Using Google Docs

COMP3040 > Chapter 6: Resources > Using Google Docs

Introduction

Writing has come a long way throughout the ages. From its humble beginnings, writing has evolved alongside technology. With each new age of technology comes new ways to write and new tools to aid the writing process. Recently a new tool has been put forward by the Google company called Google Docs. The tool is mainly used for facilitating the sharing of documents. This section will provide a short introduction into the uses and benefits of Google Docs for a Comp 3040 student.

Uses of Google Doc

Google Docs is at its heart a medium for the storage and sharing of different kinds of documents online. When writing something collaboratively it gives a good way of keeping the document available to everyone who needs it and eliminates the build up of duplicate copies and versions. It is primarily a way to replace having to attach things to an email and send them to people.

Google docs is also a simple way to get text into HTML format and viewable as a web page.

Creating an account

Before you can do anything in Google docs you need to create an account. Don't worry it's a free and quick process.

Simply click the Get Started button in the screen shot below and fill out the short form.

Make sure you use your real email address as it will send a confirmation email to it. Also putting in a fake email would make using Google docs pointless, as no one could share files with you.

Documents in Google Docs

Once you have an account, it's time to get down to business! There are two ways to start using Google docs really. The first is to start a document from scratch writing it right into Google docs. The second method is to simply load a document you have previously created into Google docs.

From Scratch

Creating a document from scratch is as simple as clicking on the new button at the top left hand side of the screen and selecting the type of document to create.

This will open up a new window or tab where you will find a basic editor will open up with the kind of document you requested.

Loading a Document

Documents can be loaded into Google Docs from either your current computer or a url for an online file. As seen on this page there are size limits to what can be uploaded.

Documents Types

There are 3 main types of document that are used in Google Docs.

1. Regular Documents

2. Spreadsheets

3. Presentations (for example Power Point)

The neat thing about Regular documents is that while you are creating them or loading them Google docs turns them into HTML and you can go in and edit it by the HTML. Besides that it is also possible to convert a document into several different types including PDF and RTF. To do this you will have to be in the main screen and from there you select the document you want and goto the More actions options tab.

Sharing your Document

The main goal of Google Docs is to be able to share your work with anyone who has access to the internet and an email account. To this end, once you have something created in your Google Docs account you can choose who you would like to share it with. From either the main screen or within the document itself you will see a button called share. Once you click this it will bring up a window that will ask you for the email of everyone you would like to share the document with.

Additional Resources

This is a little demo video Google put together to show case Google Docs. Video

Writing with technology

Besides Google Docs there are other useful and interesting technologies used for writing. One of those technologies called a wiki is detailed here.