6. A computer system comprising: a processor; and a memory space having a database stored therein, with the database in communication with a network and storing a plurality of computer readable user profiles, and with the memory having and one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of: creating in said database, in response to input signals from an input device specifying a first topic related to a goal, a first collaborative space in the network dedicated to the first topic to facilitate centralizing communications related to the first topic in one area of the network and where off-topic communications are not present in the first collaborative space; associating, in response to input signals from an input device, an existing second collaborative space with the goal, with the existing second collaborative space dedicated to a second topic related to the goal and where off-topic communications are not present in the existing second collaborative space; searching said first collaborative space and said existing second collaborative space, in response to input signal from an input device, for a query term related to the goal; generating search result information, in response to said query term, retrieved from said database for display in a search result user interface including multiple rows, with each row including personal information relating to experience and expertise of a user on the network, an icon showing a position of the user in an organization and a control for selecting the user as a contact; collecting, in response to input signals from an input device, network activity of users other than a designated user of the network based on filtering criteria, with the filtering criteria including one or more of selecting a group of users having a selected position in the organization, selecting a collaborative space and selecting users that are contacts; and generating, in response to input from a user input device, profile information relating to selected contacts of a designated user.
6. A computer system comprising: a processor; and a memory space having a database stored therein, with the database in communication with a network and storing a plurality of computer readable user profiles, and with the memory having and one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of: creating in said database, in response to input signals from an input device specifying a first topic related to a goal, a first collaborative space in the network dedicated to the first topic to facilitate centralizing communications related to the first topic in one area of the network and where off-topic communications are not present in the first collaborative space; associating, in response to input signals from an input device, an existing second collaborative space with the goal, with the existing second collaborative space dedicated to a second topic related to the goal and where off-topic communications are not present in the existing second collaborative space; searching said first collaborative space and said existing second collaborative space, in response to input signal from an input device, for a query term related to the goal; generating search result information, in response to said query term, retrieved from said database for display in a search result user interface including multiple rows, with each row including personal information relating to experience and expertise of a user on the network, an icon showing a position of the user in an organization and a control for selecting the user as a contact; collecting, in response to input signals from an input device, network activity of users other than a designated user of the network based on filtering criteria, with the filtering criteria including one or more of selecting a group of users having a selected position in the organization, selecting a collaborative space and selecting users that are contacts; and generating, in response to input from a user input device, profile information relating to selected contacts of a designated user. 7. The system as recited in claim 6 wherein said sequences of instructions further includes computer-executable code when executed by the processor cause the processor to carry out a step of associating said query term with a collaborative space in said network.