Anyone use Google Docs?

[MickG]

Does anyone use Google docs ona regular basis or know of any security issues with it? Stumbled across it recently and have been using it for some lowrisk doc sharing but am considering using it for some more sensitive doc sharing. Would like people's feedback on how they fnd it and whether they are aware of any security issues with it....being BETA as well;)

Aye, Mick

[Captain_Rightfoot]

A friend of mine has a small business with 3/4 employees and uses it all the time. He says it's good. There are very few foibles.

[stevo68]

Whats googled docs??

Regards

Stevo

[MickG]

A friend of mine has a small business with 3/4 employees and uses it all the time. He says it's good. There are very few foibles.

Sounds about the same sort of size as one I run. Thanks for the help.

[MickG]

Whats googled docs??

Regards

Stevo

Uselful post Stevo.....very useful:(:D

[MickG]

Just found this so will research a bit more.

On September 15, 2008, a "huge security breach" – which allowed users to enumerate, view, and edit each others' files – was discovered by a security researcher in Thailand (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailand) and posted on the ISC2 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISC2) site. Believed to be due to "JavaScript error in the way in which Google manages user sessions", Google (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google) resolved the problem and declared it a "unique issue on our end in combination with a local ISP". The researcher suspected that other Google applications using the same session management code were also vulnerable, and that there "may be an underlying XSS (cross-site scripting) vulnerability as well".[4] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Docs#cite_note-3)[5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Docs#cite_note-4)

[Captain_Rightfoot]

Whats googled docs??

Regards

Stevo

Here is a story on it. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Documents) :)

It's basically free online spreadsheet, word processors, mail etc. It's has lots of good features for sharing and maintaining documents with a group of people. It's Google doing anti-MS.

[WhiteD3]

Mick,

Have a listen to this podcast and then decide.

Background Briefing - 14 September 2008 - Cloud computing (http://www.abc.net.au/rn/backgroundbriefing/stories/2008/2359128.htm)

[pommie]

Here is a story on it. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Documents) :)

It's basically free online spreadsheet, word processors, mail etc. It's has lots of good features for sharing and maintaining documents with a group of people. It's Google doing anti-MS.

I'm sure that the apps work just fine.

The issue is broader than that though - Google is becoming incidious. When it's just search facilities of public web spaces then that's probably ok (let Google then make money from advertising) - but do you know what they will do with your documents - can they "mine" them, cross reference them with your (or anyone else's) gmail, cross reference them with your videos on youtube, watch your behaviour on multiple web sites and cross reference that using google analytics.

When you have an "ID" with them (and no doubt you will have to sign up with a google ID for Google docs) - then there is nothing to prevent them from cross referencing your private and business documents with anything else that they have about you, or anyone/anything listed in your documents.... do you really trust a commercial monopoly ?

[MickG]

Mick,

Have a listen to this podcast and then decide.

Background Briefing - 14 September 2008 - Cloud computing (http://www.abc.net.au/rn/backgroundbriefing/stories/2008/2359128.htm)

Link didn't work Mark?

[WhiteD3]

I just clicked the link in your quote above and it worked for me. Try CTRL+Click.

[Captain_Rightfoot]

When you have an "ID" with them (and no doubt you will have to sign up with a google ID for Google docs) - then there is nothing to prevent them from cross referencing your private and business documents with anything else that they have about you, or anyone/anything listed in your documents.... do you really trust a commercial monopoly ?

I fully understand what you are saying there. However google is in my opinion one of the more ethical corporations out there. Infact their sudo motto was "Don't be evil" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don't_be_evil).

[MickG]

I just clicked the link in your quote above and it worked for me. Try CTRL+Click.

Working now for some reason.....thanks again;):D

[MickG]

Mick,

Have a listen to this podcast and then decide.

Background Briefing - 14 September 2008 - Cloud computing (http://www.abc.net.au/rn/backgroundbriefing/stories/2008/2359128.htm)

Excellent podcast Mark.....thanks for the link. Still listening but covers some very topical aspects of where things are heading and answers, or attempts to, in a logical manner.

Cheers, Mick

P.S. Have forwarded to a few contacts of mine who will find it very useful.

[pommie]

I fully understand what you are saying there. However google is in my opinion one of the more ethical corporations out there. Infact their sudo motto was "Don't be evil" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_be_evil).

Oh please! A motto is one thing - actions are another. There is a reason they are battling MS for "ownership" of the "cloud" ... and it's not for altruistic reasons.

[disco2hse]

When you have an "ID" with them (and no doubt you will have to sign up with a google ID for Google docs) - then there is nothing to prevent them from cross referencing your private and business documents with anything else that they have about you, or anyone/anything listed in your documents.... do you really trust a commercial monopoly ?

Ask Palin about how secure web based systems are.

Would I put anything on the net that is sensitive. Hell no :eek:

You are not only putting trust into a group of people you don't know but you are also expecting them to make sure your precious documents are not lost. And what happens if you lose your internet connection?

Alan

[Captain_Rightfoot]

Oh please! A motto is one thing - actions are another. There is a reason they are battling MS for "ownership" of the "cloud" ... and it's not for altruistic reasons.

I know a guy who works for Google. They actually do live by this. That was how I found out about it. He had two cool phrases for the evening.

"Don't be evil, Dude"
"The engineer rules, Dude"
:D

[disco2hse]

I know a guy who works for Google. They actually do live by this. That was how I found out about it. He had two cool phrases for the evening.

Big company Google. That may be the case for one person but does not represent the attitudes of all.


"Don't be evil, Dude"
"The engineer rules, Dude"
:D

Hmm. Contradiction there.

I'll be good, so long as you do as I say. ;)

[Captain_Rightfoot]

Big company Google. That may be the case for one person but does not represent the attitudes of all.



Hmm. Contradiction there.

I'll be good, so long as you do as I say. ;)

So is it inconceivable that some companies may be more ethical than others? Maybe it is...

[disco2hse]

So is it inconceivable that some companies may be more ethical than others? Maybe it is...

Maybe. But for a company to act ethically is for it to perform to the best of its abilities to provide sufficient profit for its owners/shareholders. Whatever is required, within the law, for a company to make a profit is ethically correct for it. Any company that conceivably limits what are for it additional ways to make more money is unethical. Businesses exist to make a profit, not to provide a public good. That is what trusts and charities exist to provide.

To behave in a way such that it is seen to be a good public citizen is a moral issue. As an example, Yahoo decided that it is more moral for them to provide information to governmental research agencies in the battle to defeat phishers and paedophiles.

However, what is stated in public is often said in response to public expectations.

[DiscoStew]

Not Google Docs as such but we are in the process of outsourcing our email system for all our students to Google or Microsoft but we will not do this for research students as we are not prepared to lose control over documents with intellectual property value. I think, and I stress think, this is because neither company will guarantee that the documents will not be scanned. Note that both companies are willing to provide this service for free so there must be some other value to them.

Personally I wouldn't put sensitive documents anywhere unless the service provider is explicitly stating it is a secure and private space.

IMHO Google are progressing so rapidly cause they understand how not to exploit their customers. But of course it only takes one acquisition to change all that.

[MickG]

Revisiting this one folks if I may.

In the end, I started using Google Docs with my staff for some spreadsheets and wonder if anyone can help with some of the functionality and reporting aspects of it.

One of the docs I have created a form or template or my staff to complete which then populates the spreadsheet itself based on the various check boxes and answer they give. They select this doc by going to "Form" on the tool bar and then selecting "go to live form". Also in "Form" you can select "show summary" and this is the sheet I need some help with. Ths summary sheet, by default once a live form is created, compiles all the various information into graphs/charts/percentages etc and is very useful as a running statistic of how things are. What I need though is some way of date ranging this info or locking it off for a month/year for example other wise it simply keeps calculating as it is updated. An quick fix is to create another identical form for each month but this means lots of different sheets and forms and until I find a way, will not total together each month to give year stats.

I hope i'm explaining myself ok but if anyone can help I would be very grateful. Excel has been my friend for many years for collating this kind of info but it appears Google Docs has some build in auto functionality which essentially will negate a lot of formula writing for me, plus allows us one edit and review point.

Thanks in advance for all assistance.

Aye, Mick

[austastar]

I use it for personal stuff that I want access to where ever I am, but it is all fairly meaningless for any one else, and I keep it that way.
Nothing on there that I wouldn't put on a page that was accessible to the world.

cheers

[disco2hse]

To be honest, what you are trying to achieve may be beyond the capabilities of Google Docs. It certainly lacks most of the functions of Excel.

Have you posted your query on Google Groups (http://groups.google.com/group/GoogleDocs/web/google-docs-help-knols)?

Alan

[Blknight.aus]

its good but not as good as say open office or the microsoft snot in terms of functionality.

Its not touted as secure.... yet.

I used it for stuff that doesnt need to be secure but I need to be able to find in a hurry.

[Mulgo]

I use Google Docs - specially if I want to share stuff via a website.

If you have a small company and want to share documents, comments on it etc. - try this: Project Management Software, Online Collaboration and Document Sharing ~ Huddle (http://www.huddle.net)

Free up to 1GB.

Cheers,
Daniel

[hoadie72]

I know everyone wants everything for free, but sometimes the best things in life aren't free.

I thoroughly recommend LotusLive. They have something for everyone.

https://www.lotuslive.com/compare

If you go to their homepage they have a free trial of LotusLive Engage.

[Mulgo]

Here is another one of those online applications I use:

Email Hosting, CRM, Project Management, Office Suite, Document Management, Remote Support (http://www.zoho.com)

[disco2hse]

Nothing in this life is entirely free and frankly I would barely trust Google with any personal or private data. I know nothing about a couple of those sites already posted and they do not fill me with confidence, IBM on the other hand, I would have no problem with them and I would assume their product is also compatible with the major players and their Symphony (http://symphony.lotus.com/software/lotus/symphony/home.nsf/home), which is pretty cool actually (and free).

Alan

[disco2hse]

Just as something that's a little 'out there' and probably more for the nerdy geeks amongst us (but still constitutes online authoring, I guess, but in reality I just wanted an excuse to post about it):

TeXonWeb (http://tex.mendelu.cz/en/)

Very nice application and similar to Online LaTeX Equation Editor (http://thornahawk.unitedti.org/equationeditor/equationeditor.php)

Alan