Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!snorkelwacker!ira.uka.de!smurf!urlichs
From: urlichs@smurf.ira.uka.de
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Talking to people (Re: AppleShare of the 90's)
Keywords: accounting, communications
Message-ID: <1401@smurf.ira.uka.de>
Date: 16 Jan 90 20:34:58 GMT
References: <25184@brunix.UUCP> <25862@cup.portal.com> <25447@brunix.UUCP> <25942@cup.portal.com> <1990Jan15.173834.27744@phri.nyu.edu> <581@gargoyle.uchicago.edu>
Reply-To: urlichs@smurf.ira.uka.de (Matthias Urlichs)
Organization: University of Karlsruhe, FRG
Lines: 32

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