Google Docs, Wikis and Dropbox

I think that Google Docs is a great idea, and I can see applications for it for working on documents with a group that are geographically dispersed, and think that it might be a good thing for the IOTI systems librarians to utlise to work on documents together. I'm not sure if it has all the functionality that the microsoft products do - but then again how many of us use all the functions anyway. I have shared some docuaments with colleagues, created some forms that feed into spread sheets and set up notifications for when content is added to them. Very handy.

I have previously used docs to upload files to a web site which is used as the library's staff wiki and staff manual online, and to archive presentations that I have given at conferences and seminars. It is handy to be able to acccess them without having to log onto work to do so.

I tried to set up dropbox, but it kept flickering back to the connection screen before I was finished inputting the proxy details, on my work pc. I have successfully set it up on my moblie phone, and think that I should maybe back up the text of my Masters to it... mmmm have to think about that one over the weekend. I figured out at the end that this was a problem with the proxy web server and the firewall.

We are currently moving our staff manual from a printed and pdf format to a google sites wiki. I love the fact that it is searchable, and hopefully more user friendly than a huge A4 folder.