Methods and apparatus for managing and exchanging information using information objects

A non-volatile computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed on a computer, establish computer processes to implement a method for interacting with at least one information object obtained from at least one source and stored in a database system, wherein the computer processes comprise:

• causing display, in a computing device of a first user, of a first view of a first set of information objects that constitute a first collection of the first user;
• causing display, in a computing device of a second user, of a first view of a first set of information objects that constitute a first collection of the second user;
• wherein the first collection of the first user and the first collection of the second user have at least one information object in common;
• wherein the first collection of the second user is accessible to the first user;
• the computer processes also causing display, in the computing device of the first user, a second view of a second set of information objects, the second view being of information objects, found in the first collection of the second user and suggested, by the computer processes, for potential inclusion in the first collection of the first user, wherein the first collection of the first user lacks any member of the second set of information objects;
• and
• wherein each of the information objects in the second view of the first user can, on a user-entered command, be caused to be copied to the first view of the first user.