WEEK 8: Google Docs & Spreadsheets

OK, I've just finished exploring Zoho and will now compare with Google Docs and Spreadsheets.
The first thing that I notice with Google is that at the lower right corner (highlighted in yellow) is "Check Spelling." Also, the highlighter pen is readily accessible. Thank you, Google.

Next, after typing my first line, Google saved my document and says so at top left corner! How reassuring. It states date and time and my name.... I don't remember giving my name but at some point in the last few months I might have... not sure if that is reassuring or disconcerting.

Other features not seen in MS WORD or Zoho:
- Ability to highlight and put quotation marks around the highlighted item. Not sure how that works, because it didn't work as I thought it would. It "pulled out" the words but didn't put them in quotes. hummm.
- Menu character used for font and font size. Once again, font size limited to even size so I can't use my preferred font size 11.
- Bottom left has a place where I could allow (Add) collaborators.
- Menu bar has less, but has tabs for other features like "insert" and "revisions"

Bottom line is that although Google offers two free, fine office tools... Zoho offers a whole lot more! Watch out Google ... or will Google or Yahoo or Ask by Zoho? It's the wild, wild West.

Potential library use: As treasurer of an academic library IT special interest group, I could use the Google Spreadsheet tool to collaborate on our annual workshop costs and revenue, although it is just as easy to send a MS Excel worksheet to executive board members.

WEEK 7: Created Unofficial Conference Wiki (#17 Thing)

Moving along... today I got an e-mail announcement reminding me of a November library conference, so I created an "unofficial" conference wiki using available and new information. Remembering that ALA annual conference had a wiki, I also looked at that for topics and ideas.

PBWIKI -- also known as Peanut Butter wiki -- was my free platform, but there were tons of promotions for upgrading to a fancier version. That was a bit distracting at first.

After my PB exercise, I sent a note to the library conference chair to see if there was interest in a conference wiki -- maybe eventually my "unofficial" wiki will become official. It is easy to add items and there is a "sandbox" for experimenting on all PB wikis. How cool.