Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • Cloud
    • IT Management

    Google Docs Comments Gets Social With Profile Pics

    Written by

    Clint Boulton
    Published March 16, 2011
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      Google March 16 turned its comments feature in Google Docs into a moderated social-conversation tool, adding ownership and editing privileges, timestamps and profile pictures for each comment.

      Google semi-socialized its Docs document, spreadsheet and presentation applications by moving comments to the sidebar and letting people reply to them in its major Docs upgrade last April.

      For Google, the new Docs discussions provide a sorely needed social element missing from Docs, which as part of its upgrade received faster document, drawing and spreadsheet editors in Docs.

      Still, the programs communication tools felt dated compared with upstart collaboration tools from Yammer, Socialcast and Socialtext, all of which offered status updates, profile pictures and easy access to comment threads.

      The new Docs discussion capabilities make it easier for users to resolve comments so they can be removed from the document and be viewed later by clicking the discussions button at the top of any document.

      “We know you can’t watch all of your important documents all day to see if there are any suggestions, which is why we’ve integrated comments with your in-box to facilitate more rapid and responsive communication,” explained Google software engineer Nick Cooper in a blog post, which offers screenshots and a video demo of the improvements.

      For example, users can now add someone to a discussion with an @mention. Any user mentioned in this manner will receive a notification e-mail containing the text of the comment, similar to the way users on Twitter are alerted to @mentions.

      When the user receives an e-mail in his in-box with the question or comment, he can reply to the e-mail or click through to open the document. The reply will show up in the document as soon as the e-mail is sent.

      Users who wish not to be bothered may also turn off e-mail notifications for a document by selecting Mute updates from a comment at the bottom of any e-mail or select discussion notification settings from the Discussions drop down.

      Cooper said Google employees have been testing the discussion-oriented comments for several months and found that it greatly improves “the feedback cycle” by making it shorter and getting more people involved.

      Discussions will be available over the next few days to all users with personal Google Accounts and Google Apps customers on the Rapid Release track.

      However, the new comments capabilities are only available in new documents, so users must create a new document.

      When eWEEK mentioned to Google that the new comments seemed to be a bid to better socialize Docs in the wake of comparable features from collaboration software rivals Yammer, Socialcast and Salesforce.com, Scott Johnston, group product manager for Google Docs and Google Sites, told eWEEK:

      “Google Docs is designed from the ground up to be a collaborative document creator. The new discussions interface accelerates the collaboration capabilities in Google Docs.”

      Whether or not the Google Docs team followed in the footsteps of smaller rivals is moot. The company had to make its changes to improve the suite’s collaboration feature set.

      Clint Boulton
      Clint Boulton

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.