Google Docs has been released

[Genecks]

Maybe I'm late on this, but I recently noticed Google let out it's project "Google Docs." I've been using GMail as a way to save my paper drafts for school. I even wrote an article on writingforums.com about using GMail to save drafts and final drafts. It seems that Google caught on to people using GMail for academic and general writing.

 

The importance of this is that Google Mail automatically saves text that a person types. It saves every so often. Also, the saved file is on Google's server. If your computer crashes, it doesn't matter. The file is saved on Google's servers. That's the great part about it. The only downside is if Google's servers crashed; but a person could always back up the file before he or she walks away from the computer.

 

However, it seems that Google did catch onto people's need for a virtual storage medium that can travel with them. Google created Google Docs specifically for this purpose. It allows a person to type of documents, check them for spelling errors, and save drafts. Yet the best part, in my opinion, is the ability to check revisions. In other words, it saves the draft about every thirty seconds, as long as a person stays consistent. You can check through the savepoints and see the revisions that have been done since then.

 

With microsoft word, I would have to look through various saved files. However, Google Docs makes this take easy and simple.

 

Another great feature is the ability to double space text. However, I believe a downside is the inability to create margins for the documents. I tried altering the HTML (you can alter the documents HTML), but the margins didn't take effect. I'm hoping I can find a way to have the Modern Language Association format.

 

Altogether, I'm going to be using Google Docs whenever I type up a paper. I'm sick of losing disks, having my computer crash, etc. I wouldn't rely on it too much because there might be a time when a person can't save. However, I trust writing on Google Mail or Google Docs more than writing with a word processor program.

 

Internet writing is the wave of the future.

[ecoli]

I'm guessing the best way to do it, is to use google docs to type everything out, but copy it into Word for layout purposes before printing.

[Bluenoise]

Thanks for mentioning it. I'll check it out. Microsofts going to hate this.

[Genecks]

Microsofts going to hate this.

 

Not a doubt in my mind.

 

I'm guessing the best way to do it, is to use google docs to type everything out, but copy it into Word for layout purposes before printing.

 

Exactly.

 

I really haven't been using Microsoft Word since I learned how to save drafts in GMail. Now that I can use Google Docs, I'm going to do formatting in Microsoft Works Word Processor, a program typically bundled for free with Windows operating systems. I typically use MS programs for footnotes, headers, bibliographies, margins, and saving files to a disk.

 

The same things could be done with openoffice.org, but I simply use the freely bundled programs that come with Windows. However, some people might object to Google Docs not being great because of no grammar checker. Well, I didn't see one. But I do know that a person cannot rely on a program to check his or her grammar. I've often fought with Microsoft Office's opinion of my grammar. I've thought at times, "You're wrong. I'm right." Therefore, a person can't rely on grammar checkers; but they do sometimes seem to pick up little errors.

 

I'm thinking about investing in Google. They might create a whole new world of "Internet programs."

[ecoli]

I'm thinking about investing in Google. They might create a whole new world of "Internet programs."

my dad was going to when they first went public, and he regrets not doing so now.

 

They do indeed have a lot of programs, but many of them aren't very popular. I recently found out they have a networking site like Myspace that nobody uses (though for some reason it's popular with Indians)

[-Demosthenes-]

I've using it for months, it used to Writely until Google bought it.

[ecoli]

I've using it for months, it used to Writely until Google bought it.

 

[bascule]

Yeah, Google Docs came out over a month ago. It's basically Writely + Google Spreadsheets.

[-Demosthenes-]

I think Google owned it before it became part of "Google Docs," and it was just called "Writely" and was seperate (kind of like YouTube right now). Yeah, I used it when it was Writely, stayed pretty much the same since then. It's a really good idea though.