Collaborate

Wikipedia has a item entitled Collaborative_software that is worth a look. It says, "Such software systems as mail, calendaring, chat, wiki belong in this category". I would also add file shareing.

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Let me remind you of the days before collaborative software, think of the Fax machine, I have seen offices that have poor quality paper in the Fax machine and seen typist given the job of re typeing a fax onto good paper so that the boss can read it.

The biggest sin in the computer world is data re entry. It is so prone to human error.

To some just sending a doc file to a colleague is seen as collaboration but please understand that when a number of people have seen the file, made some comments or changed the document what or where the latest version of the document is is very hard to know or control.

Storage

The first thing I suggest that you use to collaborate is a central online storage for all your files. There is a Canadian list that has over thirty such sites. I am going to try one of them; www.box.net

I have made a public folder there. Everybody has access to the whole folder, not just individual files. So please choose a picture

E-mail

E-mail a few rules:-

• Send links to files not files
• CC to members of the team
• But BCC if you are sending to any outsiders

Calendaring

Both Google and Yahoo have good Calendar Systems. A date within a Gmail message can be entered into the Google Calendar, least I think so.

RSS

RSS stands for
Really Simple Syndication which dosn't help much does it. Take a look at the Wikipedia entry.

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Or think about this.

We can upload to a storage area, Write Blogs, send E-mails, add items to a "To Do" list or a Calendar, all of which is in one direction and open loop.

We have no assurance that the folk at the other end have read the information.

They on the other hand have to check, to see if any new information has been sent.

RSS will help.

But First

You need a RSS Reader Go to the Google site and register for their Reader then go to my storage area in www.box.net and click the down arrow next to my name. The top item in the list says RSS FEED click on that and then click on "Add to Google Reader"

If you do this for any other sites or systems that show the RSS logo the next time you visit the reader any of your sites that have new information will be there for you to see.

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Another example would be the
To Do list. A list of say 20 tasks is made and sent to 5 people they all add the list to their RSS feed reader. Then as each task is ticked off by the person who completes the task a updated list is sent to the RSS reader and all 5 people know about it.

Goood Eh !

Try my To Do List and add that to your reader.

You have perhaps now seen and used a Wiki. Here is one that I have just started. Wikis are the ultimate in Collaborative Software, I put it up you knock it down. But only in my Sand Box please.