Week Eight/Lesson #17: Processing Words on the Web

Discovery Exercise:

1. Create a free account for yourself in either Zoho Writer or Google Docs.
2. Explore the application and its features by creating a few test documents.
3. Create a blog post about your discoveries:
4. How does the application you chose compare to word processing software you're familiar with?
5. What features did you like/dislike the most?
6. Can you think of any ways the application you chose would be useful to you or to EKU students?
7. Optional: If you're up for the challenge, try writing your blog entry in ZW or GD and then using the "publish" feature to post it to your blog.

As you can see from the list above, the Discovery Exercise for Lesson #17 instructed me to create a free account in one of two free web-based word processing programs: Zoho Writer or Google Docs. Since I already have a Google account, I chose to explore Google Docs.

Google Docs is interesting. It is fairly easy to use and incorporates most of the more commonly used features of the word processing software with which I am familiar. It is a bit "bare bones" and simplified; for instance, as far as I can tell, it seems that there are only about twelve font styles and seven font pt. sizes. Of course, I tend to use only one or two fonts consistently, and those are included. As a current student, I am relatively confident that most students also use only one or two fonts and font sizes. I think the ability to share documents with others and being able to designate those individuals as either "collaborators" (can edit the document) or as "viewers" (can only view) is interesting, and could be useful for group work/projects. Plus, Google Docs will also provide a RSS feed of document edits.

...and to complete this Discovery Exercise, I would like to point out that I typed this blog in Google Docs AND used the "publish" feature to post it to my blog.

*Just a note: after posting via the "publish" function in Google Docs, I had to rename this blog post in blogger. I named/saved/titled the Google Doc the same title I wished it to have when posted to my blog and directed Google Docs to do that (or at least I think that's what I told it!), but Google Docs still titled the posting using the first view words of the first line of the document. Oh, well.