Reviewing Designs for a Synchronous-Asynchronous Group Editing Environment

The roots of computer supported cooperative work (CSCW) are in the observation that a great deal of our daily activity involves some form of collaboration (Olson 1989). Much early research in CSCW considered ways of supporting a general concept, that of cooperative work. More recently CSCW research has begun to focus on specific applications. Computer support for collaborative writing, particularly in the form of a shared editing environment, emphasizes a more task-focused approach to CSCW applications.