Vermont’s 23 Things

#19 Take a look at some online productivity (wordprocessing, spreadsheet) tools

Last week we saw how we could collaborate with others on web pages using wikis. This week we will learn how to collaborate to create text documents using the web-based applications Google Docs and Zoho Writer. Word processing applications are just one of the free applications included in Google Docs and Zoho.

If you’ve used Microsoft Office applications, you’ll find that the core features you see in Google Docs and Zoho match up surprisingly well. And, as with the other tools you’ve learned about from your Vermont’s 23 Things adventures, all you need is a web browser and an internet connection.

The availability and use of free web-based online productivity applications (word processing, spreadsheets, calendars, presentations, project management, and web conferencing) has exploded over the past few years. These powerful applications provide users with the ability to create and share documents over the internet without the need to install applications on their computers. Some experts speculate that this emerging trend may mean the death of Microsoft Office and other software-based productivity tools, while others think web-based applications have their place, but not in the office. But no matter which side of the office suite platform you side with, on this both sides seem to agree: web-based applications have their place.

One large benefit to web-based applications is that they eliminate the need to worry about different applications or software versions different people have on their local computers. Other bonuses are that they easily accommodate collaboration by allowing multiple users to edit the same file using the “share” feature, the ability to roll back to a previous version, and they provide users the ability to easily save and convert documents as multiple file types (including .doc, .pdf and .html). And, you can even use many of these tools, such as Zoho Writer and Google Docs to author and publish posts to your blog. It’s this type of integration with other Web 2.0 tools that also makes web-based applications so appealing.

Resources:

• A short list of web-based productivity applications authored in Zoho Writer
• The same list, authored in Google Docs
• A slide show from Slideshare for some more examples of free online productivity tools.

Exercises:

1. Take a look at the resources listed above. Play around with several of the web-based applications. Compare features and usability.
2. Create a free account for yourself in either Zoho Writer or Google Docs.
3. Explore the word processing application and its features by creating a few test documents.
4. Create a blog post about your discoveries:How does the application you chose compare to word processing software you’re familiar with? What features did you like/dislike the most? Can you think of any ways the application you chose would be useful to you?

Optional: If you’re up for the challenge, try writing your blog entry in Zoho Writer or Google Docs and then using the “publish” feature to post it to your blog. If you’re up for more challenges, try creating documents using the other applications (spreadsheets, presentations, calendars, etc…)

GOOGLE DOCS:

• Watch the YouTube video Google Docs in Plain English.
• Take the Google Docs tour.
• Go to docs.google.com. Login to your Google Account (if you created a Google Reader account during RSS week) or create a new account.
  
• Explore the site and create a test document or two.

OPTIONAL: If you have an e-mail address for someone else participating in Vermont’s 23 Things, invite them to read and edit your document. You do this by clicking on the Share tab.

ZOHO:

• Watch the Zoho Tutorial
• Create a free account for yourself in Zoho Writer.
• Explore the site and create a test document or two.

OPTIONAL: If you have an e-mail address for someone else participating in Vermont’s 23 Things, invite them to read and edit your document. You do this by clicking on the Share tab.