Google Docs for Freelancers
Posted on Mar 7, 2011 in Productivity, Tools and Tips | 20 comments
One of the first things you learn with Linux is that some of your favorite or required products don’t work with it. For me, that’s Office 2010, which I know like the back of my hand because I’ve been using it since it was in beta. For a little bit, I switched Open Office programs on the netbook. But then I tried Google Docs for just a couple of days and enjoyed it so much that I’ve been using it as my primary word processor since then.
The Good
I’m also a fan of how Docs anticipates what I’m doing. When I work in Word or Ooo, I tend to be a compulsive saver–clicking save every time I pause typing. I love that Docs saves what I’m working on every few minutes whether I want to or not. Then I can always check on my revision history and revert to older versions if necessary. And when I log in to find that some new feature is available, I don’t have to update, install or buy anything. It’s just newer and better automatically.
Docs recognizes 12 document formats, including DOC and DOCX, so you can read and edit those formats without any trouble. If you’re using Gmail and Chrome, when you click “View” on your email next to an attachment, it will automatically open your document in Docs. When you download your document to your desktop, you can convert it to ODT, PDF, RTF, TXT, and Word formats. When I’m sending in documents to clients or publications, I can just download the document and email it to them. I haven’t noticed any changes in formatting since I started using Google Docs exclusively and nobody has said anything.
For the most part, I just leave my documents on the server. Even with the news of the recent Gmail outage, the fact is that Google’s servers are far more secure than my own. I’m at the point where I only download my documents every month for archiving purposes and put them away on an external hard drive for safe keeping. I can download the entire contents of my files with a couple of clicks and move it over in just a couple of minutes.
One other thing I’d like to note is that I’ve been using Google Docs to host my portfolio for well over a year now. I just converted all of the documents to PDFs and used the unique links to display the information my sites. I’m also able to send those links in emails when I need to show a potential client or editor my work. It’s simple enough for them to just click on the link and view my work.
The Bad
The default Docs spellchecker is useful enough but it took me a while to realize that it doesn’t run the way Word’s does. You have to right click each red mark and select the correct spelling. I took a lot more getting used to than I’d like to admit. There also isn’t any grammar checker built in so you have to figure out where to put your own commas. Even though you shouldn’t rely on Word’s spelling and grammar checker, it’s still a big change and not everybody will adjust to it.
The sharing feature kinda sucks, too. That surprised me since simultaneous editing is one of the selling points. When you share something with someone through Google Docs, you have to list her email, write a message and Google sends her the link. You can attach more than one user to view/edit the document but you can’t attach more than one document. And it’s just not that useful unless your end user is a Google user who knows her way around Docs. I prefer to just download and email the docs or to compose an email and then insert the links to the docs I want to show that person. What Google really needs is a native system that converts the file to another format and attaches it to an email draft.
Although the simplicity of Docs is a strength, for some of you that simplicity will drive you crazy. It’s just a word processor without all the bells and whistles you might find on the desktop programs. And don’t forget that this is still new. One of the best and worst things about Google products is that the company is always trying something new. But if something isn’t working, Google has never been shy about stopping development on it. That’s great. . . unless you’re super dependent on that product for your business. Word is an institution and I have every confidence that Microsoft will continue to produce and update the product. I can’t say the same about Docs because I just don’t know.
The Conclusion
What are you using for your word processing program? Have you tried Google Docs? What limitations did you notice and what do you think Google can do to make it better for freelancers?
20 Comments
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I’m just slowly getting into Google Docs. I mean, really using it. I have an iPad and have found that it just makes more sense to just write within the browser. Not to mention, there are also many apps that utilize Google Docs.
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Yeah a tablet is another machine that really needs to conserve its processor speed. And the iPad only lets you have one app open at once, right? I can definitely see how it would help out there.
Google docs just doesn’t cut it for me. While it’s great as tool for making information accessible on multiple machines, and i use it to store reference information that I’ll need access to frequently (editorial calendars, etc.) not being able to use it without an internet connection kills it for me. I find myself using word and dropbox instead, since I can save there and it will sync automatically next time I have wifi. Unfortunately I still do a lot of work on a train, plane, etc. and those places just aren’t as willing to give away wifi as i might like (I am addicted to google calendar, however……)
Well, I too wish they'd do an offline version with Google Gears like they do for Gmail and Calendar but I also am rarely offline. Even on the plane, I'm on wifi. I also have Open Office as an emergency backup and the good ole pen/paper combo. And while Dropbox syncs between computers, you can't open/edit an Office document unless you have the program. Works out better for me this way.
I’ve never used Google Docs before, I’ll have to try it out. One of the reasons I use the WordPress backend to write all my posts is the autosave feature, so maybe that’ll hook me on Docs, too. Thanks, PS!
Well let me know what you think, Austin. I like it but I don't know if it's for everyone.
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RT @iampsjones New on Diary of a Mad Freelancer: Google Docs for Freelancers http://t.co/AMRyXnH
RT @iampsjones New on Diary of a Mad Freelancer: Google Docs for Freelancers http://t.co/AMRyXnH
Google Docs for Freelancers http://t.co/R7sVDvB via @iampsjones
RT @samarowais: Google Docs for Freelancers http://t.co/R7sVDvB via @iampsjones
RT @samarowais: Google Docs for Freelancers http://t.co/R7sVDvB via @iampsjones
RT @samarowais: Google Docs for Freelancers http://t.co/R7sVDvB via @iampsjones
I tried using Google Docs for writing work – didn’t last long. The browser was just too much temptation.
I do use excel sheets to share content plans with clients though. That works out beautifully.
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Yeah, I knew that'd be a sticking point for so many writers. It's hard to be online without getting distracted!
For anyone that likes Google Docs.. another service worth checking is Evernotes. It allows you to write/edit notes in multiple devices such as a PC, Mac, Iphone, Ipad and Android.
Even more interesting, I found another program called Awsome notes that can use the Evernote service. Awsome notes has more features and so far has proven more reliable when working without internet inside the NYC Subway. Awsome notes can also sync with Google Docs (although I have not tried that functionality yet).
http://evernote.com http://www.bridworks.com/anote/en/features/index….
I like Evernote, but it's not as comfortable as Google Docs. For some reason, it feels limited. Like I should just be jotting down quick notes and Google Docs is a little more comprehensive.
I don’t know about you, but the window in Google Docs is way smaller than I’m used to. I have troubles editing in it. Mind you, I’ve used it three times and I’m more a creature of habit than anything.
My husband told me that Oracle’s come out with their word processing software. He said it looked pretty incredible. If anyone’s used it, I’d be happy to hear more.
On the Docs window thing, I have that problem too. Even in Word, I put the zoom feature at 70% bc I like to see large portions of the page. I fixed that with Docs by compacting the controls, which removes some of the unnecessary stuff at the top. You can toggle that with CTRL + SHIFT + F. And if that's not enough extra room, go full screen with it. Doing that put me at the exact same size as my old Word window. I'm not sure about other browsers but you turn full screen on and off on Chrome with F11.
PS–I haven't used Oracle but I'd love to hear more about it.
Wow, someone else who uses a netbook. Now I don’t feel so alone.
I’ve only used Google Docs a few times in the past, and I had trouble adapting to it. But I may give it another try when I used my netbook again.
And I love the portability of my netbook too! People always comment on how small she is, but why would I want to lug around a 17-in MacBook Pro if I don’t need that much power while typing up a blog post in a coffeeshop?
I use Pages on my Mac desktop, which is a basic word processor that lets me convert documents to .pdf, .rtf, .doc, .html, etc. It takes some wrangling to figure out how to get it to do all the shiny things I want, but it’s acceptable for now.