Real-Time Collaboration in Thetapad: Write Together, Seamlessly

The Collaboration Challenge

Writing with collaborators has traditionally been painful:

The email method:

thesis_final.tex
thesis_final_v2.tex
thesis_final_v2_johns_edits.tex
thesis_final_v2_johns_edits_FINAL.tex
thesis_final_v2_johns_edits_FINAL_REAL.tex

The "please don't touch my section" method:

• "I'm editing chapter 3—don't change it"
• Hours of coordination overhead
• Merge conflicts when someone forgets

The real-time method:

• Everyone edits together
• Changes appear instantly
• No conflicts, no coordination

Let's explore how Thetapad makes this work.

How Real-Time Collaboration Works

Operational Transformation

When you type, Thetapad doesn't just save your changes—it transforms them relative to everyone else's edits:

You type: "hello"
    ↓
[Your edit: insert "hello" at position 42]
    ↓
[Server: Alice inserted "world" at position 40]
    ↓
[Transform: Your edit becomes position 47]
    ↓
Everyone sees: "worldhello"

This happens in milliseconds. You never see conflicts—just the merged result.

Conflict-Free by Design

Traditional version control asks: "How do we merge divergent changes?"

Real-time collaboration asks: "How do we prevent divergence?"

The answer: Send every keystroke immediately. Changes never diverge because they're integrated as they happen.

Getting Started with Collaboration

Sharing Your Project

1. Open your project in Thetapad
2. Click the Share button (top right)
3. Choose access level:
   • View - See the document, can't change
   • Comment - Add comments, no editing
   • Edit - Full editing access
4. Copy the link and send to collaborators

Joining a Shared Project

Collaborators simply:

1. Click the shared link
2. Start working (no account required for guests)

Managing Collaborators

See who's in the document:

• Colored cursors show each person's position
• Name labels appear next to cursors
• Active users listed in the sidebar

Collaboration Features

Real-Time Cursors

See exactly where everyone is:

Alice: |  ← typing in introduction
Bob: |     ← editing methodology
You: |     ← working on results

Cursors are color-coded by user. Hover to see names.

Selection Highlighting

When someone selects text:

• Their selection appears in their color
• Helps avoid editing the same passage
• Shows what they're working on

Presence Indicators

Know who's active:

• Green dot: Currently editing
• Yellow dot: In document but idle
• Grey: Recently left

In-Document Comments

Leave feedback without editing:

% This is the actual text
\section{Introduction}
% ↓ Comment attached here
% [Alice]: Should we cite Smith2024 here?
% [You]: Good idea, I'll add it.

Comments are:

• Attached to specific text
• Threaded for conversations
• Resolvable when addressed

Track Changes Mode

For formal review:

1. Enable Track Changes in settings
2. All edits are marked:
   • Additions in green
   • Deletions in red
3. Accept or reject changes individually

Version Snapshots

Create named versions:

• "Before advisor review"
• "After peer feedback"
• "Final submission"

Restore any snapshot instantly.

Workflow Patterns

The Parallel Writing Pattern

Best for: Initial drafting with multiple authors

Main document structure:
├── intro.tex      ← Alice writes
├── methods.tex    ← Bob writes
├── results.tex    ← Carol writes
└── discussion.tex ← You write

Everyone writes their section simultaneously. Integration is automatic.

The Review Pattern

Best for: Incorporating feedback from advisors/reviewers

1. Author shares document with Edit access
2. Reviewer makes changes directly
3. Author reviews changes in Track Changes mode
4. Accept/reject each change

The Live Editing Pattern

Best for: Real-time work sessions

1. Schedule a video call
2. Everyone opens the document
3. Discuss and edit simultaneously
4. See changes as they happen

Great for deadline crunch sessions.

The Async Handoff Pattern

Best for: Different time zones, schedules

1. You edit during your working hours
2. Leave comments for collaborators
3. They continue during their hours
4. Document progresses 24/7

Best Practices

Communication

Do: Use comments liberally

% [Note]: This section needs citations
% [TODO]: Add figure 3 here
% [Question]: Should we include this data?

Do: Announce major changes

• "I'm restructuring section 3"
• "Removing old methodology"

File Organization

Do: Split into manageable files

\input{sections/intro}
\input{sections/methods}
\input{sections/results}

Benefits:

• Less chance of editing same area
• Clearer ownership
• Easier to track changes

Conflict Avoidance

Do: Claim sections when starting

• "I'm working on the abstract now"
• Cursor position shows your focus

Don't: Edit near active cursors

• If you see Alice's cursor in a paragraph, work elsewhere
• Wait for her to move, or comment for later

Version Control

Do: Create snapshots at milestones

• Before major edits
• Before sharing with reviewers
• After each revision round

Do: Name snapshots meaningfully

• "Pre-revision-1" not "backup"
• "Advisor-review-sent" not "v2"

Collaboration Permissions

Permission Levels

| Permission | View | Comment | Edit | Share | Delete | |------------|------|---------|------|-------|--------| | Viewer | Yes | No | No | No | No | | Commenter | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | | Editor | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | | Owner | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |

Access Control

• Set project-level defaults
• Upgrade individual users
• Revoke access anytime
• Set expiration dates on links

Guest Access

For external reviewers:

1. Create a view/comment link
2. Set expiration (e.g., 2 weeks)
3. They access without account
4. Link expires automatically

Real-World Examples

Multi-Author Paper

Scenario: 5 authors, 3 institutions, 2 time zones

Setup:

• Shared project, all editors
• Chapter per author
• Weekly sync meetings

Workflow:

1. Draft independently in assigned sections
2. Comment on others' sections
3. Meet weekly to discuss
4. Final integration before deadline

Thesis with Advisor

Scenario: Student + advisor feedback cycle

Setup:

• Student as owner
• Advisor as commenter (or editor)
• Track changes enabled

Workflow:

1. Student writes chapter
2. Creates snapshot "Chapter 3 draft"
3. Shares with advisor
4. Advisor comments/edits
5. Student addresses feedback
6. Repeat until approved

Conference Deadline Crunch

Scenario: 3 people, 1 day, tight deadline

Setup:

• Live video call
• All editing simultaneously
• Real-time cursors

Workflow:

1. Divide remaining work
2. Edit in parallel
3. Communicate via call
4. See progress in real-time
5. Submit together

Troubleshooting

"I can't see my collaborator's changes"

Solutions:

• Refresh the page
• Check internet connection
• Verify they have edit access

"There's a merge conflict in my .tex file"

This shouldn't happen with real-time collaboration. If you see Git-style conflicts:

• Someone may have edited offline
• Re-sync the document
• Manually resolve if needed

"My cursor is jumping around"

Cause: Rapid changes from collaborator

Solution:

• Work in different file sections
• Wait for them to finish in that area

"Changes aren't saving"

Check:

• Internet connection
• Browser console for errors
• Try refreshing

Conclusion

Real-time collaboration transforms academic writing:

• No more versioning chaos - One document, always current
• No more merge conflicts - Changes integrate instantly
• No more coordination overhead - Just write together
• No more email attachments - Share a link, done

Start collaborating on your next paper. Invite your co-authors. Experience the difference.

Try Thetapad's collaboration features free—invite unlimited collaborators on any plan.