Constructing distributed groupware systems: a walk on the Wilde side

Abstract

The term "groupware" is used to describe a wide range of application types, from e-mail systems through shared text editors to videoconferencing systems, all of which aim to support the co-operation of multiple users [Ellis et al., 1991]. Building such systems is difficult. All but the most trivial groupware system are complex distributed multi-user systems. For example, a system might integrate a spreadsheet, a CAD package and a multi-media conferencing application, enforcing a variation of strict turn taking on the part of the participants [Cutkosky et al., 1993]. It is important therefore to find a way to support the construction of groupware, so simplifying the design and programming tasks. This support should be generic and comprehensive: it should support, in every important respect, the construction of a very broad spectrum of groupware systems, rather than some subset. We hypothesise that useful groupware support should be based on an integrated approach that focuses first on the commonality across the range of groupware systems, rather than targeting specific support issues for one or other class of system.