Event listening integration in a collaborative electronic information system

1. A computer-implemented data processing method comprising:

in a collaborative electronic information management system that is hosted using a collaboration computer, establishing operation of a plurality of event listener units, wherein each of the event listener units is configured to communicate with or listen for a plurality of application events that have been generated by a particular corresponding external application from among a plurality of different external applications;

automatically correlating two or more of the application events to a particular content item from among a plurality of content items that are managed in the system based on an identifier specified in the application event or a substantive content value;

generating and causing displaying, in a first panel as a part of a graphical user interface of the system for a first user account, a set of notifications indicating activities performed by one or more users associated with one or more second user accounts, wherein the set of notifications comprises two or more first notifications generated from the system and two or more second notifications that are based upon the application events from the different external applications, in association with data identifying the particular content item;

in response to receiving data indicating selection of a particular notification in the first panel from among the second notifications that are based on the application events from the different external applications, and indicating selection of a details control in the first panel, causing generating and displaying in a second panel detail data for the particular notification and a task control, and in response to receiving further data indicating selection of the task control, automatically adding a task in the collaborative electronic information management system based upon the particular notification to a set of tasks that are associated with the first user account without transferring control to a separate task management system or separate task creation panel and without opening a separate window; and

receiving an input indicating selection of a notifications-task control in the first panel of the graphical user interface, and in response to the input, generating and displaying in the first panel a personal tasks list that includes the set of tasks.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the application events comprise any of a sharing item specifying that the particular content item was shared with the first user account; a comment item specifying a comment on the particular content item; a mention item indicating that the particular content item was mentioned in a second content item; an approval item indicating that the particular content item was liked or approved.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the external applications is a social media system that is hosted at a computer other than the collaboration computer that hosts the collaborative electronic information management system.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising generating and displaying a notifications view in the first panel, wherein the first notifications and second notifications are displayed together using a similar arrangement and format regardless of the different external applications.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising receiving a second input indicating selection and movement of a particular task in the set of tasks to a different ordinal position in the set of tasks.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising receiving third input indicating selection of an approval control that is displayed in association with the data identifying the particular content item, and in response, updating the personal tasks list to indicate an approval of the particular content item.

7. The method of claim 1 comprising receiving third input indicating selection of an approval control that is displayed in association with the particular notification, and in response, updating the personal tasks list to indicate an approval of the particular notification.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of event listener units are configured to communicate with a social networking system and with a social media communication system that are external to the collaboration computer.

9. A computer system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media coupled to the one or more processors and storing sequences of instructions which when executed using the one or more processors cause performing:

in a collaborative electronic information management system that is hosted using a collaboration computer, establishing operation of a plurality of event listener units, wherein each of the event listener units is configured to communicate with or listen for a plurality of application events that have been generated by a particular corresponding external application from among a plurality of different external applications;

automatically correlating two or more of the application events to a particular content item from among a plurality of content items that are managed in the system based on an identifier specified in the application event or a substantive content value;

generating and causing displaying, in a first panel as a part of a graphical user interface of the system for a first user account, a set of notifications indicating activities performed by one or more users associated with one or more second user accounts, wherein the set of notifications comprises two or more first notifications generated from the system and two or more second notifications that are based upon the application events from the different external applications, in association with data identifying the particular content item;

in response to receiving data indicating selection of a particular notification in the first panel from among the second notifications that are based on the application events from the different external applications, and indicating selection of a details control in the first panel, causing generating and displaying in a second panel detail data for the particular notification and a task control, and in response to receiving further data indicating selection of the task control, automatically adding a task in the collaborative electronic information management system based upon the particular notification to a set of tasks that are associated with the first user account without transferring control to a separate task management system or separate task creation panel and without opening a separate window; and

receiving an input indicating selection of a notifications-task control in the first panel of the graphical user interface, and in response to the input, generating and displaying in the first panel a personal tasks list that includes the set of tasks.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the application events comprise any of a sharing item specifying that the particular content item was shared with the first user account; a comment item specifying a comment on the particular content item; a mention item indicating that the particular content item was mentioned in a second content item; an approval item indicating that the particular content item was liked or approved.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein at least one of the external applications is a social media system that is hosted at a computer other than the collaboration computer that hosts the collaborative electronic information management system.

12. The system of claim 9 comprising instructions which when executed cause performing generating and displaying a notifications view in the first panel, wherein the first notifications and second notifications are displayed together using a similar arrangement and format regardless of the different external applications.

13. The system of claim 9 comprising instructions which when executed cause performing receiving a second input indicating selection and movement of a particular task in the set of tasks to a different ordinal position in the set of tasks.

14. The system of claim 9 comprising instructions which when executed cause performing receiving third input indicating selection of an approval control that is displayed in association with the data identifying the particular content item, and in response, updating the personal tasks list to indicate an approval of the particular content item.

15. The system of claim 9 comprising instructions which when executed cause performing receiving third input indicating selection of an approval control that is displayed in association with the particular notification, and in response, updating the personal tasks list to indicate an approval of the particular notification.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein the plurality of event listener units are configured to communicate with a social networking system and with a social media communication system that are external to the collaboration computer.