Use Google Docs

Using a shared work space -- and that's what GoogleDocs is -- is the heart of this consultancy!

• Try posting just one document to your GoogleDocs account. It can be anything: an old memo, an old presentation, a test document, whatever
• Mark the box next to the document you have uploaded, and share it with me (type in my email address) and the co-worker of your choice

What is It?

Google Docs is a free, Web-based word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, and form application. It allows users to create and edit documents online while collaborating in real-time with other users. Menus, keyboard shortcuts, and dialog boxes are similar to desktop word processors such as Microsoft Word or OpenOffice.org Writer. With Google Docs, you can easily create documents and edit them and even upload Microsoft and OpenOffice files.

You can create file in Google Docs -- a document, a spreadsheet, a presentation -- and send it out to anyone with an email address. They won't need to sign in to view it or edit it, and they can respond directly from the email message or from an automatically generated web page.

Please note that, while I'm asking you to use Google Docs now, it does NOT mean your office will end up committing to using it in the long-term. But by trying Google Docs, you will be able to evaluate and use other online sharing sites/platforms.

Creating the form in Googledocs is easy: start with a spreadsheet to get the form, or start by creating the form and you will get the spreadsheet automatically.

Responses are automatically added to your spreadsheet.

Short videos and slide shows about Google Docs

Altogether, these can be viewed in less than 30 minutes.

Google Docs in Plain English
Short video (2 min 50 sec) on YouTube


Using Forms in Google Docs
Short video (1 min 59 sec) on YouTube


User Interface in Google Documents
Short video (2 min 48 sec) on ehow.com (there may be a short commercial at first for something unrelated to Googledocs)

How to Upload to Google Documents
Short video (2 min 57 sec) on ehow.com (there may be a short commercial at first for something unrelated to Googledocs)

Google Docs Tour
Just a few slides, with pictures and very brief text. Don't click on the "Start Now" button but, rather, the arrow, to go through the briefing. It will take you about 10 minutes to read through these.

Documents and web pages about Google Docs: How to Use Google documents (pdf), the official Googledocs page.

Microblogging and Twitter

Micro-blogging, such as Twitter, means to send immediate, short, time-sensitive updates to subscribers via their cell phone or a particular online platform (email, instant messaging, etc.). The characters are 140 characters or less.

Some suggestions for your micro-blog subscription(s):

• CDC's Twitter account
• National Rural Health Association
• The Policy Journal of the Health Sphere
• Mecklenburg County (North Carolina) Health Department's Twitter account
• Center for Rural Affairs, Lyons, Nebraska
• Rural Tech, re: technology with the WI Office of Rural Health
• Center for Rural Health, North Dakota
• Rural Assistance Center, North Dakota
• World Health Organization's Twitter account
• UNIFEM's Twitter account

I suggest you subscribe via cell phone, rather than just the web, to two of these, so you can get the full "tweet" experience.

Bonus:

Watch the Twitter Search in Plain English video (3:37)

Subscribe to RSS Feeds

1. Watch the RSS in Plain English video (3:44)

Your time is precious. An RSS reader will help you stay on top of many different things: web sites you don't have time to read every day, online discussions, topics in the news, blogs, and on and on. Read more about RSS readers.

2. Set up an RSS reader on either Google (Google Reader or iGoogle) or Yahoo, if you don't have one already.

3. Subscribe to Jayne's blog via RSS. You can do it!

Bonus
Watch the Google Reader in Plain English video (1:05)