Thing 13: Google Docs, Wikis and Dropbox

Google Docs
Well in theory Google Docs is quite handy but if I used it I would probably only use it to share documents with people outside of work. Inside work the Intranet allows you to create a document and allows other people access to said document in order to edit it. As a result using Google Docs for that would really be a waste of time. And while it's all well and good being able to create documents using Google Docs I have Microsoft Office on both my Work PC and my personal laptop and I'd much rather stick to those if at all possible. And while it's not always possible to stick to my own computer I can stick to the product I'm used to using via Windows Sky Drive all you need is a Windows Live ID. a.k.a. a hotmail account to access it. I've tried both Google Docs and Sky Drive at various times or to be more accurate as an extra place to save things and would much rather the Windows product.  But that's just me other people may have different views on this?

Dropbox
OK once again this is something which needs installing which I can't do on my work PC. However I have uploaded it  to my iPhone, and I'm exploring the website.  After playing for a bit I started a CPD23 folder and put in a copy of Thing 1. OK so it works. And I like the fact that I can access it from my phone which is quite nice if you just want to read something quickly. In general however I'd rather stick to Sky Drive or Google Docs where you can also edit the work online. You don't have to have any kind of word processor etc on your computer.

Wikis
I have used a Wiki a couple of times for collaborative work. In work the only thing I've used a Wiki for is to respond  problems within the project so they can be dealt with quickly. Otherwise I took part in the Libraries Day in the Life project and I'm sure we did something when we were in Loughborough but don't quote me on that.

Having looked at the three things within Thing 13 I can genuinely see how each and every one of them could be useful. At the same time in my current post there's not much that they can be used for really without making something up. However that doesn't mean that at some point in the future they won't come in handy. And now that I have an awareness of them and what it's possible to do with them I'll know where to look should the need arise.