15 January 2009
Tech Tips: Google Goodies #3 – Google Docs
If there is just one thing I want to achieve by writing this series it would be to convince law school students to start collaborating with Google Docs.
Google Docs is part of the Google Suite of programs (along with GMail, Google Reader and others) that by now people should be embracing. They’re not new, but for some reason people are still doing things the old fashioned way. If there was ever a Web 2.0 service that could make you more productive it was Google Docs.
Google Docs is for Collaboration
The whole crux of Google Docs is about collaboration. I worked on a project last year that had roughly five or six students in it. We were all working on a number of individual documents that needed constant revision. Without Google Docs, this meant using Word to edit the document, then emailing the current ‘working copy’ of the document to each other, reading through changes, making more changes and sending those changes onto the next person for their review. We had many, many ‘working copies’ of documents. Good information was lost, because the documents got confused. It wasn’t uncommon to be editing ‘DraftDocv2.7′ while someone else was already looking at ‘DraftDocv3.5′.
While I have a great respect for everyone who worked on this project and overall I feel that the project was a success, to be blunt, this system was dumb.
What we should have done is embrace Google Docs. Essentially, Google wil host the document for you. Meaning you each deal with the one ‘working copy’. You can make changes (and have those changes highlighted for others to review) and know that they wont be lost in the chinese-whispers-like email system.
Google Docs also backs things up. If you for some reason do need to revert to an older copy it’s not a problem working out where that copy is’ (ie. ‘I thought you had it?’) rather, the copy is neatly presented to you.
It also slides in nicely alongside GMail, which you should already be using for your business (ie. uni) emails. You can easily use GMail to let other people in the team know that the document has been updated. Then you can either watch as they edit the document or go off and do your own thing until you get an email alert of your own.
Finally, it’s free and easily available. Every team member can use the same text editor to work on the project. There are no ‘I cant open that file because I can’t afford the latest version of Office, can you save it as something else’ issues – it’s online and its available. Like the advantages of using GMail, this means you can work on your project from wherever there is internet access.
Google Docs is for Personal Use, Too
While not quite so helpful, Google Docs is also there to help you in your own personal use. I’m not sure I would recommend it as a note taking tool in class (but it could work fine, depending on your battery life and your internet connection) it is still an excellent service to back files up.
I mentioned in Google Goodies #1 that I always email a copy of my assignments and their drafts to myself, so they are backed up online. I still do this as GMail literally stores your exact file online, whereas Docs converts it a little bit. But it is still worthwhile uploading files to Docs if you think you might need the information sometime in the future.
For example, all the notes I have ever written for my exams have been uploaded onto my Google Docs. Any second year student will know that as soon as you’ve sat an exam, you immediately forget all of the information you were just examined on. It’s just a smart thing to do (TM). But by putting your notes on Docs, you will be able to refer to them in the future wherever you are.
This means that when the lecturer throws you the curveball and asks you about a unit you completed last year (’come on class, this is basic stuff, you should know this’) you will have access to the information. You will have absolutely no clue what your notes are saying, because you’ve forgotten everything, but trust in them and you’ll be fine.
Google Docs is for Everyone
I cannot think of any reason why a group of students working on a project together wouldn’t use Google Docs. It’s that huge. Do it.
While it is pretty unlikely that law firms are going to start using it (due to privacy issues) I’m still hoping that in a few years time there will be firms around made up of Green Grads with the skills to collaborate using today’s tech. Even if firms aren’t using Google to collaborate on their documents, they will be filled with people who know how to do it well on whatever private collaboration system they have going.
So long as we move away from that stupid ‘working draft email system’ I’m happy.
Related posts:
- Tech Tips: Google Goodies #1 – GMail
- Tech Tips: Google Goodies #2 – Google Reader
- Tech Tips: Taking Notes #1 – Word
- Tech Tips: Google Profile
- Tech Tips: Booko
