[comp.sys.mac] Talking to people

urlichs@smurf.ira.uka.de (01/17/90)

In comp.sys.mac dawyd@gargoyle.uchicago.edu.UUCP (David Walton) writes:
< [ what he'd like to see in AppleShare ]
< 
< * The ability to send messages to any or all users at any time,
<   instead of only when the server is about to shut down.
< 
Umm, AppleShare is for sharing files, not for "talk"ing to users.

If you want to send a message to other users, use Broadcast.
Electronic talking to people is more difficult -- use either QuickMail (it has
a talk module) or IRC, the Internet Relay Chat. A Mac front-end will be
available next month (I am writing it), and a Mac server is also in the
process of being thought about.

Both Broadcast and IRC are available on the Unix side of the world.

< * Some form of accounting, by which I mean basic information about
<   when users log on and for how long.
< 
Including which applications they use, and which files these access.
There are enough sites where this is really necessary.

Of course, you can always drop AppleShare and use another (hopefully
compatible) server. My own is in late Beta test, and if you push me far
enough, I could probably add some write-to-accounting-file code. Anyone
interested in this (I mean _really_ interested) should send me some mail.
I'm also thinking about adding some sort of "message-of-the-day" code.
(Simply enter a message and whenever somebody logs in, (s)he will get that
message via Broadcast.)

-- 
Matthias Urlichs

dawyd@gargoyle.uchicago.edu (David Walton) (01/18/90)

In article <1401@smurf.ira.uka.de> urlichs@smurf.ira.uka.de (Matthias Urlichs) writes:
>In comp.sys.mac dawyd@gargoyle.uchicago.edu.UUCP (David Walton) writes:
>< [ what he'd like to see in AppleShare ]
>< 
>< * The ability to send messages to any or all users at any time,
><   instead of only when the server is about to shut down.
>< 
>Umm, AppleShare is for sharing files, not for "talk"ing to users.

I'm aware of that.  I'm not talking about using AppleShare as a
replacement for Broadcast, I'm talking about incorporating limited
Broadcast-like functions as a way of making server administration
easier.  I envision using such a feature to communicate with subgroups
of users at any time it might be necessary, rather than blitzing
everyone only when the server is about to be shut down.  As I said
before, AppleShare was apparently built under the assumption that all
users would be in the same office.  There are situations where that is
no longer true, and therefore communicating with those users is much
more difficult.  Communication facilities within AppleShare might ease
the difficulty in that situation.

Hope this makes my point a little bit clearer.  Evidently it wasn't
the first time around.-- 

David Walton		Internet: dwal@tank.UChicago.EDU
University of Chicago   {  Any opinions herein are my own, not      }
Computing Organizations {  those of my employers (or anybody else). }