OT: online realtime spreadsheet

vicmilt wrote on 9/2/2006, 11:38 AM

I've been using a new service from Google for the last two weeks and love it (so far).
It's a realtime on-line spreadsheet.

Great for schedules
Script breakdowns
Budgets
Equipment lists
Crew calls

Anything where you want a bunch of people to be totally up to date on listed or mathematical data.

To try it out - it's Free, BTW - Google "Google Spreadsheets" and sign up. Once you create a spreadsheet you can allow any number of guests into it with either read only or read/write privileges.
And it's real-time.
And it's stored on-line so it's accessible from anywhere.

Check it out.

v

Comments

dibbkd wrote on 9/2/2006, 5:43 PM

Agreed. It's great.

You can also upload Excel files to it as well. (with the exception of some macro functions)

Google also aquired Writely.com, and will be incorporating a whole suite of MS-Office type apps online. Watch out MS!!

And as I mentioned in the post below, the Google mail for your domain rocks!

farss wrote on 9/2/2006, 6:10 PM

Just one word of caution, as far as I know Google retain the right to use ALL of what you put on their servers for their own purposes. Their stated grand plan seems to be targeted marketing which sounds harmless enough but if you subscribe to any of the Grand Conspiracy Theories about M$, Google makes M$ seem benign.

Bob.

bStro wrote on 9/2/2006, 7:22 PM

as far as I know Google retain the right to use ALL of what you put on their servers for their own purposes.

I wouldn't mind knowing where I could "read that in black and white," 'cause can't find anything to that effect in their help menus, privacy policy, or terms of service. ?

Rob

DavidMcKnight wrote on 9/2/2006, 8:36 PM

Thanks Vic, this is a great idea. I don't have any earth-shattering 'sheets to upload, but a service like this saves me from having to build my own customer / contact / lead database online.

vicmilt wrote on 9/2/2006, 9:01 PM

Farss =
don't understand - does this mean that if I write the "Great American Movie" on a Google word processor or do a budget for AT&T, giving my formulas and fees -
does this mean that is all now publc knowledge? Or Google property?

I can't believe it's so - but then again, these days I never cease to be amazed.

What do you think?

v

Chienworks wrote on 9/2/2006, 9:05 PM

I haven't looked at any of Google's policies closely. However, i think it would be safe to say that unless Google explicitly states that anything you post on their services remains your private data, you can assume it's exactly the opposite. If they don't come right out and tell you in plain, obvious language that any particular thing remains privately yours only, assume that it becomes their property or is made publicly available.

GlennChan wrote on 9/2/2006, 9:38 PM

It may be that Google doesn't know yet how they want to make money off the data. They might do something similar to Gmail, where there would be ads on the side tailored to you, based on your spreadsheet data. Or it could be something else?

2- The other thing to watch out for is incompetency. Some companies don't protect your data well, so your email might fall into the hands of spammers or things like that. AOL got caught when it released search result data I believe.

I do have faith in Google that they aren't that evil or incompetent... however, what they did in China (offering a censored Google search) seems to go against their original intent of doing no evil.

farss wrote on 9/2/2006, 10:19 PM

By my understanding of even simple copyright law if you were to borrow my pen to write a script on a napkin in a restaurant I retain some right to the work written on the napkin. There's a specific example of this on the Australian Copyright Councils website.

Even ignoring that aspect, Google retains every search term you enter and I believe every bit of mail through GMail. I see no reason why this would be any different. Does it become public domain, I'd think not. Do they retain a right to use the information posted on their servers, well as others have said unless they've specifically stated otherwise what redress do you have?

Clearly I'm no IP lawyer but I'd certainly be asking the advice of one before putting anything valuable onto anything Google, after all they're in business for their shareholders benefit, they're not spending millions on bandwidth as a public service.

Bob.

Steve Mann wrote on 9/3/2006, 1:28 AM

Google certainly needs to put their policies in more plain english to prevent these absurd conspiracy theories. Nowhere do the Google terms of service say that they own your data. In fact after the similar dust-up over Google Video terms of service, they had to emphasize that you retain all copyrights and ownership of your videos on Google Video.

What Google is trying to say is "You own the art, but we own the canvas that it's painted on".

Steve M.