Hey, everybody! My name is Alex Potter. Does anyone have any experience or knowledge about Google Docs? I have personally never used it, seen it, or even heard of it before this class. I guess we need to start planning out how we will accomplish each task and what kind of time line we want to work with. Also we need to post a log of our work thus far by tonight at midnight. I hope to hear from the rest of you so we can get a good start on all this. Thanks!
Hey, my name is Chris Ligon. I just sent out an email to everyone about getting this project started. I still did not really have any clue about this Wiki so I just sent it to the email addresses through Purdue. I would like everyone to email back or post here their AIM, phone numbers, or anything else that can help us get things together. A group chat would be best to figure out how we are going about this. I went ahead and posted project log for this week. I dont know if everyone is required to do this or just 1 per group. Anyways, I dont have any clue about how this Google Docs works so if anyone else knows something, PLEASE help out. Thanks!
CNET Networks, Inc. 2008 http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-9732473-2.html
This article about Google Docs basically touches on "5 things you probably didn't know you could do with Google docs." Oddly enough, that is the title of the article; besides it's strange and lengthy title, the author presents key items and tricks with Google Docs that can be helpful. The most useful of all, to me, is the search feature. With the search feature, a user can basically start typing a word or a phrase and Google Docs will simultaneously show documents containing those letters. This seems very helpful as I know I have spent way too much time at work searching through files and folders before finally finding the right thing. It is not always easy to find one particular file in a maze of security-protected files in a company's network. This feature, similar to the i-Tunes search feature, would definitely be easier and much quicker. http://www.google.com/google-d-s/intl/en/tour1.html
This source is the actual 'tour' of Google Docs on the 'Google Docs' website. It contains quite a bit of basic, and some advanced, features of the free software. Though the information presented is just basic outline of a feature (such as showing a presentation simultaneously to anyone which you have invited or allowed access to), it is presented in such a way that I start thinking of other search words or other ways to find uses. The basic information presented is a good foundation on which to build knowledge and understanding of Google Docs. It also gets me thinking and wondering about other uses or multiple uses of the software - this source will be a good starter for some 'brainstorming' of other items to touch on for the white paper. I found other sources by reading through this 'tour' and then realizing other items I should be looking into and trying to understand. http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/06/29/10-ways-to-use-the-new-google-docs-...
This source talks about 10 items which I would consider 'shortcuts,' timesavers, and general hints at the ease of Google Doc use. The title of this article is "10 Ways to Use the New Google Docs Productively," and all 10 of these items are important to understand in order to fully utilize the Google Docs application. Especially for a company or organization which may be conducting meetings through video conferencing or over the internet, Google Docs makes this much easier. One item from this article that I find particularly useful from Google Docs is the sharing; sharing files is much easier with this application than e-mail. I have had to e-mail other employees with a checksheet (spreadsheet) that I needed each individual to update and send back to me. This is not that big of a problem.. until you have to have feedback from about 50 people. Going back into the original document and slowly updating each is a pain. With Google Docs, each individual can update the checksheet and save it. One copy, done. Of course, as an added benefit, Google Docs keeps old files on backup, but this whole process is shortened by the ease of use and editing and sharing abilities of Google Docs. This white paper will be a challenge and the research was even a bit strenuous - but with Google Docs, at least creating and editing our drafts will be easier!
The first source of information that I found on Google Docs was Wikipedia. I know that Wikipedia does not always have the most reliable information when it comes to researching some topics, because it can be edited by anyone and may include biased information. But, in this case, I thought that Wikipedia was appropriate, because it reflects the usability of Google Docs, and some high points and limitations. And, for this particular topic, this source points out the opinion of someone who is familiar with, and has actually used the program. Plus, it will give the group the important general information about Google Docs, which will be very useful because the majority of our group is not very familiar with the program. It points out some of the strengths of the application and the limitations. This will be something important to note and include in the report.
The second source that I found is an article about document sharing in the corporate environment. It warns about the security that must be associated with document sharing. This is an important thing to note when we are writing our white paper. Document security is very important to large companies, and using an outside source like Google Docs might prove to be a risk. Therefore, we should definitely also do some research about the security settings within Google Docs that might prevent important information from getting into the wrong hands. This article will give us the information about the risks that many large companies face, and some things to avoid in document sharing. This way, we can see how well Google Docs follows these guidelines.
This source is a report of the thought behind Google Apps as a solution to corporate needs. Since Google Docs is a part of Google Apps, this is something that is very relevant to our topic. This report will give us information from the perspective of the Google enterprise on the intended use of the program. Though this information is likely to be one-sided, and present mostly the advantages of using Google Apps, it will still be very useful for this project. We may learn about some features of the software that are intended to solve some problems that corporations face. Also, we can learn about some suggested applications of Google Apps. This source is a little less than 2 years old, probably before the product really became known. So, we should keep this in mind when reading this report, because some information might be out of date and need verification from a different source.
This site has great information about the online software program Google Docs. Of course the site is a little bias considering it is written from the maker of Google Docs but in my case, it is ok. I am writing about the technical side of the program and functionality the program gives to its users. The technical information could not have come from any better source than its maker. This will benefit the project greatly because it will be used in a technical section of the paper, providing the reader with information about how Google Docs works and what its different options and features are. This is great information to know when someone using a white paper does not know much about the program to begin with. This section will allow the reader to quickly become familiar with the program and the benefits to using it. This article includes paragraphs of information about the different functions of Google Docs and also includes a great video clip, introducing people that have never seen the program to a new discovery.
This article does a much better job explaining how to maneuver through the Google Docs software than any Google site I found. This should be more of an unbiased site since it actually was written by About.com rather than Google itself. This site focuses on the collaboration of information and people giving you simple instructions on how to invite others to view your documents as well as tips and other references. This site also includes your system requirements needed to run the software, vital information to readers. This will greatly benefit the project because it will allow readers to understand how to move through the software. Anybody can read all the good things written about how the software is a great technology and all the advanced features it can be used for but not everybody can just go into the software and immediately know how to maneuver around and interface with it.
This site is a review done by an author that works for About.com on Google’s new application, Google Docs. This a great article to find information about Google’s docs features and all it can do for its users. This will be very useful for researching its pros and cons and comparing it to previous versions or other software programs. The author starts off by integrating a little information about the Google Doc’s history and where the idea came from. Then, the author breaks down the program into subcategories with different headings. Under each heading, brief information is conveyed about that particular category’s pros, cons, and interworking. This will be very important information when developing the white paper because this information is already broken up into categories similar to what our group will want to write about. It would be nice for each feature of Google Docs to have a quick description of what it can do and how it can be used.
Group 3
Hey, everybody! My name is Alex Potter. Does anyone have any experience or knowledge about Google Docs? I have personally never used it, seen it, or even heard of it before this class. I guess we need to start planning out how we will accomplish each task and what kind of time line we want to work with. Also we need to post a log of our work thus far by tonight at midnight. I hope to hear from the rest of you so we can get a good start on all this. Thanks!
Group 3
Hey, my name is Chris Ligon. I just sent out an email to everyone about getting this project started. I still did not really have any clue about this Wiki so I just sent it to the email addresses through Purdue. I would like everyone to email back or post here their AIM, phone numbers, or anything else that can help us get things together. A group chat would be best to figure out how we are going about this. I went ahead and posted project log for this week. I dont know if everyone is required to do this or just 1 per group. Anyways, I dont have any clue about how this Google Docs works so if anyone else knows something, PLEASE help out. Thanks!
Research - 3 Sources
CNET Networks, Inc. 2008
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-9732473-2.html
This article about Google Docs basically touches on "5 things you probably didn't know you could do with Google docs." Oddly enough, that is the title of the article; besides it's strange and lengthy title, the author presents key items and tricks with Google Docs that can be helpful. The most useful of all, to me, is the search feature. With the search feature, a user can basically start typing a word or a phrase and Google Docs will simultaneously show documents containing those letters. This seems very helpful as I know I have spent way too much time at work searching through files and folders before finally finding the right thing. It is not always easy to find one particular file in a maze of security-protected files in a company's network. This feature, similar to the i-Tunes search feature, would definitely be easier and much quicker.
http://www.google.com/google-d-s/intl/en/tour1.html
This source is the actual 'tour' of Google Docs on the 'Google Docs' website. It contains quite a bit of basic, and some advanced, features of the free software. Though the information presented is just basic outline of a feature (such as showing a presentation simultaneously to anyone which you have invited or allowed access to), it is presented in such a way that I start thinking of other search words or other ways to find uses. The basic information presented is a good foundation on which to build knowledge and understanding of Google Docs. It also gets me thinking and wondering about other uses or multiple uses of the software - this source will be a good starter for some 'brainstorming' of other items to touch on for the white paper. I found other sources by reading through this 'tour' and then realizing other items I should be looking into and trying to understand.
http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/06/29/10-ways-to-use-the-new-google-docs-...
This source talks about 10 items which I would consider 'shortcuts,' timesavers, and general hints at the ease of Google Doc use. The title of this article is "10 Ways to Use the New Google Docs Productively," and all 10 of these items are important to understand in order to fully utilize the Google Docs application. Especially for a company or organization which may be conducting meetings through video conferencing or over the internet, Google Docs makes this much easier. One item from this article that I find particularly useful from Google Docs is the sharing; sharing files is much easier with this application than e-mail. I have had to e-mail other employees with a checksheet (spreadsheet) that I needed each individual to update and send back to me. This is not that big of a problem.. until you have to have feedback from about 50 people. Going back into the original document and slowly updating each is a pain. With Google Docs, each individual can update the checksheet and save it. One copy, done. Of course, as an added benefit, Google Docs keeps old files on backup, but this whole process is shortened by the ease of use and editing and sharing abilities of Google Docs. This white paper will be a challenge and the research was even a bit strenuous - but with Google Docs, at least creating and editing our drafts will be easier!
Research Post
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Docs
The first source of information that I found on Google Docs was Wikipedia. I know that Wikipedia does not always have the most reliable information when it comes to researching some topics, because it can be edited by anyone and may include biased information. But, in this case, I thought that Wikipedia was appropriate, because it reflects the usability of Google Docs, and some high points and limitations. And, for this particular topic, this source points out the opinion of someone who is familiar with, and has actually used the program. Plus, it will give the group the important general information about Google Docs, which will be very useful because the majority of our group is not very familiar with the program. It points out some of the strengths of the application and the limitations. This will be something important to note and include in the report.
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/pdfs/iabc_cw_bulletin.pdf
The second source that I found is an article about document sharing in the corporate environment. It warns about the security that must be associated with document sharing. This is an important thing to note when we are writing our white paper. Document security is very important to large companies, and using an outside source like Google Docs might prove to be a risk. Therefore, we should definitely also do some research about the security settings within Google Docs that might prevent important information from getting into the wrong hands. This article will give us the information about the risks that many large companies face, and some things to avoid in document sharing. This way, we can see how well Google Docs follows these guidelines.
http://tbjinvestments.typepad.com/tbj_investments_llc/files/15_567_googl...
This source is a report of the thought behind Google Apps as a solution to corporate needs. Since Google Docs is a part of Google Apps, this is something that is very relevant to our topic. This report will give us information from the perspective of the Google enterprise on the intended use of the program. Though this information is likely to be one-sided, and present mostly the advantages of using Google Apps, it will still be very useful for this project. We may learn about some features of the software that are intended to solve some problems that corporations face. Also, we can learn about some suggested applications of Google Apps. This source is a little less than 2 years old, probably before the product really became known. So, we should keep this in mind when reading this report, because some information might be out of date and need verification from a different source.
Technical Information Research Post
"Google Docs." Google. 2008. 16 July 2008. http://www.google.com/google-d-s/tour2.html
This site has great information about the online software program Google Docs. Of course the site is a little bias considering it is written from the maker of Google Docs but in my case, it is ok. I am writing about the technical side of the program and functionality the program gives to its users. The technical information could not have come from any better source than its maker. This will benefit the project greatly because it will be used in a technical section of the paper, providing the reader with information about how Google Docs works and what its different options and features are. This is great information to know when someone using a white paper does not know much about the program to begin with. This section will allow the reader to quickly become familiar with the program and the benefits to using it. This article includes paragraphs of information about the different functions of Google Docs and also includes a great video clip, introducing people that have never seen the program to a new discovery.
Karch, Marziah. "How to Share and Collaborate with Google Docs." About.Com. 16 July 2008. http://google.about.com/od/toolsfortheoffice/ht/sharedochowto.htm
This article does a much better job explaining how to maneuver through the Google Docs software than any Google site I found. This should be more of an unbiased site since it actually was written by About.com rather than Google itself. This site focuses on the collaboration of information and people giving you simple instructions on how to invite others to view your documents as well as tips and other references. This site also includes your system requirements needed to run the software, vital information to readers. This will greatly benefit the project because it will allow readers to understand how to move through the software. Anybody can read all the good things written about how the software is a great technology and all the advanced features it can be used for but not everybody can just go into the software and immediately know how to maneuver around and interface with it.
Karch, Marziah. "Review of the "Docs" in Google Docs & Spreadsheets." About.Com. 16 July 2008. http://google.about.com/od/googlereviews/fr/writelyrev2.htm
This site is a review done by an author that works for About.com on Google’s new application, Google Docs. This a great article to find information about Google’s docs features and all it can do for its users. This will be very useful for researching its pros and cons and comparing it to previous versions or other software programs. The author starts off by integrating a little information about the Google Doc’s history and where the idea came from. Then, the author breaks down the program into subcategories with different headings. Under each heading, brief information is conveyed about that particular category’s pros, cons, and interworking. This will be very important information when developing the white paper because this information is already broken up into categories similar to what our group will want to write about. It would be nice for each feature of Google Docs to have a quick description of what it can do and how it can be used.