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Roseman, M. and Greenberg, S. (1992)
GroupKit: A groupware toolkit for building real-time conferencing applications. In Proceedings of the ACM CSCW Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work, November 1-4. (Toronto, Canada), ACM Press, pages 43-50.
Type: Refereed conference (full paper). Earlier version: Report 1992-470-8, March.
Reprinted in Greenberg, S., Hayne, S. and Rada, R. (eds) (1995). Groupware for Real-Time Drawing: A Designer’s Guide, p37-62, McGraw-Hill.
DOI: 10.1145/143457.143460

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Abstract.
This paper presents our approach to the design of groupware toolkits for real-time work, and how the design is instantiated in our toolkit, GroupKit. The design is based on both the technical underpinnings necessary for real-time groupware, and on user-centered features identified by existing CSCW human factors work. We also present three strategies for building GoupKit’s components. First, an extendible, object-oriented run-time architecture supports managing distributed processes and the communication between them. Second, transparent overlays offer a convenient method for adding general components to various groupware applications, for example supporting gestures via multiple cursors and annotation via sketching. Third, open protocols allow the groupware designer to create a wide range of interface and interaction policies, accommodating group differences in areas such as conference registration and floor control.

Keywords: real-time groupware, toolkit, development tools.