Google Drive Basics

The first few weeks of this Blog have focused on cell phones.  That was the result of the recent upgrades we just had for all the partners.  However, now I hope to start addressing some other interesting and useful functions available for use.  I am going to focus today on Google Drive (formerly Google Docs).

Google Drive

We have been using Google Apps for almost two years now.  The primary reason for the move was for email.  Google Apps for Work, however, has literally hundreds of other applications which are available for use as part of our account.  One of the most popular is Drive

Many of you already use Google Drive for many functions.  For those less adventurous, here is a brief explanation.  Drive allows you to save documents online in your Google account, which you can access from anywhere you have Internet.  It works primarily with documents, spreadsheets, and slide shows (what Microsoft calls Powerpoint).  You can also store pictures, although I prefer to use Google Gallery for that (more on that another day).

Upload or Download Documents

You can also upload documents you have already created to Drive for access from other locations.  For documents not created in Drive, you generally cannot edit them online.  In those cases, Drive performs a function similar to DropBox.  You can upload your files for later download, but cannot really do much more than view them while stored online.   This can be a handy way to share documents with others, including those in other offices who may not have access to the same server as you, or even people outside the firm.  I think Drive is better than Dropbox in that you have more space, and it is better integrated with Gmail and other applications.

Edit Documents Online

For documents created online in Drive, you have much greater versatility.  You can edit these documents online.  You can even work collaboratively with others, both editing the same document at the same time.  You can also leave notes for other collaborators or look at what changes others have made to your documents. If you like, you have the ability to download documents you have created in various formats, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, RTF (good for WordPerfect), or HTML.  You can also print directly to your printer the same way you would an email.

Because I travel between offices a great deal, I find Drive much better for me that saving my files on any one server.  I have access to them from anywhere I have Internet.  I can use the Drive App on my phone or tablet to access them that way.  I can even dictate a document to Drive using the dictation software built into my phone or tablet. For documents shared with my staff, documents are accessible to everyone all the time, and we don't have to worry about someone else having the document open.  I can also access them from home or anywhere without worrying about VPN.

Avoiding File Limits

Many of you are aware of the 30 GB limit each user has on his or her Google Account.  This limit is a combination of all emails and Drive documents.  However, your limit only applies to documents you have uploaded to Drive.  Documents created online do not count toward your limit.  You can create an unlimited number of documents and store to your drive.  If you have a document already created on your computer, you can open it, select all, copy, then paste the contents into a new Drive document.  This does not count toward your limit.  You will also be able to edit it online.

Another sneaky way to avoid limits: Say you have a bunch of files you want to upload to Drive (not create online, just upload) but don't want to blow through your 30 GB limit.  You can create a free Gmail account, which gives only 15 GB of space.  Upload your files to that account, then share it with your margolisedelstein.com account.  You will have full access to the files from your work account, but the space will not count against your limits.  You can repeat with as many multiple free accounts as needed.

Drive Limitations

There are some limitation that make drive less attractive.  Its editor is nowhere near as advanced as WordPerfect or Microsoft Word.  If you use many advanced features, you will find Drive's editor frustrating.  For example, it cannot create a multi-column document like we use for the firm letterhead.  For most simple documents, however, it is just fine.  One option is to work on the basics of the document in Drive, and then download to a more traditional word processor for formatting once most of the content is complete.

Also, for purposes of file keeping, important documents that need to be retained should still be saved to the M: drive.  If you ever left the firm and your Google account deleted, all of your documents would be gone.  If you use Drive for work related material, be sure to download a copy to the appropriate location on the M: drive.

I have been asked, why not simply upload all of our files to Drive and do away with the M: drive and other network drives entirely?   Because the online editor is inadequate for many advanced needs, we still need to use a traditional word processor for much of our work.  There is no good interface that would allow a Word or WordPerfect user to open a document from Drive or save it to Drive.  Doing so is a multi-step process that is fine to do once in a while, but would become very tedious and time consuming for a legal secretary who may create or edit dozens of documents in one day.  Cloud storage for documents seems to be the way of the future, but for now, I am only recommending it as a supplement, not a replacement.

Security and Sharing

Security is always an important issue when work documents are concerned.  By default, only you have access to a file created on Drive (other than the IT Department who can access anything).  You have the ability to share the document with others.  The are many ways to share.  But I recommend only sharing with other specific people.  This is easy within the office, but if you are sharing with others outside the firm, they must have a Google account for access (a free Gmail account is fine).  Google uses that account name and password to ensure documents are only available to those you intend.

There are share options to share a document to the public without any authentication.  I do NOT recommend using this for any document related to firm work or which contains other information intended to remain non-public.  Even limiting sharing only to people who have a link  means your document is open to the public.  Although most people could not find it without a link, others might.  Make sure your documents are restricted to specific users or to members of the firm generally.

You may want to share a whole group of documents.  Drive allows you to create a folder, share that, and then put documents in the shared folder.  This is an easy way to share many files without having to create a special share for each file.

Great Way to Avoid Gmail Attachment Limits

Many of you get frustrated by the 20 MB limit on email attachments.  An easy way around this problem is to upload your files to Drive.  Share with the recipient, then send them an email with a link to your shared Drive folder.  The recipient will be able to access the files with a single click and download them.  Of course, it does require that they have a Google account.  But again, a free one works just fine.

Auto-Save

One other thing that took some time to get used to was the auto-save feature.  In a normal program, you work on a document and then save it.  In Drive, Google is constantly saving your work.  This is very convenient to avoid losing work.  But I used to open up a document, change it to another and then save using a different name.  I had to get out of that habit quickly.  Fortunately, if you do make changes to a document by mistake, it is very easy to revert the document to the way it was on a certain date or time in the past.

Working Offline

One reason many have expressed concern over using Drive is the fact that you must be connected to the Internet in order to use it.  Not true!  There is a Drive application available here that you can install on any Windows or Mac computer.  This will sync your Google Drive with your computer, making your files available to you offline.  As soon as you get back your Internet connection, the application with sync with your online account.  There are similar Apps available in the Play Store for your Android device or in the App Store for your iPhone or iPad.

Conclusion

Drive is a great way to collaborate on documents, share with those outside the firm, or have easy access to important to documents when outside the office.  If you are not using it already, you should consider what it can offer.