Documentation Report
Google Docs
Submitted by: Angela Goudos
12/15/2008
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
What is Google Docs? .......................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Why Google Docs Works? .................................................................................................................................................................. 4
The Problem of Document Sharing Tools ......................................................................................................................... 4
User Scenario ................................................................................................................................................................................ 5
How Google Docs Works .................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Procedures……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...……..6
DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 9
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INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this documentation report is to explain online collaboration using Google Docs and
provide users an understanding how to adapt it to their needs and situations. It illustrates what online
collaboration tools do, people’s attitudes in how they interact with them, and the problems of getting
people to use these tools. A user scenario demonstrates the conceptual problems of collaboration tools.
The tutorial is also a procedural guide that shows users step by step instruction through the process.
WHAT IS GOOGLE DOCS?
Google Docs is a free collaboration application in Google that enables users to create various
documents to share with others in real-time. It allows users to work jointly on a project. Users use the
application for work projects, collaborative academic writing papers, and other school projects.
Documents such as presentations, spreadsheets can be created, edited, and uploaded quickly.
Google Docs is preferred by many because only one document is revised or constructed, instead of
many draft versions sent through email. One document can be edited by many users at the same time. The
time it takes to send and receive email documents to a group is shortened considerably with Google Docs.
The value of Google Docs is that it is easy to use making it adaptable to fit the user’s needs. Users can
access and edit the documents from any Web browser and do not require a password to access. Google
Docs works with Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari browsers. Documents can be saved in a variety of
formats which include .PDF, .html, and .rtf and are stored securely online.
Many companies safeguard the privacy of their sensitive documents through firewalls and may
prohibit employees to use Google Docs because of its security issues. Many users feel that security is
compromised because Google Docs does not require a password check, and that documents are only
stored on Google servers. The stored data cannot be accessed by search engines or search results, unless a
document is published for anyone to see. Users choose to share documents with everyone via the publish
button. Users choose a select audience who can access and edit documents via the share button. Google
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offers these security services that may alleviate user’s doubts: Email security, Email archiving, Email
encryption, and Web security.
WHY GOOGLE DOCS WORKS?
Google Docs has the ability to bring people together to work on specific documents. A group of
people become co-authors making individual contributions to one document. There are many ways to
adapt this technology to work in different situations: creating documents, visual presentations, forms, and
user-created videos. Existing documents can be created or one can be created in the application. The
concept of the application is that it allows users to share and collaborate online. The goal is to work on
one shared document which lessens the amount of document drafts. It is a faster way to complete a
project rather than through email which can be unread or deleted.
THE PROBLEM OF DOCUMENT SHARING TOOLS
The word collaboration means “to work together, especially in a joint intellectual effort”. The
problem is “working together” does not always happen. One of the problems of document sharing tools is
convincing people to use it. Though the concept of what Google Docs does and how it can work effectively
for people is a good idea, it doesn’t work if people don’t share the same goals or ideas of a shared group
project. If they don’t feel comfortable using this type of tool, they won’t use it. It is not necessarily how
well the tool works and how useful it can be, it is people’s attitudes about using the tool. There must be a
willingness to cooperate and shared goals to collaborate on a shared document. These are a few reasons
why people are averse to his system of collaboration:
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People are resistant to change and would rather do things the old way.
People are busy and don’t have the time to learn new technology.
People don’t understand what the tool does and how they work.
In some cases, some companies prohibit this kind of collaboration tool for security
reasons.
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USER SCENARIO
This user scenario shows how people interact with a shared document.
Joe* is a buyer for a small automotive parts company. On a daily basis he emails about ten
suppliers various reports such as quotes and material pricing lists to get feedback from them. He finds
that he is not getting the expected responses in time of the deadline. After three or four attempts of calls
and emails he wonders if any of them have opened his email. He knows that email inboxes get filled to an
oversize limit and people have to wade through a lot of emails.
Joe heard about Google Docs from a colleague. He like the idea that only one document is shared,
rather than sorting through many emails. He wanted to learn more about the security of Google Docs
because he was unsure about how safe his documents were. The biggest question was if the suppliers
were not responding to his emails - how would they respond to a collaborative document in Google Docs?
He decided to create a shared Parts List so that several buyers from a specific supplier could
update. He called the buyers about the new process and made sure they created Google accounts. The
buyers seemed receptive to the new process. At the end of the week, Joe received all of the Google account
addresses. The same day two of the six buyers updated the Parts list. By the end of the next week, the
status was the same. He sent out a “courtesy” email explaining the importance. He was convinced that if
everyone shared the same goals of the project, the Google Doc would succeed.
After this email was sent, some of the buyers started updating the Parts List but others were
reluctant. Some of the reasons were that they didn’t know enough about the collaborative tool. They
wanted to know what Google Docs does and how it works for them before they began using it. Joe created
a documentation project plan that explained the concept of Google Docs and how it could benefit them in
their situation. They were co-authors making contributions to a document. They were part of a
community that had the same goals.
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Joe’s case demonstrates the way how Google Docs was used successfully by others in a group. He
structured a project plan for the document first to build a relationship with the suppliers, and had a goal
he wanted to achieve. Joe adapted Google Docs by getting people to work on a project.
HOW GOOGLE DOCS WORKS
The purpose of Google Docs is to allow users to create a document online to share with others. To
create a collaborative community, consider using these strategies: Identify the people you want to
collaborate with and know who will need editing or viewing access. Next write a project plan to build
people’s relationship to a shared document by explaining a conceptual idea of the project. Once everyone
is on board, then create Gmail accounts (which are free). Google Docs works with an Internet browser like
Firefox and Explorer.
PROCEDURES
The following is a tutorial designed to instruct users how to create a collaborative project in
Google Docs.
Create a Google account: Click on the “Get Started” button and follow prompts. Because Google
accounts are free, it makes it usable for everyone.
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This is the main screen for Google Docs. To create a new document, click “New” in the upper left
hand corner. The application has most of the formatting features as Microsoft Word to create good
documents. If users want the bells and whistles of Microsoft Word, create one there and upload
the file.
This is the “Upload a file” screen where you can import an existing document. Click on the
“Browse” button and locate a file to be uploaded. Enter a file name (optional). Click “Upload” to
import an existing document (example).
This is how it looks when a file is uploaded. Note the Style tools that are similar to Microsoft
Word. In a group document, there should be formatting rules to make the document look
uniform.
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When the document is ready to be saved by a collaborator, click on the “File” button and choose
“Save” or Control+S. Files are saved as tags instead of folders. Tags can be sorted and grouped
together by subject.
To share the document with others, click on the “Share” button. By clicking on the Share button,
the file is only shared with the people you invited or selected to view or edit the document.
This is the Add Collaborators or Viewers dialog box. To do this, you’ll need to type their Google
email address in the box. Click and choose “As Collaborators” for the people you want to
collaborate with. Click “As Viewers” for the people you want only to view a document. Click the
“Send Invitations” button.
Note the two addresses in the Folders/Sharing section. The file is now ready for collaboration.
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DISCUSSION
Technology is designed to be goal oriented to help users achieve their own goals. Writers must
write procedures explaining how and why a tool is used by providing users a conceptual vision that
allows them to understand the value of the tool. This helps users understand the tool for solving
conceptual problems and adapting the tool to fit their situations.
Getting people to use a tool requires standardizing the way we view and express common
interests to achieve the same goal. By having shared conceptual visions and goals brings people together
would improve collaboration communities.
.
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