Brainlining describes several methods of generating ideas which have been taking place online for many years. The word combines the words "brainstorming" and "online," which describes fairly well what I mean by brainlining. The word also refers to live, real-time, online sessions directed by me, incorporating special techniques, and focused on a generating ideas for solving specific problems.

To understand brainlining, we must first understand brainstorming. This word describes the technique of generating ideas in groups. The basic concepts of brainstorming were developed in the late 1930s by Alex Osborn. Very briefly, brainstorming involves at least four principles:

1. There's no such thing as a bad idea.

2. The free expression of all ideas is encouraged.

3. Seek quantity rather than quality of ideas.

4. Encourage and build upon the ideas of everyone in the group.

Many variations of brainstorming have been built upon Osborn's work and his basic principles. These include additional procedures, games, tools, and technology used to stimulate the people involved in brainstorming sessions. Of special importance is the work of Dr. Edward de Bono and his definition of lateral thinking. Among his most important contributions is his recognition of the connection between creativity and humor.

With the growth of the Internet, the process of exchanging and building upon the ideas of groups of people has occurred spontaneously. Online forums, for examples, can be thought of as ongoing brainstorming sessions to the extent that they allow for the free flow of ideas.

I have staged several scheduled online sessions in which people trained to brainstorm online have worked on generating ideas to solve specific problems. These brainlining sessions make use of games designed for the peculiar dynamics of online idea generation. Brainlining games stimulate the flow of ideas, encourage humor, and make the process fun.

As an online activity, brainlining offers the most important benefits of electronic meetings and groupware systems. It eliminates the influence of corporate pecking order where persons of rank tend to dominate the group and other prejudicial biases which tend to silence certain participants. In a brainlining session, all ideas stand on equal ground with no preference or stigma attached. The value of each idea resides in its content. For these reasons, members of brainlining sessions tend to participate more freely.

Furthermore brainlining is extremely efficient. It allows all participants to enter ideas simultaneously. All ideas are visible, everybody can see every idea, and all ideas are recorded and available to all participants after the session has ended.

Brainlining also introduces the leadership of a trained moderator who conducts each session and introduces special stimulants during the session--the kind used in top-level live brainstorming sessions, but designed specifically for brainlining.

The most important feature of brainlining is cross-pollination. The Internet provides a vast, cross-disciplinary congregation, worldwide in scope, which provides the most diverse, intelligent, and unique global think tank imaginable. Brainlining sessions increase in effectiveness to the degree that they enlist people of divergent interests and expertise.