of	O
data	O
,	O
elimination	O
of	O
wait	O
time	O
for	O
turn	O
taking	O
and	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
incorporate	O
additional	O
feedback	O
tools	O
to	O
reduce	O
social	O
loafing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
advantage	O
of	O
computer	B-Protocol
supported	I-Protocol
brainstorming	I-Protocol
software	O
is	O
that	O
all	O
ideas	O
can	O
be	O
archived	O
electronically	O
in	O
their	O
original	O
form	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
retrieved	O
later	O
for	O
further	O
thought	O
and	O
discussion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
ability	O
to	O
review	O
and	O
revise	O
the	O
ideas	O
of	O
others	O
is	O
also	O
an	O
advantage	O
of	O
the	O
elimination	O
of	O
wait	O
time	O
in	O
computer	B-Protocol
supported	I-Protocol
brainstorming	I-Protocol
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Early	O
researchers	O
into	O
computer	B-Protocol
supported	I-Protocol
brainstorming	I-Protocol
expressed	O
concern	O
that	O
the	O
simultaneous	O
contribution	O
of	O
multiple	O
ideas	O
would	O
cause	O
information	O
overload	O
and	O
reduce	O
productivity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Studies	O
show	O
that	O
computer	B-Protocol
supported	I-Protocol
brainstorming	I-Protocol
can	O
actually	O
help	O
increase	O
focus	O
,	O
thus	O
increasing	O
effectiveness	O
of	O
virtual	O
sessions	O
over	O
in-person	O
brainstorming	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Color	O
coding	O
features	O
of	O
some	O
computer	B-Protocol
supported	I-Protocol
brainstorming	I-Protocol
software	O
can	O
help	O
mitigate	O
the	O
potential	O
for	O
information	O
overload	O
and	O
differentiate	O
between	O
individual	O
contributions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	B-Protocol
supported	I-Protocol
brainstorming	I-Protocol
techniques	O
have	O
been	O
shown	O
to	O
produce	O
more	O
ideas	O
and	O
help	O
individuals	O
focus	O
their	O
attention	O
on	O
the	O
ideas	O
of	O
others	O
better	O
than	O
a	O
brain	O
writing	O
technique	O
(	O
participants	O
write	O
individual	O
written	O
notes	O
in	O
silence	O
and	O
then	O
subsequently	O
communicate	O
them	O
with	O
the	O
group	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
computer	B-Protocol
supported	I-Protocol
brainstorming	I-Protocol
software	O
now	O
includes	O
a	O
social	O
comparison	O
tracking	O
component	O
to	O
help	O
reduce	O
social	O
loafing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
found	O
that	O
including	O
a	O
social	O
comparison	O
tracker	O
into	O
brainstorming	O
systems	O
increased	O
the	O
output	O
of	O
a	O
group	O
using	O
computer	B-Protocol
supported	I-Protocol
brainstorming	I-Protocol
by	O
23%	O
as	O
compared	O
to	O
a	O
control	O
group	O
using	O
computer	B-Protocol
supported	I-Protocol
brainstorming	I-Protocol
with	O
no	O
social	O
comparison	O
.	O
</s>
