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8.1 Key concepts within Places architectureBefore we begin examining the scenario and application in this chapter, it isimportant to provide a basic understanding of the key concepts used within theSametime Places architecture. Once these concepts are introduced, subsequentsections illustrate how they fit within the specific scenario and why eachcomponent is a very important piece of the overall solution.8.1.1 What are Places and why use them?A Place is a virtual space within Sametime that allows users who “enter” it to:► Be aware of the online status of other users in the Place► Communicate with other members in a number of ways► Take part in different activities that run within the PlaceTechnically speaking, a Place is defined by a name and a Place type. The nameof a Place is just a string and the Place type is an integer. The applicationdeveloper chooses the appropriate name when the Place is created.8.1.2 What are sections and why use them?In the Sametime Places model, a Place is made out of sections. This makes aPlace similar to a natural Place that has different rooms inside it. Every user thatenters a Place enters into a specific section in that Place. This is very useful; forexample, in our upcoming scenario application, we separate the audiencemembers from the panel by putting them into different sections. The concept ofsections further enhances the awareness and communication capabilities insidea Place by adding the notion of scope.8.1.3 What are activities and why use them?Activities are server-side applications that participate in a Place just like usersand sections. Activities can communicate with users and users can communicatewith activities. However, activities have more powerful permissions. They are asuper-user within the Place. An activity can communicate with any section andany user within a Place and change the attributes of any user or section withinthe Place. Within the context of the upcoming panel discussion example, theactivity is responsible for several important tasks.184 Lotus Instant Messaging/Web Conferencing (Sametime): Building Sametime-Enabled Applications