2.2 Google Docs
In July 2009, Google officially introduced Google Docs as a free browser based
productivity and web storage suite. In April 2012, Google Drive became the new home for Google
Docs. The software includes word processing, spreadsheet, a presentation editor and a form
designer. In addition, the site offers a space on the server for storing the created documents.
Google has also made it possible for users to upload files of any type in the storage area as an
effective tool of online file backup. The shift from PC/LAN to cloud computing allows users to
address their files from any computer with Internet connection. This makes Google Docs a more
flexible tool for content creation and sharing ().
After registering with the service, users have the ability to create documents and can
also invite collaborators to edit the created documents. In addition, there is a “viewer” category
of users who can only read the existed documents Collaborators can modify documents which
makes Google Docs highly attractive when teamwork occurs online. All Changes to a document
are automatically saved and transmitted to the serve instantly. With the extensive revision history
that is maintained, users could view the entire document as it appeared at any time past. There
are also tools to compare any two versions of a document. Authors can save documents on their
computers in a variety of formats, such as PDF, HTML, and Microsoft Word ().
Dekeyser and Watson recommend that Google Docs is an outstanding application for
document creation and online collaboration. They point out the following Google Docs
characteristics that make it usable, effective, and efficient collaborative technology :