1. A computer readable medium containing an executable program for facilitating a collaborative task undertaken by a plurality of users, each of the users using a networked computing device that displays a user interface, the user interface including a public panel representing a shared workspace viewable by all of the plurality of users and a separate private panel representing a personal workspace viewable only by a user with whom the personal workspace is associated, wherein the public panel and the private panel are displayed simultaneously, where the program performs steps of: receiving, by a server, a first request from one of the users to move a component from the shared workspace to the personal workspace associated with the one of the users, the component representing an individual contribution to the collaborative task, the component further displaying content of the individual contribution for viewing by the plurality of users; transferring the component from the shared workspace to the personal workspace associated with the one of the users, wherein the first request is received in the form of a command that executes as a transaction, such that both a removal of the component from the shared workspace and a placement of the component in the personal workspace of the transferring succeed or fail together; rendering the component unavailable for use by a remainder of the plurality of users, wherein the component is visible to the remainder of the plurality of users while unavailable, and wherein a visual appearance of the public panel is identical to all of the users when the component is rendered unavailable, and wherein said rendering is triggered by receiving the first request in the form of a graphical gesture in the user interface; and cancelling one or more other requests by the one of the users in response to the first request.