Google Data » Jen https://googledata.org Everything Google: News, Products, Services, Content, Culture Tue, 31 Mar 2015 07:11:08 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.7.5 On yesterday’s email https://googledata.org/google-docs/on-yesterdays-email/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=on-yesterdays-email https://googledata.org/google-docs/on-yesterdays-email/#comments Sat, 07 Mar 2009 19:34:00 +0000
As we noted in the Google Docs Help Forum yesterday, we've identified and fixed a bug where a very small percentage of users shared some of their documents inadvertently. The inadvertent sharing was limited to people with whom the document owner, or a collaborator with sharing rights, had previously shared a document. The issue affected so few users because it only could have occurred for a very small percentage of documents, and for those documents only when a specific sequence of user actions took place.

For this small percentage of documents, the bug (now fixed) occurred when the document owner, or a collaborator with sharing rights, selected multiple documents and presentations from the documents list and then changed the sharing permissions. The bug did not affect spreadsheets.

As part of the fix, we used an automated process to remove collaborators and viewers from the documents that we identified as having been affected. We then emailed the document owners to point them to their affected documents in case they need to re-share them.

We're sorry for the trouble this has caused. We understand our users' concerns (in fact, we were affected by this bug ourselves) and we're treating this very seriously. We hope this explanation provides greater clarity.

Posted by: Jennifer Mazzon, Google Docs Product Manager
]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/on-yesterdays-email/feed/ 0 Upload your PDFs! https://googledata.org/google-docs/upload-your-pdfs/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=upload-your-pdfs https://googledata.org/google-docs/upload-your-pdfs/#comments Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:56:00 +0000 Posted by: Jen Mazzon, Product Manager

I spend a good chunk of time each week combing our Google Docs Help group, where users share questions and information with each other, and with me! (You'll see me as Google Guide Jenmazz in the group.) The questions people ask tell me how we need to clarify and simplify, and what we need to enhance and build in Google Docs.

Here's a common request:

"I'd like to use Google Docs to share information in PDFs for
discussion & for download, especially (though not exclusively)
with those who can edit PDFs."

"Hey Google! this is a serious setback. Why no PDF uploads?
Let's get on this already."

"If you're listening O Great Google Demi-Gods, we supplicate
thee for PDF storage!!"

And so... I'm very pleased to confirm that you can now upload, preview and share PDFs in Google Docs. (While you can't edit them yet, you can copy & paste text.) We eagerly await your feedback on this highly requested feature.

To get started, click the Upload button in the Docs home toolbar, select a PDF file from your computer and off you go!

]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/upload-your-pdfs/feed/ 0 Holiday dressing debrief https://googledata.org/google-docs/holiday-dressing-debrief/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=holiday-dressing-debrief https://googledata.org/google-docs/holiday-dressing-debrief/#comments Sat, 16 Feb 2008 00:03:00 +0000
The Valentine's Day-lovefest dressing on Google Docs gave me an extra spring in my step all day yesterday. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the user group comments, blog posts and emails about people's reactions to our "pinked up" Docs Home.

Two repeated questions I saw were: "How can I keep my pinkified Docs Home?" and "How can I get rid of my pinkified Docs Home?"

Answer#1: You can get that Google Docs lovin' feeling all year round (or at least for a while) at http://docs.google.com/?holiday=vday

Answer#2: Well it's gone now. It went away on its own after a mere 24 hours of pinkification (sigh!)

But I have some questions for YOU. For example:
  • What was your first reaction on seeing the pink Docs Home?
    • Did you laugh aloud hysterically (that's what I did, actually) or cry out in alarm?
    • Did you feel a warm, loving feeling wash over you, or did it leave you cold?
  • Do you think we should celebrate more holidays via creative Docs Home dressing?
    • If so, how frequently and which holidays?
    • If not, would you be cool with a simple "bah humbug" option to switch off the celebration?
So I've put some of my burning questions into an informal user survey, which, of course, leverages our new forms feature. Please take 3 minutes to tell us about your reaction to our first ever holiday celebration in Google Docs.
]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/holiday-dressing-debrief/feed/ 0 Google Docs, will you be my valentine? https://googledata.org/google-docs/google-docs-will-you-be-my-valentine/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=google-docs-will-you-be-my-valentine https://googledata.org/google-docs/google-docs-will-you-be-my-valentine/#comments Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:40:00 +0000 Posted by: Steven Saviano, valentine-o-rific Google Docs Engineer

Dear Google Docs,

It's (almost) Valentine's Day and I have something to ask you.

Lately, I can't get you out of my mind, let alone off my computer screen. The way you allow me to edit my documents from anywhere, and even share them with a friend or two, has amazed my heart. I think I have fallen in love.

Your recent summer makeover has made you even more gorgeous — revamping your Docs Home and adding presentation support.

Not only do you have beauty, you have brains as well. You recently launched Forms, allowing me to quickly gather and analyze data, thanks to the genius of all your spreadsheet formulas and charts. You are multilingual, available in more than 38 languages. You are even great with my friends, especially when we need to collaborate on our plans for an upcoming weekend trip.

You have everything that I would ever look for in a document collaboration suite.

Google Docs, will you be my valentine?

Love,
-- Steven

P.S. Just for February 14th, enjoy our Valentine's Day themed Docs Home. Everyone deserves a little love on that special day — even your docs.

P.P.S. This dressing doesn't appear by default for some countries and for Google Apps domains. If for whatever reason your Docs Home isn't dressed up, go log into Google Docs and then click here.

]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/google-docs-will-you-be-my-valentine/feed/ 0 Mo’ betta sharing https://googledata.org/google-docs/mo-betta-sharing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mo-betta-sharing https://googledata.org/google-docs/mo-betta-sharing/#comments Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:31:00 +0000 Posted by: Bob Rose, Google Docs engineer

As a software engineer, sharing and collaborating on Google Docs is something I do all the time. There's so much to keep track of that I often create documents describing how to do things, best practices, gotchas, and references to other documents or web pages with more information. When new people join the team, these are valuable references they can use to get up and running quickly. By sharing documents across our team, people can all pitch in to keep the documents up to date, relevant, and useful.

In the past, sharing a slew of Google documents with new people was a time consuming process: open each document, select the share tab, and specify the people to share with. Now this can all be done from the documents list! Select one or more items in your Google Docs list, press the 'Share' button (or right-click and select 'Share'), enter the people to share with, add a custom message if you want, and voila -- all the documents will be shared with the new folks. And as always, you can decide if they can edit the items or just view them.
]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/mo-betta-sharing/feed/ 0 Sub-sub-folders https://googledata.org/google-docs/sub-sub-folders/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sub-sub-folders https://googledata.org/google-docs/sub-sub-folders/#comments Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:35:00 +0000 Posted by: Olga Belomestnykh, Docs Engineer

Having read many requests to create sub-folders in Google Docs and having spent many hours building the new feature, I recently found the following note from a fellow Googler on my desk:

"Hi Olga: I have been trying for the last 79 hours to create a folder within a folder. Does 'Please try again later' mean it will work in the 80th hour?"

The answer was of course "no" -- because until now you couldn't create a folder within a folder in Google Docs. Though it's now way past the 80th hour, my co-worker need not wait any longer. As indicated by the gray triangle you may have noticed next to your folders in the All Folders view, everyone can now have folders and sub-folders and sub-sub-folders and -- you get the idea.

You can navigate your folder hierarchy by clicking on the gray triangles next to the folder icons to expand and collapse the folder contents. And if you want to move items between folders, simply select the items you want to move using the checkboxes and click the 'Move to' button in the toolbar. A widget will pop up for choosing a destination folder, or you can select the 'Remove from current folder' option to do just that.
]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/sub-sub-folders/feed/ 0 The scoop on the Global Warming Student Speakout https://googledata.org/google-docs/the-scoop-on-the-global-warming-student-speakout/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-scoop-on-the-global-warming-student-speakout https://googledata.org/google-docs/the-scoop-on-the-global-warming-student-speakout/#comments Mon, 27 Nov 2006 06:08:00 +0000 Posted by: Jen


We're winding up our Global Warming Student Speakout project with a full-page ad in USA Today (11/27/06). This project was in many ways an experiment: can hundreds of students of all ages and from all around the world kick out ideas on combating global warming...in real-time...in record time...and do it online using Google Docs & Spreadsheets? The answer is a resounding YES, I am very happy to say.

We got super-positive feedback from the 80+ schools who participated in the project, and of course all the kids are excited that their schools and ideas will be in the spotlight in the ad. (I'm not sure what page the ad will be on...all I know is that it won't be in the sports section ;-} )  I'll be raiding my local newspaper stand to pick up all the issues I can carry back to the team first thing tomorrow AM!

Check out this example of one Romanian school's brainstorm results in a published Google document...complete with student artwork that complements the class' ideas. And here's a nice anecdote from (coincidentally) another Romanian teacher who organized her class' participation in the project:
"I must confess that they [the students] were extremely enthusiastic. They really liked the fact that they had to brainstorm during the classes and then edit the document on their computers at home. During the brainstorming, which was indeed a real "storm", they came up with a lot of ideas."
-- Ioana Pecheanu, a high school teacher at Vasile Alecsandri National College in Galati, Romania

Many thanks to all the participants in this fun and fruitful project. Please check out the full list of the students' top 50 ideas on the Google Educators site.
]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/the-scoop-on-the-global-warming-student-speakout/feed/ 0 Gotta getta gadget https://googledata.org/google-docs/gotta-getta-gadget/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gotta-getta-gadget https://googledata.org/google-docs/gotta-getta-gadget/#comments Wed, 22 Nov 2006 22:38:00 +0000 Posted by: Jen

A new Google Gadget featuring a short list of your most recently edited documents and spreadsheets has just arrived in the Google Personalized Homepage. Here's what it looks like:





Just the way we like it - simple and to the point. That said, we already have a few enhancements in the works, so please post a comment if you have an improvement idea to share with us.

Ah but first you have to use it! Click on the "Add it now" button below (you'll have to be signed into your Google Account).

Add to Google

And P.S. we wish all our U.S. users a very happy Thanksgiving!
]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/gotta-getta-gadget/feed/ 0 New features are up https://googledata.org/google-docs/new-features-are-up/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-features-are-up https://googledata.org/google-docs/new-features-are-up/#comments Wed, 15 Nov 2006 21:19:00 +0000 Posted by: Jen

We just released a couple of new features:

  • Document spellcheck in your language
This one has consistently been a top feature request for a looooong time, so we're really excited to have finished it. The document spellcheck now supports more than 30 languages, and we think it's a better quality spellcheck than our old one (it's the same one that Gmail uses, actually).

  • 2 new views of your docs & spreadsheets
For the folks out there who have LOTS of documents and spreadsheets, you can now choose to display only documents, or only spreadsheets. Check out these new "All Documents" and "All Spreadsheets" options from the green-highlighted Browse Docs & Spreadsheets drop-down menu.

As always, we'll be monitoring the discussion group and support email for your feedback.
]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/new-features-are-up/feed/ 0 A real treat https://googledata.org/google-docs/a-real-treat/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-real-treat https://googledata.org/google-docs/a-real-treat/#comments Tue, 31 Oct 2006 19:45:00 +0000 Posted by: Jen

Anyone who has ever helped to launch a new beta product knows that the team obsessively seeks out every article or review, wondering, "Will it be a TRICK or a TREAT?" Happily, we got a big treat last week when PC Magazine gave Google Docs & Spreadsheets 4 out of 5 stars.

The part I love best about that article is that it says we're "bug-free." Wow, a beta product that's bug-free! (That would be a first, wouldn't it?) If you ever run across what you think might be a bug in Google Docs & Spreadsheets, please first check out our searchable Help Group where outstandingly helpful users like Gill and ahab share their opinions and expertise with other folks, including those of us on the product development side. If you don't see the topic of the issue addressed there or in the Help Center, please contact our support team.
]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/a-real-treat/feed/ 0 Speakout gears up https://googledata.org/google-docs/speakout-gears-up/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=speakout-gears-up https://googledata.org/google-docs/speakout-gears-up/#comments Tue, 31 Oct 2006 05:14:00 +0000 Posted by: Jen

We now have lots of schools participating in our Global Warming Student Speakout from each of the locations listed below. We just extended the deadline for participation to this Friday -- November 3rd -- and we're hoping to get participation from even more locations this week.

  • Australia
  • Bangladesh
  • Canada
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Philippines
  • Romania
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Switzerland
  • United Kingdom
  • USA: California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia

It only takes 1-2 hours to do the student-teacher brainstorming about ways to fight global warming and idea sharing via Google Docs & Spreadsheets. So please pass the word along to a teacher you know!
]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/speakout-gears-up/feed/ 0 Student Speakout Announcement https://googledata.org/google-docs/student-speakout-announcement/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=student-speakout-announcement https://googledata.org/google-docs/student-speakout-announcement/#comments Wed, 18 Oct 2006 21:57:00 +0000 Posted by: Jen


November elections in the U.S. are right around the corner - November 7 is just a few weeks away. One issue that transcends any particular election and any particular country is global warming - it happens to be an issue that Google cares a lot about. It's also an issue that affects younger generations more gravely than older ones. But what (you're asking) has any of this got to do with Google Docs & Spreadsheets?

It turns out that lots of students use Google Docs & Spreadsheets, and most of them aren't old enough to vote. So we've come up with a project, in partnership with Global SchoolNet, that gives students a voice on the critical issue of global warming. We're inviting teachers and students to brainstorm strategies for fighting global warming, and have their ideas published in a full-page ad in The Washington Post following national elections.

We're hoping that this project (which is running October 17 to November 3) both helps students learn about global warming and gives them a fun brainstorming and idea sharing experience using Google Docs & Spreadsheets. If you are interested in participating, check out the project announcement and details on the Google for Educators web site.


]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/student-speakout-announcement/feed/ 0 New Beginnings https://googledata.org/google-docs/new-beginnings/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-beginnings https://googledata.org/google-docs/new-beginnings/#comments Wed, 11 Oct 2006 04:25:00 +0000 Posted by: Jen

I'm pregnant with twins. Twin boys, that is. At first, I was pretty terrified at the prospect. I'm already a mom - I have a 3 year-old girl at home - so I have an inkling of the sleep deprivation and domestic chaos that awaits me with the birth of these boys. But then I got to thinking -- ultimately, it will be fabulous! The boys will have each other throughout their lives. They'll be thick as thieves, blood brothers, constant companions. They'll look out for each other and help each other out of (hopefully minor and infrequent) scrapes.

Odd how one's personal life and work life sometimes mirror one another, isn't it? I've been working on two product teams here at Google: Writely, the Web word processor, and Google Spreadsheets. Writely was born as a start-up in August 2005 and joined the Google family in March this year. And Google Spreadsheets was born in Google Labs this past June. Today these two products begin a new life together as Google Docs & Spreadsheets.

The combination of documents and spreadsheets is a natural one. I think of documents as right-brain (a blank canvas for free-form writing) and spreadsheets as left-brain (a structured framework for lists and data). Different people use one or the other for the same thing. For example, if you were compiling a shopping list, would you prefer to do it in a document or a spreadsheet? I'd use a document ... you might use a spreadsheet ... it just depends on which format feels more comfortable and better suited for the task at hand.

We've completely re-jiggered Writely and Google Spreadsheets so they're more identical than fraternal, and unified the two with one login, one help center and a joint list that shows all your documents and spreadsheets online. I hope you'll find these changes as useful and exciting as we do!
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