Advanced - Step 5 - Online Apps and Tools

The availability and use of online productivity web-based applications (think word processing and spreadsheets) has exploded over the past several years and for good reason. These powerful applications provide users with the ability to create and share documents over the internet without the need of installed desktop applications. Some experts speculate that this emerging trend may mean the death to Microsoft Office and other software-based productivity tools, while others think web-based applications have their place, but not in the office. But no matter which side of the office suite platform you side with, on this both sides seem to agree; web-based apps have their place.

One large benefit to web-based applications it that they eliminate the need to worry about different software versions or file types as you email documents or move from PC to PC. Another bonus is that they easily accommodate collaboration by allowing multiple users to edit the same file and provide users the ability to easily save and convert documents as multiple file types (including HTML and pdf). And, you can even use many of these tools, such as Zoho Writer and Google Docs to author and publish posts to your blog. It’s this type of integration with other web 2.0 tools that also makes web-based apps so appealing.

Here is a video that explains how to use Zoho Writer:





For this discovery exercise, participants are asked to take a look at a web-based word processing tool called Google Docs. Create a simple document and then document your discoveries in your blog. If you're up to the challenge, you might even export your document as an HTML file or publish it through Google Docs to your blog.

With Google Docs and web-based applications, the possibilities are endless.

Discovery Resources:
A short list of web-based productivity applications.

Discovery Exercise:
Create a free account for yourself in Google Docs.
Explore the site and create a few test documents or two.
Try out Google Docs features and create a blog post about your discoveries.



Discovery Exercise:

1) Select any site/tool from the list of Mashable.com's winners of the 3rd annual Open Web Awards.


2) Explore the site you selected.

3) Create a post about your discovery. What did you like or dislike about the tool? What were the site’s useful features? Could you see any applications for its use in a library setting?