Time, Attention, and Creative Work. After 4 years and a lot of productivity pr0n, we’re shifting gears. Re-learn how to use 43 Folders. Then back to work. [»]
”What’s 43 Folders?”
43Folders.com is Merlin Mann’s website about finding the time and attention to do your best creative work.
Google Docs Adds Over 300 New Templates
Merlin Mann | Jul 17 2008
My favorites are in the eclectic “Miscellaneous” section, where you’ll find templates for athletes, parents, wedding or event planners, wine nerds, screenwriters — even “animal guardians”. Cool new resource and a neat idea. Yet another reason for MS Office to keep an eye on its dwindling lunch. I’m looking forward to spending some time with these, because I’m a huge GDocs nerd. Can’t wait until you can edit Google Documents via your iPhone. That’s when the game really changes. 9 Comments
POSTED IN:
So how do I insert my own templates?Submitted by williamk on July 17, 2008 - 10:04am.
And when can I share them out among all my users for GApps? That’s when Google Apps becomes the no brainer “small biz network in a box” (except there’s no box, much like the spoon) »
Playing catch-upSubmitted by ericabiz on July 17, 2008 - 10:40am.
“Can’t wait until you can edit Google Documents via your iPhone. That’s when the game really changes.” Why? Microsoft has had mobile versions of its apps out for years now. There’s even Documents2Go for Palm and other platforms. You can easily create, edit, email, and share documents online with most existing smartphones. Seems like Google and Apple are playing catch-up here. »
Oh, noble wood spirit!Submitted by grant on July 17, 2008 - 11:28am.
You know when you said “animal guardians,” the first thing I thought of was a template designed for addressing Stag, totem of my ancestors, whose swift feet and sharp antlers guard us still. I’m intensely curious about the screenplay template, though - usually software that does the formatting properly costs proper money. And I write these things »
I’m intensely curiousSubmitted by mwr on July 27, 2008 - 4:41pm.
If you’re not markup-phobic, there’s a screenplay class included with MacTeX 2007 (and probably other recent LaTeX distributions). Markup for a minimal screenplay might look like:
»
Re: Google Docs Adds Over 300 New TemplatesSubmitted by kepford on July 17, 2008 - 11:58am.
This is great. Just another reason to use gDocs. I have moved my Calendar, Email, and a lot of my documents to gDocs. Now if I could get my co-workers to try it. It seems I need Office less every day. »
Re: Google Docs Adds Over 300 New TemplatesSubmitted by Jensen on July 17, 2008 - 12:21pm.
I have had nothing but problems with Google Docs, and I have tried to love them so much… big, gaping features holes (e.g. not being able to zoom in spreadsheets) and awful support (I have never had a single successful support experience from Google…they ask to be added as collaborators to the doc I am having problems with and then that’s the last I hear from them even after I follow their instructions to a T). I really wish one of the other big companies would come out with a Gdocs alternative, if just to make Google clean up their act. »
API?Submitted by bensmith on July 17, 2008 - 2:57pm.
@Jensen - You could try Zoho. Also try the forums for support. That said, I’m a HUGE Google Docs fan myself (full disclusure, my company makes two products that integrate with GDocs, so I have stake in GDocs success). I can’t say I’ve had any problems that you discribe and I think I must have thousands of docs in my account. The terrible thing about me and products I love is every time they come out with something, my thinking is “But, what if it could do …”. In this case I’m hoping this means I’ll be able to create templates through the API soon. »
Google!Submitted by MikeVardy on July 19, 2008 - 3:57pm.
First, I switch to Gmail. Now these templates are at least going to make me use some of GDocs. They are doing so much with the web…and doing it soooo well. »
Templates + Google Docs make me a happy boySubmitted by SourceToSea on July 20, 2008 - 4:32pm.
I'm 95% switched over to Google Docs for all my writing and presentations at this point. This just makes things that much better. Get Zotero or some other bibliographic program to play pretty and I could completely switch. My wife and I paddled the Mississippi River in 2005. Started half-arsed writing the book on the trip that fall. We were both doc students at the time, so I was working on multiple computers, losing sections, versions, etc the whole way. Stopped for 18 months in frustration. Enter Google Docs. Put the whole shebag on Gdocs, in 60 different sub-sections. Totally changed the way I work. With Google Gears, I'm all set. The released templates look to play OK with our Powerpoints of the river, so they're getting converted by the end of the month. More on the trip down the river at http://www.sourcetosea.net »
About Merlin MannBio Merlin Mann is an independent writer, speaker, and broadcaster. He’s best known for being the guy who started the website you’re reading right now. He lives in San Francisco, does lots of public speaking, and helps make cool things like You Look Nice Today. Also? He looks like this, answers questions, and has something like a life. Merlin’s favorite thing he’s written recently is a short essay called, “Better.” |
|
| EXPLORE 43Folders | THE GOOD STUFF |