Patent attributes
The techniques disclosed herein enable users to receive visits from other users in a desktop environment and initiate communication sessions using a drag and drop gesture input to move virtual representations or avatars of other users. For instance, by dragging and dropping an avatar into a file, the user can select the file for sharing and the system can automatically grant appropriate permissions to various users who are invited by the gesture input. The user can additionally grant other users' permission to edit the shared file which is reflected in an update to each user's permission data. In this way, users can communicate and collaborate directly form the social space of a desktop without opening a communication application. Other features include suggestions for files to share based on the context of a conversation, presenting contextual information alongside each user's avatar and suggesting other shared spaces to explore.
