NY Times has a Q&A section hosted by J.D. Biersdorfer where Zoho Writer is suggested as a possible solution for a question a user asked about real-time writing.
Q.My writing partner and I are on separate coasts but need a “real-time writing†collaboration tool, as opposed to writing a bit and then saving, e-mailing and reopening files, which loses the spark of collaboration. Are there any programs (chat, word processing, etc.) that can export to a usable file?
A. Most of the free instant-messaging programs (like AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger and Apple’s iChat) let you save transcripts of your messaging sessions and should let you copy and paste text into a word-processing document. AOL Instant Messenger, for example, even gives you a Text Only option when you choose to save the conversation in an open I.M. window by using the Save command under the File menu.
Some programs let you automatically save your transcripts to your hard drive each time you have an instant-message chat. Check your preferred I.M. software’s Tools or Preferences area for this option.
There are plenty of other collaboration programs around the Web. Some of the less expensive options include online word processors like Zoho Writer (www.zoho.com/docs/writer.html?), which lets multiple users work on a document through a Web browser and store the files online.
That is exactly the need Zoho Writer collaborative editing feature is designed for. That is the power of a web based application, compared to the traditional desktop. Try it out, and let us know how it works.
Thank you, NY Times!
Comments