Collaborative writing tools using Web 2.0

Last week I raised the question as to how appropriate Web 2.0 technologies are to the global south given the poor internet speeds, high costs and often inadequate infrastructure available. This week I am highlighting some of the Web 2.0 collaborative writing tools which could help improve an organization's admin processes, campaigns and so on. Whilst I realize this is a somewhat contradictory post to the previous one I still think it is useful for people to know what is available so at least choices can be made.

The 4 collaborative writing tools mentioned in "TechLearning" are

Google Docs, formerly Writely, is probably the most popular of these tools. It is a free service allowing users to create both word processing AND spreadsheet documents for collaboration. The best part is that there is no need to install any software. Students access their work from anywhere, on any Internet-enabled computer whether at home, at school, at the local library. NOTE We at Kabissa use Google Docs including Gmail and we will be preparing a guide for members on how to use the application.

Zoho Writer is an online word processor allowing for writing, sharing, and collaboration. What makes Zoho Writer stand out is the ability to post documents to a blog, as well as export and import documents in a variety of file formats such as Word (DOC), SXW, Portable Document File (PDF), ODT, Rich Text File (RTF), TXT and HTML. It allows for accessing, editing, and sharing from anywhere with whomever you choose and locking, or protecting, documents while working in shared mode.

ThinkFree Online Very similar to Google Docs with the added advantage of being able to use images and a greater selection of file formats. I also like the way you can merge files from Flickr and Youtube into your documents.

WriteBoard another collaborative writing tool, claims it provides students with a place to edit collaboratively but also roll back to a previous version to compare the new with the old. WriteBoard works with BaseCamp (a project management system) as well as a "To Do" list and information management organiser. However unlike Google Docs, Zoho and ThinkFree Online, WriteBoard is only a wordprocessor with no spreadsheet, database or presentation softeware.

The comparison table below is a useful tool for deciding which application to use but as you can see Google Docs and ThinkFree both have the most features though this does not necessarily mean it is the easiest or best option for any one organisation. I hope to spend sometime using ThinkFree and will write a review of it compared to using Google Docs.

Collaborative Writing Tools: Comparison Summary

	Google Docs	Zoho Writer	WriteBoard	ThinkFree
File Types Support	Text	Text, Images	Text	Text, Images
Software/Web-Based	Web-Based	Web-Based	Web-Based	Web-Based (Java)
Public/Private	Public/Private	Public/Private	Private	Public/Private
Text Chat	Unknown	Unknown	No	Unknown
Revisions	Unknown	Unknown	No	Yes
RSS	Yes	Yes	No	Unknown
Email Updates	Yes	Yes	No	Unknown
Real Time	No	No	No	No
Comments	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Spell Check	No	Yes	No	Yes
Export/File Formats	DOC and XLS	DOC,PDF, HTML and RTF	TXT	DOC, DOCX,PDF, HTML XML and TXT
Price	Free	Free	Free	Free