Reviewing ~Google Docs~

[Get Addicted to it!]
Google Docs is one of the many office suits people use to create documents on computer. At first glance, it doesn’t seem any more different than Microsoft Word and hundreds of other programs with the same purpose.


But, as many others would have felt, Google Docs was the perfect example where one should not judge a book by its covers. Google Docs is distinguished by four characteristics.




1. Multiple User Collaboration System ★★★★★

Unlike Microsoft word processor, Google Docs is web-based. This means that different people in different places can work on the same document simultaneously. This most convenient technique helps people save time wasted on reviewing, revising and arguing. Since, people can voice their opinions of other’s writings at the same time as others write; documents can be reviewed by our teammates the moment we create a document, thereby saving time that would have otherwise been wasted on responding to each teammate’s suggestion.

When several people are writing and editing the same document, the cursors and the shade that show which parts are selected are given different colours.



2. Security ★★★☆☆
Another important factor in evaluating office suits is their security measures. Often, people hesitate from using web-based office suits on the basis that the use of internet makes it prone to leaking. However, the possibility of such an incident is as low as the possibility of my computer falling under remote control by some genius hacker. Plus, even if other people are logged in to Google Docs, there is no fear of the document becoming opened to other users. This is also true for people that worked with the same group members just a minute ago. To illustrate, let’s assume that there were six co-workers that belonged to the same team and worked on the same project. Among the many tasks that the team was burdened with, one task was meant for only three of them, Cedric, Kendrick, and Edrik. But, because the team was working on another topic a moment ago, Beth forgot and attempted to get access to the document which she was forbidden to. In such a case, Beth would find out that the document page does not react to her clicks.

3. Document History ★★★★☆

A chief concern for many office workers is the safety of their documents. People, whether they be a student writing his application letters or a senate editing his Thanksgiving speech, always worry about their files getting blown up to nothing. Mainly, two types exist for such accidents. It can be done by the collaborators of the file. Often, people either forget to save their documents before they end the page or they save the file when they did not intend to. But, the agony of realizing what a fool I am can be saved thanks to Google Docs. Even if such an accident occurs, a perfect history of the file remains in the REVISE column and can be used to change the document to any previous state. Also, computer viruses can wipe out the whole memory of your hardware in one stroke. But, documents in Google Docs are not affected by such follies.

4. Reasonable Accessibility ★★★☆☆
Google Docs is free for all people with a Google account. Almost all office suit producers provide their programs at their chosen price. Even if people need to create a Google account for accessibility, the account itself is free. Moreover, Google account is a vitally needed perquisite to enjoy the benefits of Multiple User Collaboration System, whereas other web-based office suits require unnecessary steps to use it.


I first came upon Google docs while preparing a debate case with my friends. Although all of us were KMLA students, our gender were not the same and none of us had a lot of shared schedules. Faced with such obstacles, we were desperately searching for new methods of communication other than sending document’s to each other’s mail all the time when we stumbled across this brilliant program.
Google Docs is a wonderful program that I hope to share with my friends. Despite its differences to traditional mechanisms and the unfamiliarity that follows it, I believe it is a small cost compared to the benefits.