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Corporate collaboration software

Fred Oliveira on August 28, 2006

I was just skimming through the blogosphere on the Google “Office” (which is nothing more than a control-panel served Mail, Talk, Calendar and Page creator) and came across this comment on Techcrunch:

People hardly care about collaboration in the corporate world. The term collaboration is overhyped. If I am preparing a technical design document along with couple of coworkers (say Mark and John), there is no need for collaboration. I contribute to section #1, John contributes to section #2, Mark contributes to section #3 and in the end we merge the documents i.e. cut and paste. I dont want John and Mark to see all the changes as I type , I only want them to see my version only after I finish it completely. I hate collaboration.

Reading this was rather strange for a couple of reasons: one, I wholeheartedly disagree (I believe collaboration and collaboration software make better, more productive professionals), and two, because it doesn’t reflect my view of the “corporate world”. Odd.

Related Link: corporate health is important. Make sure you’re getting the most from your team.


Comments on this post

Chris Griffin

If you read into the comment a bit more, he starts off with “People” as if he’s speaking for all of the corporate world. Wow this guy must be one popular guy to have spoken to everybody in the corporate world. Google could of just saved all that work they put into this product and just listened to this one lonesome soul.

But then he ends with, “I hate collaboration.” Oh, so I guess he didn’t take the time to ask the corporate world and came up with that opinion all by himself. Well sorry to burst your bubble but don’t represent your opinions as a majority when its just your own opinion, which, by the way, is in minority.

I realize that everybody is entitled to their own opinion and not the same thing works for everybody, but I don’t like when people try to pass off their opinions as if they are speaking for a large group of people.

Also, the way he describes that his team collaborates on a document sounds awfully cumbersome and inefficient to me.

Jake Ingman

Fred, I’ll give you $20 cash if you launch Goplan this week. Deal?

Fred

That was already the plan, Jake ;-) You can keep the money, but we would like to have you as a user. So keep an eye out, you’ll be in the first batch of invitees. Thanks for your interest.

tyler

Goplan!! can’t wait. Thinking about possibly using it internally within our company.

André Neves

The first portuguese BarCamp is happening tomorrow and it features a Goplan demo…can hardly wait. It looks great.

Scott

I feel like I’m a little late to the game with web 2.0 apps or at least the understanding of them. I’ve been using basecamp but it seems somewhat limited.

I too agree with you that collaboration can make more productive professionals. I guess that is why I’ve been killing myself lately looking for the right tool. I’m anxious to see what goplan is all about. Any date set for release?

Something to say?