Eudora Sharing Protocol (ESP) lets you easily share documents and discussion among a group of Eudora users, called a ESP Group. Each member of the ESP Group has their own local copies of the ESP Group's shared documents - and ESP automatically keeps those copies in sync with each other.

When you join an ESP Group, you designate a folder on your hard drive - called the ESP Group folder or shared folder. From then on, ESP keeps the latest copies of the ESP Group's shared documents in that folder. When other members of the ESP Group add, delete, or modify documents in their own ESP Group folders, those changes will automatically be reflected in your ESP Group folder. Similarly, when you make changes to your documents, those changes will be reflected in their documents.

In the graphic above, Harry, Dick, and Tom are in a ESP Group. The files tim.jpg and description.txt exist in three places - the Shared Folder on Harry's computer, the Shared Folder on Dick's computer, and the Shared Folder on Tom's computer. ESP will automatically synchronize these files among the three of them so if one person makes changes to the file, the changes will show up in all three places.

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Tips on Using ESP

Although ESP is a valuable tool for you and your group when working on the same document or file, there are some limitations. Here are a few tips on using ESP that will make working on group files more efficient.

• Do realize that the ESP folder is shared. If you take a file out of the shared folder, it will be removed from each member's shared folder.

• Do invite people to be in your group. Some of them might have to become familiar with ESP before becoming full members. As they are gaining experience, tell them how to become full members.

• Do use ESP to keep a shared list of current email addresses for group mailings. ESP updates email addresses when you change the email address for a personality. When saved in the ESP Group window, ESP asks you if you want to update both your ESP's information and other members' information or just update your ESP information. If you choose both, an email message is sent to all group members and automatically updates your changed email address.

• Do use ESP as a mini-mailing list for, perhaps, a family, group of friends, coworkers and so on. The list of email addresses stays current in all of the members' lists when the addresses are modified.

• Don't put large files in ESP. Other members of your group may have mail systems with limits on file size.

• Don't put files in ESP where group members need to work on them at the same time. ESP works best when one member works on one file at a time.

• Don't put files in ESP that need to be updated in realtime. There will be a few minute delay in updated group files.