Social spreadsheeting

Posted by: Meredith Whittaker, Program Manager

All of us who are Google employees use Google Docs at work, and I'm no exception. I really can't remember how I used to cope. (Email multiple copies of the same document? How old-fashioned!)

Apart from work, I'm here to tell you about Google Docs in my personal life. It all started when I moved to New York from California a few months ago. I missed my friends, and I was thinking about ways (short of hopping on a plane) to connect with them. Like me, my friends Geraldine and Latas are huge music nerds (seriously, the cost of shipping our records is the biggest expense in any move). Then there's Justine, whom I met in a Berkeley film class; she always has great movie recommendations. And Cristin, a native New Yorker, has an educated opinion on nearly every restaurant in town.

What do my friends' tastes have to do with Google Docs? Well, since I missed my friends, I decided to set up a spreadsheet. I called it "The Check Out Zone" (As in, things we recommend the others check out) and shared it between us, with everyone having full edit access. Separate sheets were set up for movies, music, books and restaurants, and we all began entering our recommendations and comments for each. Pretty soon, looking for new updates was a daily activity for each of us.

Recently, I found myself on a crowded bookstore on Broadway, trying to find a gift for a friend's birthday. Instead of succumbing to the overwhelming selection, and walking away with another biography of a founding father, I pulled out my BlackBerry, accessed Google Docs, and checked the list. Cristin had recommended stories by Chekhov. Justine had entered Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis, and Geraldine, true to form, suggested a Sam Cooke biography.

I left with the Amis and Chekhov for me and the Sam Cooke bio for my friend. Not only did I get in and out in record time, but, best of all, I felt close to my friends, even though we're miles apart.

Want to see? Here's our spreadsheet.