Storing Documents with Google Docs
I’ve become a huge fan of storing a lot of documents with Google Docs. As I’m sure is the case with anyone, I have a habit of printing out articles that I find online and reading them while I’m away from my computer. After a while, I throw away the print out. Later, I wished I still had the article to read again. Enter Google Docs. Now, I’m able to either copy and paste from the web into a new Google document, or, if it’s a PDF or Word file, I can upload it into my Google Docs.
Another way this is effective for me is that I use at least three different computers on a regular basis (desktop, laptop, and computer at work). Since all of these have a web connection, I can pull up my documents at any time for reference, editing, sharing, and more. There is also a feature to view your documents offline. Say, if I’m using my laptop and there is no wi-fi available, I can still pull up my documents, edit them, or do whatever needs to be done. Once I have an internet connection again, it will sync with my online Google Docs to keep everything organized and up-to-date.
The sharing feature is very useful for groups that need access to documents that are always up-to-date. Businesses, churches, and other organizations could benefit from this feature, I would think.
There are other ways to keep track of your documents. Using a USB jump drive alleviates the need for an internet connection. But, you have to hope that you always keep up with your jump drive - I’ve certainly put mine through the ringer several times. I just think using a web-based solution for document storage is easier to maintain.
