Thing 13: Google Docs, Wikis, and Dropbox (Belated)

Sometimes, coincidences are fortuitous.  In the past week or so, I have used all three of these resources, but I only had to make a special effort to use one of them.  I used the other two in the course of my regular work. 

One of the libraries where I work uses wikis frequently.  The staff recently begun brainstorming ways to make the wikis more attractive to our users.  Following one of the ideas, our wiki administrator set up an experimental page where my colleagues and I have been exploring some of the additional features, such as embedded videos.  Although these additions take slightly longer to load, I believe that they enhance the content in way that our users will appreciate.

One of my colleagues and I are also using Google Docs to create a draft of a new page for the wiki.  Due to many changes at the library as well as in our own lives, we needed a way to collaborate asynchronously as well as from different computers.  A shared Google Doc seemed to be the perfect solution.  Although Google Docs do allow us to easily work together, I find that some content is not as easy to add as it is in other, proprietary, programs.  I appreciate the transportability of Google Docs and do not hesitate to recommend it to others, but I await additional features for ease of use.

The option I determined to explore was Dropbox.  Through a children's programming course, I had already contributed to a shared folder with pre-made storytime programs.  I had declined, however, to download the application to my desktop.  For Thing 13, I chose to go back and upgrade to a full Dropbox account.  Installation went smoothly.  The quick tour of Dropbox swiftly explained the main features and demonstrated how to use them.  From these start-up pages, it appeared that Dropbox would work similarly to the student account provided by my college.  I was excited to begin.  Many of the most useful features, such as drag-and-drop, were not functional on my computer, however.  I could still add content by choosing to save a document in the Dropbox folder, but I lost the ease-of-use that made Dropbox so popular among my classmates and professors.  I will try using it again later, in case today was just a fluke.  Dropbox, I am withholding my final judgement.  Hopefully, you will not disappoint.