Thing 13: Google Docs in a box with a fox.

Alright, actually I'm not in a box - I'm in a basement - and there's nothing remotely vulpine here in my subterranean lair. But I am here to write about Google Docs.

I opted not to check out Zoho Writer because I'm already so well-ensconced in Google. May as well keep it all in the Google family, you know? So I played with Google Docs instead. And by "played with," I mean, "looked over briefly to refamiliarize myself with." I'm no stranger to Google Docs, having most recently used a Google spreadsheet as the organizing force behind a gift exchange of sorts, involving participants from all over the world (my gift ended up coming from Arhus, Denmark). It's a handy thing, Google Docs. It's not fancy or flashy, but it allows easy collaboration on the real nuts and bolts of information - the humble word processor and spreadsheet. I'm a little curious about how secure it really is as far as only letting intended viewers/collaborators in, but then I can't imagine most things you'd use it for needing to be totally secure.

Of all the vast jungle of Web 2.0 stuff out there, I think Google Docs might be one of the very best inventions. I don't think it will replace full-blown productivity software for a very long time (if ever) because there's still so much more MS Office and the like can do (and internet access is not yet totally reliable), but for basic to moderate productivity needs, you often need look no further than Google Docs.