NEGOTIABILITY - A METAFUNCTION TO TAILOR ACCESS TO DATA IN GROUPWARE

Functions which control access to data in groupware should be designed flexibly by offering different options to end users. However, conflic ts might arise among different end users in the process of selecting o ne of these options. To support users in finding a consensual solution for these conflicts, we propose a metafunction called 'negotiability' . We propose to define and explore the concept of 'negotiability', and discuss its application to access control, concurrency control, and c onsistency control. We assume that negotiability can play an important role in tailoring these mechanisms and supporting a co-operative use of system's flexibility.