CU-SeeMe Reflectors for Multiparty Conferencing

The CU-SeeMe Reflector was constructed out of necessity, there being no support in the Macintosh TCP/IP facilities for multicast. You need to use a CU-SeeMe reflector to have a multiparty conference using CU-SeeMe software on the Internet. CU-SeeMe reflectors provide the ability to send multicast but not to receive. Without reflectors only point-to-point connections connecting two CU-SeeMe users are possible at this time.

Reflector Etiquette

In consideration for those who operate reflectors, please observe the following practices when connecting to someone else's reflector:

• DO email the contact person for each reflector to clarify your use of the reflector and how you are planning to use the connection and for (approximately) how long.
• DON'T stay connected for extended periods (hours) unless invited to do so. "Hanging out" is something to do on your own reflector.
• DON'T leave a transmission going with a still image (or worse) with a message crawling. It uses bandwidth on the net and capacity on the reflector.
• DON'T play a VCR tape. CU-SeeMe opens up ready access to LIVE video. Canned video typically uses more bandwidth as well as conveying any old information better transmitted in another medium.
• DON'T set your Maxkbps (cap) above 100 kbps. DON'T set change threshold below 20. Preferably just use the defaults.

A GENERAL CAUTION: Currently CU-SeeMe conferences are open to viewing by anyone who connects with an active reflector. Anyone who hangs out on an active reflector can see anyone who tunes in to that reflector as reflector software repeats all streams of a conference to all receivers.

PLEASE TREAT THE INTERNET KINDLY--keep b/w limits set down under 100kbps, or less if you share limited bandwidth with others. Many, many folks connected to the Internet can use CU-SeeMe with default settings and cause no problem to anyone else; but unfortunately, not everyone. If you don't know whether using CU-SeeMe will mess up the network for someone else, CHECK IT OUT first, please.