Select a document from your local file system, provide a name for the document (optional). To upload the document to the BSCW server, confirm the selection with OK. (Note that you may provide an optional description and a rating for the document. MIME type and encoding may also be provided before upload, but are typically set correctly by the browser.) 

There are three basic ways to register new members with a BSCW server:

In addition to submitting documents in a workspace, users often add brief notes or conduct entire discussions. BSCW offers various functions for this purpose. To start a new discussion in a workspace, follow the procedure below:

1. In the appropriate folder, select the menu item File > New > Discussion or click on the Discussion icon in the action shortcut bar on the top of the page.

2. Enter your discussion contribution in the form that appears next. Enter a subject, a brief note and then select the type of contribution from the drop-down list (a corresponding icon will be displayed in the New Entry column).

3. Press OK to submit the contribution and open the discussion. Other members of the workspace can now read your contribution, reply to it or start new discussion threads. To reply to a contribution, select Reply from the contribution's action menu and fill in the fields in the form that follows.

To edit a document in a folder, the document must first be transferred from the local computer or workstation. Follow the steps below to edit a document:

1. Switch to the folder where the document is stored.

2. Transfer the document to your local computer or workstation. Select the document and instruct the web browser to save it in a local directory (Save as).

3. Select a directory/folder that will enable you to easily find the document at a later point (e.g. My BSCW Documents).

4. Edit the document by opening the copy that is stored on your local computer or workstation with the appropriate application (e.g. Microsoft Word).

5. After editing the document, save it on your local computer or workstation and then upload it to the corresponding BSCW folder by selecting Replace from the document's action menu. In the document transfer form that follows, enter the document name (including the full path) in the field provided or locate it by using the browse function.

The edited document will now be uploaded to the folder where it will replace the previous version.

Note: Some document types can be edited directly in the BSCW system (e.g. text, HTML documents and — under certain conditions — Microsoft Office documents). This can be determined by selecting the document's action menu. If the Edit action appears, the BSCW system brings up the document in a separate screen where you can edit it directly.

Replacing a document with an edited version means that the original version is lost. To prevent this, the BSCW system offers a document version control mechanism. This feature is useful if document modifications need to be visible and older versions need to be maintained for future reference.

To place a document under version control, select Version Control from the document's action menu. In the form that follows, enter the relevant information for the current document version. An edited version of a document under version control is placed in the BSCW system through the Revise menu item.

Note: Keep in mind that when locally editing a document, other users may also make modifications, which can lead to undesired effects such as losing changes of the document. To prevent this, it is recommended that you inform others in the workspace that your are editing a document or as an alternative temporarily deny third-party editing by invoking Set Lock in the document's action menu.

When documents and other objects are jointly edited in a distributed workgroup, it's essential that all members of the workgroup keep informed about the on-going editing progress. The BSCW system provides team members two important sources for this information:

1. Integrated event symbols that offer a quick overview
2. Automatic notifications included in the daily workspace reports

When workgroup members perform actions on a document (e.g. read, change, rename), a corresponding symbol is displayed next to the document name in the folder directory. An overview of the activities since the last confirmation is available by clicking on the symbol. 

The BSCW system can also generate daily workspace activity reports that provide updates on the activities in your workspace that occurred the day before. You can subscribe to the daily workspace activity report, which is sent via email, under the menu item Options > Default Event Filter.