One of the most obvious differences between CSCW systems is the level at which they link interface features.
The grossest level of linkage is screen-replication, such as that of Timbuktu [Faralon, 1987]. Shared X systems [Garfinkel et al, 1989] replicate at the level of windows, while many explicit multi-user tools such as ShrEdit will replicate the data and provide all users with individual edit cursors.
Within this class of systems, there are further differences in what each user can see of the other’s interfaces. While many systems separate users and isolate their interfaces, research on groups interacting through synchronously shared systems has shown how low-level cues can be used by collaborators to create an awareness of the activity and progress of the group as a whole [Dourish and Bellotti, 1992]. Recent work, including that of Dewan and Choudhary [1991] or Haake and Wilson [1992], has looked at the provision of switchable linkage states, in which users can choose how much their interfaces will mirror each other’s.
~
DOURISH, Paul, 1993. Towards a Reflective Model of Collaborative Systems. Technical report, Rank Xerox Cambridge EuroPARC, Cambridge, UK. Online. 1 January 1993. [Accessed 25 November 2022]. Available from: https://www.academia.edu/2958072/Towards_a_Reflective_Model_of_Collaborative_Systems