Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!trwacs!epstein
From: epstein@trwacs.UUCP (Jeremy Epstein)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: Spy X Window
Summary: TOPS-20 had ADVISE command
Message-ID: <212@trwacs.UUCP>
Date: 20 Jul 90 17:14:30 GMT
References: <1990Jul17.140940.10553@inel.gov>
Organization: TRW Systems Division, Fairfax VA
Lines: 42

In article <1990Jul17.140940.10553@inel.gov>, dob@tws1.Berkeley.EDU (David L. Brooks) writes:
[much stuff deleted]
> 
> my question:  is it possible that we can reach an agreeable compromise,
> where the student a) requests help, b) selects the window or windows
> they wish to be "transmitted" to their instructor, and c) generally
> exercises a high degree of control over the process?  meanwhile, the
> instructor/helper is mostly an observer, whose main interaction would be
> to type text into a window that would then be echoed in real time on the
> student's screen (assuming a telephone was not more convenient).
> 
> can we see some possibilities for long range customer support?  for
> system administrators assisting users without running/driving/flying around?

Way back in the dark ages (late 70s-early 80s) was an operating
system named TOPS-20 (aka TWENEX) which ran on the DECsystem-20.
One of the more useful features was an "advise" command which
allowed you to see what someone else was doing and help them out.
To get advice, you would say something like "advise fred" and fred
would get a message saying "sally wants to advise you, is that OK?".
If you answered no, the system would not permit the advise.

As an aside, there was also some sort of a "spy" command which could
be used (I think) only by appropriately privileged users.

I assume other people have implemented similar things for other operating
systems, as well as for various windowing systems.  These are very useful,
and provided that they are implemented properly do not provide for
snooping/eavesdropping/spying.

The rub: the X architecture doesn't lend itself extremely well to
asking the user of an X server whether it's OK for another user to
connect...other than using the authentication mechanisms, which
isn't as useful as an interactive approver.  Of course, you could
implement various clients which would play go-between.

If anyone out there has something similar to "advise", I would be
most interested in getting a copy.
-- 
Jeremy Epstein			TRW Systems Division
UUCP: uunet!trwacs!epstein	Internet: epstein@trwacs.fp.trw.com
+1 703/876-8776