Thing #21: Web-based Apps; ZohoWriter

*frowns*

I created a document in Zoho Writer, and I can't get it to publish directly into this blog. Everything looks right, and then it tells me "blog not available". Obviously it is available!

Oh well, it wasn't that great of a document, anyway. I created a bulleted list of my favorite movie series: Star Wars (duh), Indiana Jones, The Matrix, and Lord of the Rings. Nothing fancy.

So, web-based apps--I don't see a problem with them. Use 'em if they work for you or your organization. I'm not a slave to MS Office myself, as I've been using OpenOffice at home for well over a year now, maybe longer? I forget that it's not Word, to tell you the truth. I have no problems going back and forth between OO Writer and MS Word here at work, either. I think if you're organization is looking for ways to cut costs, this could be an easy way to go, especially if you're spread out, maybe don't have a central office, and yet need to collaborate and share files and the like.

I found Zoho Writer really easy to use--all the buttons were fairly standard and in familiar places. I accidentally navigated away from my document and went a couple pages into a google search, panicked, and when I returned I found that my document had already been saved just as I'd been working on it. That's GREAT, bc this is something I do all the time when working on blog posts, and sometimes I lose the post and all the time and effort I put into it.

My only concern with holding your entire office on the web is...you're holding your entire office on the web. What if your access is hosed for the day? What if your web-based app provider suddenly decides they're done and pull down the site and poof! there go your documents? That aspect would make me nervous, and I'd be a zealot about backing things up somewhere besides the provider's site.

*squee* Just Things #22 and #23 to go! *wipes brow*