Google Docs: Making Documents Fun
Google Docs is one of the most popular Google services. Google itself is a giant search engine company that was founded in 1998. And along with the times, Google began to expand into other internet service businesses such as Google Ads, Gmail, Google Docs to Maps.
Google Docs or commonly called Gdocs has many features like Microsoft Word. As part of Google Workspace, you want to know more about what Gdocs is, how to create Google Docs, the benefits of Google Docs, and its set of features.
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We have prepared a detailed explanation for you below. Let’s take a look!
What is Google Docs?
Google Docs is an application that you can use to write. You can write anything, anywhere, and share it with whoever you want. You can use Google Docs to create a wide variety of important documents. Starting from meeting notes, cover letters, proposals, and much more.
Creating Google Docs
To be able to create documents in Google Docs, you must first know how to create Google Docs by following the short Google Docs tutorial below:
1. Setting up a Gmail account
The first step you need to do is you must have a Gmail account.
2. Activate Gdocs
There are several ways that you can access to create Gdocs Online, depending on the tools you use. You can download the application from the Play Store or click the Docs icon at the top right when you have logged in to Gmail.
3. Create your first Gdocs
To create a new document, go to the Gdocs menu > Start New Documents then click the “ Blank ” option, then the browser will open a new tab and you can start creating your first Google Docs document.
4. Saving Gdocs
After you finish creating the document, don’t forget to save it; the steps are quite easy. You just fill in the blank column at the top next to the blue document icon with the file name you want but don’t forget to give the document a name.
Adjust it to the contents of the document created. The purpose is none other than to make it easier for you to find documents in Gdocs Online.
if you want to create documents, you can also implement the above methods not only in Gdocs which has the same format as Microsoft Word. But also applies to formats such as Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint.
For example, GDocs Excel, when you want to create a document that contains calculation formulas like Excel in general. It is very certain that this can be realized. Likewise, Gdocs whose functions are the same as PowerPoint in general.
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If you use G docs while recording meeting minutes, of course, you must send the document to other meeting participants. This is very helpful because you don’t have to bother with the process of saving documents and making them attachments to emails. The trick is you can click the Blue Button that says ” Share ” in the upper right corner.
After pressing the “ Share ” button, you can set the permissions of the document and who can view the document.
The steps to set who can view or access the document are fairly easy. Because there are only 2 options, i.e. everyone who gets the link can see it or only a few people can see it.
And to get access rights, you must first get approval from the document maker. You do this by adding an email account or changing it to everyone who gets the link can see it.
Then after that, you can also set the second access right to the right of the option everyone who gets the link can see it, whose function is to manage documents, among others:
Viewers
This option will make anyone who receives or has a document link only able to download or view the document
Commenter
The second option provided has a function for anyone who receives or has a link, can add comments to the document but cannot make any changes to it.
Editor
The last option is most often chosen or used if you are in a project and need additional information from multiple Teams for the progress of the project you are managing.
An editor is the highest privilege because you or anyone who receives or has a link can do anything to a document. Not only can add comments but can change documents in real-time.
After discussing the points about Gdocs, it’s incomplete if you don’t go into a discussion about the advantages of Google Docs and the disadvantages of Google Docs. This is important so that you can increase your knowledge when you decide to use G-docs.
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Advantages of Google Docs
1. Document Storage
The first advantage of Google Docs is document storage. If you open and work with Gdocs online via a browser on a laptop or mobile phone. Any changes you make will be automatically saved. So you don’t have to bother clicking Save like when you use Microsoft Word. Also, you don’t have to worry about the loss of documents if your laptop/computer suddenly turns off.
2. Security
Because we create documents in Gdocs, our documents will automatically be stored in Gdrive (a document storage cloud owned by Google). This is sure to make you more comfortable in managing documents because you don’t need to be afraid or panic anymore when the documents you need are left on your office laptop; while your position when you have to change documents is at home. This is the second advantage of Google Docs.
3. Realtime
Realtime is an operating condition of an online tool from hardware and software where the storage or delivery of information is carried out on the spot or in a fraction of a second from the last change made.
The advantage of Google Docs on this one explains that if we are in a project meeting and all meeting members are opening or accessing the same document when 1 person is making changes, the changes will appear in real-time on the laptops/gadgets of other members.
Disadvantages of Google Docs
1. No desktop version yet
With the advantages and features used, you can currently only access it through a browser because Google has not provided a desktop version for both Windows and Macintosh.
2. Postponing work
For those of you who don’t access the internet more operationally or offline, then Gdocs can’t be your first choice. Because for a document, if you want to be able to access or open it offline you must first do the document settings.
That is by activating offline access. Unfortunately, if you forget to activate this feature, then all your work that needs to be completed will be delayed because you don’t have internet access.
Now of all the advantages of Google Docs and the disadvantages of Google Docs, you alone can determine whether the online G-docs tool can be your first choice in working or creating documents.
Conclusion
For those of you who like to write anywhere, Google Docs is the right tool to use. Google Docs features are also very rich, as mentioned in the previous section. Today, Google Docs is an integrated part of the Google Workspace service.
Long ago, Google Workspace was known as Google Suite.
A little leak for those of you who have a personal blog or website; it turns out that google docs can be imported into WordPress. It’s really fun if you can make a draft called G docs word which looks more user-friendly when compared to your WordPress wp-admin.