From: serge@princeton.EDU (Serge J. Goldstein)
Subject: Re: TalkBack 1.0
Originator: news@nimaster
Keywords: public window manager TalkBack security 
Organization: Princeton University
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 21:36:27 GMT

In article <1992Oct14.144653.16751@kakwa.ucs.ualberta.ca>  
nshade@niagara.ucs.ualberta.ca (NightShade Software) writes:
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> 
> CONTACT:  NightShade Software
>           Box 60063, U of A Postal Outlet
>           Edmonton, Alberta
>           Canada  T6G 2S4
>           Phone: (403) 439-8718
>           E-MAIL: nshade@niagara.ucs.ualberta.ca
> 
> ANNOUNCING: Unlimited TalkBack 1.0 DEMO
> 
> NightShade Software is proud to announce the release of a 
> unlimited demo version of TalkBack, a versatile conferencing 
> application for the NeXT computer.
> 
> TalkBack 1.0 offers an easy to use NeXTMail-like interface, 
> and allows any number of users with NeXTs connected to a 
> TCP/IP network to interactively send messages consisting of 
> voice, rich-text, and file-attachments to each other.  All 
> messages are stored in a local archive for later review.
> 
> TalkBack uses a true peer-to-peer network model, meaning 
> that there is no centralized "server".  Users can create, 
> join, and exit conferences at any time.  A single user can 
> participate in any number of conferences at once using the 
> NeXT's standard "Multiple Document" metaphor.
> 
> DETAILS ON "UNLIMITED DEMO"
> 
> TalkBack version "1.0 DEMO" is FREE.  That's right, it costs 
> $0.00, and is not crippled in any way.  Why are we doing 
> this?
> 
> We started writing TalkBack using NeXTSTEP 2.1.  Being a 
> small company, we didn't have advance access to 3.0 like the 
> Big Guys.  Now that we have 3.0, we've decided that TalkBack 
> can greatly benefit from the use of the new 3.0 features.
> 
> We were faced with a tricky decision -- should we ignore 3.0 
> for a while longer, and polish off the 2.1 version of 
> TalkBack, or should we devote all our energy to creating a 
> new TalkBack, taking full advantage of NeXTSTEP 3.0 (and 
> make people wait even longer)?  We decided to try something 
> a bit different.
> 
> We have frozen development of the 2.1-compatible TalkBack, 
> and are releasing it as freeware, so that the people who 
> have been waiting for TalkBack can start using it, while we 
> work on the much more powerful TalkBack for 3.0.
> 
> Here are the catches:
>  
> - TalkBack 1.0 is distributed as-is, with no warranties or 
> support of any kind
> 
> - TalkBack 1.0 will not be upgraded in any way, including 
> bug fixes or new features
> 
> - TalkBack 1.0 will not be message-compatible with future 
> versions of TalkBack
> 
> - TalkBack 1.0 is NOT in the public domain; it can be freely 
> distributed, but not sold
> 
> - Persons wishing to distribute TalkBack 1.0 as part of a 
> collection of NeXT demonstration software should contact 
> NightShade Software for permission
> 
> Work is already underway on the 3.0-specific version of 
> TalkBack.  This will NOT be a free program; it will be a 
> fully supported commercial application, with many powerful 
> new features.
> 
> AVAILABILITY:
> 
> TalkBack is available for anonymous ftp from the following 
> archive sites:
> 
>     sonata.cc.purdue.edu (/pub/next/2.0-release/demos)
>     cs.orst.edu (/pub/next/demos)
> 
> The file is named TalkBack1.0.tar.Z.  Note that it may 
> initially be located in /pub/next/submissions on either of 
> the above sites.
> 
> If you don't have Internet access, or don't know how to use 
> anonymous ftp, contact NightShade software for alternate 
> shipping options.
I just installed this and tried it out.  It sounds like a wonderful program.   
Unfortunately, it requires that you turn on "public window server". The  
security implications of doing this are serious enough that they will disuade  
most people from using the demo.
  
When will NeXT realize how important it is to implement some security and  
control over the display manager (at least at the level of X's xhost program)? 
There are so many instances where I wanted to run apps on machine X, and  
display the output on machine Y, and I simply couldn't do it because I didn't  
want to open up my machine to the entire internet.

Serge J. Goldstein
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.misc