thesethings (andy) // @thesethings
portland, oregon
lately: #datascraping #bash #python #design #fun #delight #twitter #tumblr #screencasts
You guys.
Now is not the time or place to cover every single thing Google did to Google Docs today.
Google did a great job of that. All over the place.
But I was particularly excited about the new drawing app, which allows concurrent editing.
So I made a lil screencast:
For a really complete overview of everything new in Google Docs, check out this Google-produced video:
(Warning: I'm going to talk about enterprise stuff. AKA, internal IT efforts. This topic can be really honk-honk-snore for some folks. I wouldn't blame you if clicked Back now. Can I interest you in an iPad article?)
Google announced Google Buzz on Tuesday. As with many Google social tools, many folks I've spoken to are impressed with Buzz's tech, but not its experience. ( Google just isn't the greatest at managing social relationships and contacts in any of its apps. Even adding somebody as a friend in Google chat is strangely awkward and unnecessarily obtuse...)
That said... I think Google Buzz has potential to make an impact in a less web-centric place: the enterprise... as an internal organizational tool. The playing field there is slightly easier to pick off. Expectations and habits are less well-worn, and Google would have some big advantages. Requirements in the enterprise are different. A primary one is the ability to integrate with corporate directory services, something Google Apps already does relatively well. If Google Buzz gets integrated into Google Apps, as Google has announced it will, the directory hurdle is easily cleared. Good for Google, and good for organizations using Google Apps who are otherwise evaluating, negotiating, and integrating another 3rd party microblogging tools like Yammer into their environment.
But in order to really clinch the enterprise deal, Buzz needs to be more decoupled from Gmail. At least at the presentation layer. For one thing... lots of organizations do NOT integrate the entire Google Apps stack. Many use Google Docs without using Gmail. By keeping unrelated tools tied to Gmail, Google accidentally locks out a lot of functionality. (They've done this with the Groups feature of Apps, for example. It's really hobbled if you don't use Gmail, despite its application to non-mail behaviors.) Many organizations looking for an activity stream-like tool like Buzz, are evaluating it as its own service, independent of email. Even when an organization does use Gmail, Buzz really needs to feel a la carte. The Buzz API will ideally create a rich ecosystem of a la carte Buzz tools, but it'd be cool if Google got this at a fundamental level. Google long ago announced Google Wave's eventual availability for Google Apps customers, something that has yet to happen. Given the giant lateral leap Google Wave represents, I can't blame the slow roll out. But much of the experience Google Buzz represents, is stuff we've already internalized and do in our daily life. We just don't necessarily have it in large organizations yet. Google can be involved in this internal-org shift in a big way if it doesn't insist on indulging in its wacky idiosyncrasies.Yesteryday the Googleatwork Twitter feed sent out some interesting news: There's a new Google Apps Developer Blog.
I know, I know... Google has a lot of blogs already. It's true. But this one is really needed, and it's a great sign.
Sure, Google has always been developer friendly. They host code for free. They constantly give away libraries for both their own tools, and things that have standalone utility. They have plentiful, well-maintained API's.
But when compared with Google Maps, Android, etc... I've sometimes felt that Google Apps have been neglected (in terms of developer love.) A quick survey of the past two years' Google I/O sessions shows a big mobile/consumer bias.
And last year I was stung by a major change to the Google Apps provisioning API that was buried in a mailing list announcement. (And not published on the Google Code blog, where lots of other API announcements get made. :( )
So it's great to have this new blog where Google Apps developers can get some focused love. And that's not all. This year's Google I/O already shows promise of having more Google Apps sessions than before. And, not to be the world's most boring gossip blog, but there's a rumor there's going to be a Google Apps store for 3rd party add-ons.
So thanks, Google, for showing this Google Apps/enterprise love. Keep it coming.
