While projecting a single application, if I open another, viewers see a gray area.

[marinaangeli]

Hello.
So I use Webex for status meetings. I need to project the browser so everyone sees the dashboard, and take notes of action items.
If I open any other application besides the one being projected, the viewers see a gray box. 
I believe the expected behavior should that they are still able to see the app that I am sharing, as it happens to all other teleconference software.

This issue is company-wide and everybody complains about it.

My window

Viewer's window:

[Fritz_H]

Hi Marina,

When sharing "screen content" you may either share an application-window OR a whole screen.

The difference is:
when sharing an application-window all other screen-content will be greyed out.
This is an intended behavior to protect your privacy.

when sharing a whole screen, all content that is visible, will be part of your presentation.
That means: whether if its a pop-up-message from another application running in the background (incoming eMail-Message..?), or some confidential files in the background ("mass layoffs Q2-2020.xls" ?) etc.
all that will be visible to your meetings-participants.

You decide.

Edit: look at your Screenshot, the orange label at the top: it says: "Your are sharing Microsoft Word" - therefore your meeting-partners see exactly that: the content of your "Microsoft Word" - and nothing else.
I am not aware if Webex is capable to share windows of multiple applications...
If it´s not: just consider sharing the whole screen (but mind to hide the confidential stuff first....)

kind regards
Fritz

[marinaangeli]

Thank you for your reply.

I am aware of the differences. What I was wondering is why do they have to see the gray area instead of just seeing the app I am presenting without any interruptions. 

Zoom and GChat work like that.

[Fritz_H]

Since I am no Software-Developer I can not answer this question.

Perhaps, Webex tries to transmit the screen-content exactly 1:1 as its seen by the presenter?
If something hides parts of your e.g. PowerPoint/SAP/Excel... it´s also hidden/covered for the audience.

To me it seems that Cisco did put development-manpower into this "greyed out"-feature
which makes me think that they want it that way.
But perhaps it should be an optional (on/off) behavior...

As a workaround: perhaps put your notes-taking-Application on another Screen...