Reflections on collaborative editing research: From academic curiosity to real-world application

Nowadays, collaborative editing systems, such Google Docs, Microsoft Office Web Apps, and Codox Wave Apps (for supporting read-time editing in existing Web browser-based editors, including Gmail, Wikipedia, Evernote, and WordPress), are commonly used by hundreds of millions of people around the world. Research on collaborative editing, however, started in the 1980s as a niche area in the field of Computer-Supported Cooperative Work, and was initially driven mainly by academic curiosity. This niche area has evolved for decades and resulted in wide adoption in major IT industry products in recent years. In this paper, the author reflects on the evolution of collaborative editing research and application, including representative academic research projects, industrial products, and open source software projects. He will also share his views on the current trends, opportunities and challenges in future collaborative editing research and real-world applications.