System, method, and service for negotiating schedules while preserving privacy through a shared representation

A meeting negotiation system provides a new approach to scheduling events by negotiating schedules while preserving privacy through a shared representation that separates the meeting negotiation from the meeting invitation. The negotiation system integrates all scheduling-related information such as times users can meet, location, etc. and reduces dependency on designations of time as free or busy by a potential meeting attendee. Consequently, the negotiation system enables time preferences richer than just free or busy, allowing potential meeting attendees to designate preference in addition to time available. The negotiation system supports annotations and comments as a discussion mechanism, giving feedback to the meeting scheduler before the meeting invitation is issued. Possible times provided for the meeting are provided in the form of a bounded negotiation; participants may select the best time for them to attend a meeting from the bounded negotiation. The meeting organizer finalizes the meeting time from the responses provided by participants.