Thing Nine, On-line Collaboration

It goes without saying; there are numerous opportunities and necessary situations that call for collaboration with those who do not share an office with you. As a member of a library consortium and a participant in several of its committees I have already had the opportunity to familiarize myself with several of the on-line collaborative programs.

Zoho was my first experience with collaborative software. While the program was relatively easy to use I had a lot of trouble with my first post because of the permissions (or lack thereof) given me. One must be very careful that all one's ducks are in a row if this is to be a well used, painless, and useful tool.

I was pleasantly surprised by Google Docs and must admit that for future collaboration I may lean more towards this clear and easy to use program. While the features are comparable and their seems little difference in the functionality I felt more comfortable with the Google Docs layout and had an easier time finding the function for which I was looking.

This tools are just one way that the Internet has made it easier for individuals to come together for a common cause intellectually while remaining in their own office.