14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising: retrieving updates to the lock table from the storage device, the updates to the lock table having been made by at least one of the other users; instantiating the updates to the lock table into the document automatically.
11. A computer readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions, which perform a method of authoring a document when executed by a computing device, the method comprising: receiving at a first authoring application instructions to manipulate a first unit of data of a document being edited by the first authoring application, the first authoring application being utilized by a first user and being implemented on a first computing device; generating a content lock on the first unit of data automatically after receiving the instructions to manipulate by associating the first unit of data with the first user in a lock table, the lock table being accessible to a plurality of other authoring applications, wherein only the first user can manipulate the first unit of data when the first unit of data has the content lock; manipulating the first unit of data of the document with the first authoring application in accordance with the instructions to manipulate; releasing the content lock on the first unit of data only when instructions to release the content lock are provided to the first authoring application by the first user, wherein releasing the content lock includes disassociating the first unit of data from the first user in the lock table; receiving at the first authoring application content updates, the content updates including any modifications made to the content of the document by a second user; after receiving the content updates, determining whether instructions have been received from the first user to display the content updates to the first user; when it is determined that instructions have been received from the first user to display the content updates to the first user, displaying the content updates based on a user selection included in the instructions, the user selection determining whether the content updates are to be annotated on the document or whether the content updates are to be merged into the document; expanding the content lock to encompass additional units of data when instructions from the first user to manipulate the additional units of data are received by the first authoring application, wherein expanding the content lock includes associating the additional units of data with the first user in the lock table; and transmitting automatically any lock updates to the lock table.