What is Google Docs?
Google Docs is a service which allows users to work together on a single
file. Many users can edit the file at the same time, and see each other's
changes.
Do I need to use Google Docs?
You need to use Google Docs if you want to edit a file at the same time as
other users. If you only want to read other user's files without editing,
or if you want to post files which others can't edit, you don't need a
Google Docs account.
Why do I need two different accounts? What's the difference?
Users of the Discovery Systems Building Site need a user name and password.
This is provided by Discovery, and allows you to upload materials to the
site and read private materials meant for working groups only.
If you want to use the Google Docs collaborative editing features, you
also need a Google Docs account. Discovery can't create this for you --
you need to get it yourself.
How do I get a Systems Building Site account?
Go to
[URL]
and (request one? create one?)
Setting up a Google Docs account
Visit http://docs.google.com to sign in or create an account. If you've already got a Google account, because you've used GMail or another Google service, you can log in with that username and password using the form on the right. Otherwise, use the link in the lower right to Create an Account Now.
Creating a new document
Once you've logged in to Google Docs, you will see the list of documents you have access to, either because you are a document's owner or because the owner chose to share a document with you.
You'll see two buttons in the upper left: 
and 
. Under Create new, you can choose the type of document that you want to create (i.e., Document, Spreadsheet, etc.). The document will be auto-saved as you work on it, but you will want to name it by clicking the box at the top that says "Untitled document."
If you already have a document that you've created in Microsoft Word, Excel, or another application, you can use the Upload button to add it to your Google Documents and edit it there.
Sharing your document
By default, only you will be able to view and edit your document, but you may want to share it with others. To set up your sharing preferences, click 
to the right of the document's title. This will bring up a box that lets you set the sharing settings for the document.
If you will be sharing multiple documents, it's easiest to create a folder and change the sharing preferences by clicking "Share this folder" to the right of the folder's name. Then you click on "sharing settings" and type the e-mail addresses in the text box. If you do not want e-mail notifications sent to group members when you add a document to your folder, uncheck the "Send e-mail notification" box.
By default, a document is not visible to anyone but you. But you can make it visible and/or editable to others.
-
To share the document with anyone on the web:
Click the Change link in the upper right corner of the Sharing settings box, and choose Public on the web. If you want anyone to edit the document, you can select the Allow anyone to edit option.
-
To share the document only with those with whom you provide a link:
Click the Change link in the upper right corner of the Sharing settings box, and choose Anyone with the link. If you want those with the link to be able to edit the document as well, you can select the Allow anyone to edit option. Once you click Save, the Sharing settings box will display a link that you can cut and paste to share the document.
-
To share the document with specific people:
Use the Add people box at the bottom of the Sharing settings box to add the email addresses of those with whom you want to share the document. If you want them to have editing access, choose Can edit from the drop-down to the right. If you want them to only be able to view the document, choose Can view. If you use Gmail, you can use Choose from contacts to select from your email address book. Once you're done entering names, click Share to provide access.
Further information about sharing settings can be found in the Google Docs Documentation.
Collaborating on documents
When multiple people share access to a document, you will be able to see which people are viewing the document at any given time (you can even watch as they edit!). Changes made to the document are not tracked and displayed as they are in Word; instead, previous versions of the document are saved for later viewing and retrieval. To see the document's revision history, choose See revision history from the File menu. This will let you navigate among all past versions of the document and view what changes were made and by whom. You can also choose to make any revision the active one by choosing Revert to this one.
Further information about the revision history can be found in the Google Docs Documentation.
Linking to a document from a post on the Systems Building site
In order to share a document, copy the link (beginning with https://docs.google.com) from the Address bar of your browser. While editing a post on the Systems Building site, just paste this link text and it will be turned into a hyperlink to the document. If you want to make a text link to the document, highlight the text to be linked and click on the 
(link) button in the toolbar.
Note that this link will only work for users who have access to view the document.
