Nice piece by reporter Anne Field on the pros & cons of web-based brainstorming and collaboration.
...But no matter what, the purpose is the same: to make the brainstorming process more efficient, using online applications that can be tapped just about any time, from anywhere. "You conceivably can work with people remotely all over the world. You have a lot of flexibility. And you can add something if you think of it at two in the morning," says Todd Cherches, a management consultant in New York City who specializes in leadership and creativity training.
...That's not to say online brainstorming is a complete substitute for the conventional, in-person variety. Nor is it a total panacea. Management consultant Cherches prefers real-time sessions because, "it's helpful to have everyone in the same room with everyone looking at the same whiteboard, feeding off each other," he says. "If you're trying to facilitate interaction on a human level and create a team environment, I think it's better for people to be together, the old-fashioned way."
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