Using Google Docs

Today, we were able to successfully edit and put together a document using Google Docs.

It’s actually really easy.

Also, it seems to have incorporated the live updating features of Google Wave into the system.

So we were able to see our edits live as we were typing them.

I had use prior versions of Google Docs, and I don’t remember that being one of the features.

This additional wave-like feature made collaboration super easy, especially over the phone.

It is a bit surprising that they didn’t included functionality like that into the Docs web client.

I mean, it’s there with Google Chat

Maybe a future feature is to have the Google Chat - Voice and Video, also available to use in the side bar with the text so that we can conference in discussions and see each other while we edit documents?

There are some quirks here and there.

For example, with the way it handles sharing documents and folders...

Reassigning ownership and then wanting to remove the folder from your Docs list seems to give it a bit of a headache and it doesn’t seem to work.

It will show that it has “deleted”, but it will reappear when you refresh.

And that goes for your collaborators as well. Even the owner won’t be able to delete it!

All in all, a good experience.

If you haven’t used it, I recommend trying it out with someone.

You may be pleasantly surprised.