On computer supported collaborative writing tools for distributed environments
Kai H. Chang, Yu Gong, Tim Dollar, Shefali Gajiwala, Byong Lee, A. Wesley Wear · 1995
Traditional computerized writing tools designed for single user access often create barriers to group collaboration. Usually, participants have to work in an interleaved fashion to prevent inconsistency. Oral communication is normally used for coordinating group activities. With the recent development of computer networks and widespread deployment of networked workstations, automating the group writing process for geographically distributed users has become feasible. This paper introduces a Distributed Collaborative Writing Aid (DCWA) developed for networked workstations. The DCWA can help users cooperate on a writing task (such as programming, report writing, note taking, etc.) logically, conveniently , and efficiently. Among many important open problems, the paper addresses issues related to the four major components in the DCWA. These are group organization, multicasting within groups, distributed database, and user interface.