Feedback mechanism

1. A method for determining and displaying status of a plurality of computers of recipients of a presentation, the method comprising:

a computer of a presenter of the presentation receiving a specification of first and second separate groups of the recipients' computers, wherein the presenter's computer receives the specification of the first and second groups from the presenter, and an indication that the first group of the recipients' computers is slower than the second group of recipients' computers in receiving updates to a screen that is used in the presentation and sent by the presenter's computer, all of the recipient computers of the first and second groups being programmed to respond to receipt of a screen update from the presenter with an indication of receipt of the screen update;

subsequently, the presenter's computer transmitting a current screen update, used in the presentation, to the plurality of recipients' computers;

the presenter's computer receiving a first indication that a first recipient's computer of the second group has completely received the current screen update, and in response, the presenter's computer updating a graphical gauge displayed to the presenter to indicate receipt of the current screen update by some, but not all of the recipients' computers in the second group irrespective of whether any recipient computer of the first group of members has received the current screen update;

the presenter's computer receiving a second indication that a recipient's computer of the first group has completely received the current screen update;

subsequently, the presenter's computer receiving indications from all other recipients' computers of the second group of complete receipt of the current screen update, and in response, the presenter's computer updating the graphical gauge to indicate full completion of receipt of the current screen update by all the recipients' computers of the second group irrespective of whether any recipient computer of the first group of members has transmitted an indication of receipt of the current screen update.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving statistics about a rendering response speed from each recipient's computer and, on that basis, reporting to the presenter's computer a slowest group of recipients' computers, wherein in receiving the first indication that the first recipient's computer of the second group has completely received the current screen update is responsive to reporting to the presenter's computer the slowest group of computers.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein updating the graphical gauge to indicate full completion of receipt of the current screen update by all the recipients' computers of the second group comprises removing the graphical gauge from the presenter's screen.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

responsive to transmitting the current screen update to at least two recipient computers, transmitting a summary of visual elements of the screen update.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first indication is based on the summary of visual elements.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first indication is a predetermined data sequence that indicates an up-to-date state with respect to data received at the first recipient's computer.

7. A method for determining and displaying status of a plurality of computers of recipients of a presentation, the method comprising:

a computer of a presenter of the presentation receiving a specification of first and second separate groups of the recipients' computers, and an indication that the first group of the recipients' computers is slower than the second group of recipients' computers in receiving updates to a screen that is used in the presentation and sent by the presenter's computer, all of the recipient computers of the first and second groups being programmed to respond to receipt of a screen update from the presenter with an indication of receipt of the screen update;

subsequently, the presenter's computer transmitting a current screen update, used in the presentation, to the plurality of recipients' computers;

the presenter's computer receiving a first indication that a first recipient's computer of the second group has completely received the current screen update, wherein the first indication indicates which visual element, among a group of visual elements that comprise the screen update, is completely rendered to the first recipient's computer, wherein out-of-date host visual elements are a remainder among the group of visual elements that comprise the screen update, relative to visual elements that are completely rendered to the first recipient's computer;

in response to receiving a first indication that a first recipient's computer of the second group has completely received the current screen update, the presenter's computer updating a graphical gauge displayed to the presenter to indicate receipt of the current screen update by some, but not all of the recipients' computers in the second group irrespective of whether any recipient computer of the first group of members has transmitted an indication;

the presenter's computer receiving a second indication that a recipient's computer of the first group has completely received the current screen update;

subsequently, the presenter's computer receiving indications from all other recipients' computers of the second group of complete receipt of the current screen update, and in response, the presenter's computer updating the graphical gauge to indicate full completion of receipt of the current screen update by all the recipients' computers of the second group irrespective of whether any recipient computer of the first group of members has received the current screen update; and

rendering, to a display of the presenter's computer, a graphic filter to each out-of-date host visual element to degrade its visibility.

8. A computer program product for determining and displaying status of a plurality of computers of recipients of a presentation, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage device and program instructions stored thereon, the program instructions comprising:

program instructions to receive, by a computer of a presenter of the presentation, a specification of first and second separate groups of the recipients' computers, and an indication that the first group of the recipients' computers is slower than the second group of recipients' computers in receiving updates to a screen that is used in the presentation and sent by the presenter's computer, all of the recipient computers of the first and second groups being programmed to respond to receipt of a screen update from the presenter with an indication of receipt of the screen update, wherein the presenter's computer receives the specification of the first and second groups from the presenter;

program instructions to subsequently transmit, via the presenter's computer, a current screen update, used in the presentation, to the plurality of recipients' computers;

program instructions to receive, at the presenter's computer, a first indication that a first recipient's computer of the second group has completely received the screen update and in response, update a graphical gauge displayed to the presenter to indicate receipt of the current screen update by some, but not all of the recipients' computers in the second group irrespective of whether any recipient computer of the first group of members has received the current screen update;

program instructions to receive, at the presenter's computer, a second indication that a recipient's computer of the first group has completely received the current screen update; and

program instructions to receive, subsequently, indications from all other recipients' computers of the second group of complete receipt of the current screen update, and in response, update, at the presenter's computer, the graphical gauge to indicate full completion of receipt of the current screen update by all recipients' computers of the second group irrespective of whether any recipient computer of the first group of members has transmitted an indication of receipt of the current screen update.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 , further comprising program instructions to receive statistics about a rendering response speed from each recipient's computer and, on that basis, report to the presenter's computer a slowest group of recipients' computers, wherein program instructions to receive the first indication that the first recipient's computer of the second group has completely received the current screen update is responsive to reporting to the presenter's computer the slowest group of computer.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein program instructions to update the graphical gauge to indicate full completion of receipt of the current screen update by all the recipients' computers of the second group comprises program instructions to remove the graphical gauge from the presenter's screen.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 , further comprising:

program instructions to transmit the current screen update.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the first indication is based on the summary of visual elements.

13. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the first indication is a predetermined data sequence that indicates an up-to-date state with respect to data received at the first recipient's computer.

14. A computer program product for determining and displaying status of a plurality of computers of recipients of a presentation, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage device and program instructions stored thereon, the program instructions comprising:

program instructions to receive, by a computer of a presenter of the presentation, a specification of first and second separate groups of the recipients' computers, and an indication that the first group of the recipients' computers is slower than the second group of recipients' computers in receiving updates to a screen that is used in the presentation and sent by the presenter's computer, all of the recipient computers of the first and second groups being programmed to respond to receipt of a screen update from the presenter with an indication of receipt of the screen update, wherein the first indication indicates which visual element, among a group of visual elements that comprise the screen update, is completely rendered to the first recipient's computer, wherein out-of-date host visual elements are a remainder among the group of visual elements that comprise the screen update, relative to visual elements that are completely rendered to the first recipient's computer;

program instructions, in response to receiving a first indication that a first recipient's computer of the second group has completely received the screen update, to update a graphical gauge displayed to the presenter to indicate receipt of the current screen update by some, but not all of the recipients' computers in the second group irrespective of whether any recipient computer of the first group of members has received the current screen update;

program instructions to receive, at the presenter's computer, a second indication that a recipient's computer of the first group has completely received the current screen update;

program instructions to receive, subsequently, indications from all other recipients' computers of the second group of complete receipt of the current screen update, and in response, update, at the presenter's computer, the graphical gauge to indicate full completion of receipt of the current screen update by all recipients' computers of the second group irrespective of whether any recipient computer of the first group of members has transmitted an indication of receipt of the current screen update; and

program instructions to render, to a display of the presenter's computer, a graphic filter to each out-of-date host visual element to degrade its visibility.