How many times have we had to prepare an important document reporting the considerations and additions of colleagues or interested parties, taking care to combine everything in one document as required for the final work Instead of wasting time generating each one's own document and then proceeding with the difficult merging operation, we can take advantage of one of the many writing programs that allow you to write simultaneously online, so as to immediately generate a "multiple hand" written document even in the case in which writers are very far away, since a simple Internet connection is enough.
Let's see together the best tools to share a document and write simultaneously for free.
Thus we will increase our productivity considerably, both at work and in the student environment (school or university).
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1) Google Docs
One of the most effective programs to use collaborative writing does not even need to be installed on the PC, working perfectly online; we are talking about Google Docs, whose home can be reached from here -> Google Docs .
Once the website has been opened, simply click on the Go to Google Docs button and enter the login credentials for any Google account.
We can use both the account that we use for Gmail and the account that we use on Android devices, the important thing is that the account used is already known to our future collaborators (who will receive as we will see later the invitation to participate on their email, better to be recognizable).
If we don't have a Google Account yet, we can create one using the link here -> Create Google Account .
Enter your credentials, we will access a sort of dashboard with all the documents already created previously, a series of available templates and the documents saved within Google Drive (the space offered for documents); to create a new document, click on Empty .
We will have a real Word-style text editor in front of us, with automatic saves in the cloud and all the tools to write any document.
Before we start writing, let's configure shared access to the document by clicking on Share at the top right.
If we have not already done so, we will be asked to name the document; once this is done, a small window will appear with a text field.
We can enter the email addresses of the users we want to access to the document in this field, or just enter a name among those saved in the contacts directory of Gmail or Android (they will appear immediately).
Alternatively, we can obtain a shareable link in chat by clicking on the Get shareable link item at the top right of the window.
The important thing at the time of addition is to adjust the permissions for the document, by clicking next to the text field on the pencil icon: to be able to collaborate users we must provide modification permissions.
To obtain a more accurate control of the accesses and things that collaborators can do, click on Advanced to be able to check also the changes related to accesses, additions of new people without your consent and deactivation of the download, print options and copy for those who are not authorized.
Once added at least one collaborator will appear with a cursor with a different color, referring to the user who has just entered the document: he can write and integrate into writing in real time, so as to have a true shared and collaborative document.
In addition to the collaboration on the document, we will also have access to a small chat, so that we can better plan the writing in several hands and comment on the additions and improvements together.
2) Microsoft Word Online
Another tool that you can use to share a document and write simultaneously with other users is Word Online, which can be used free of charge by anyone with a Microsoft or Outlook account available.
The page to access Word Online is available from here -> Word Online .
We will be asked for the login credentials for the Microsoft or Outlook account; insert the credentials of our account or, if we don't have one yet, sign up for a new account using the link here -> Create Microsoft account .
Once we have obtained access with our account, we will have access to a dashboard with all the online documents already created, the models offered by the site and those possibly present on the OneDrive cloud.
To create a new Word document we click on New empty document .
It will open a new window very similar to the Word program that we can install on the computer, but it works completely online (we can use it with any operating system).
Once you are familiar with the intuitive interface of this Word Online, click on the Share item at the top right.
A new window will open in the center where you can set up collaborations.
Just enter the email addresses of the collaborators in the To field and configure the accesses using the Recipients authorized for modification option .
We can choose whether they can edit the document or just view it and in addition choose whether the changes must be made only by collaborators with Microsoft accounts or not (very good thing in the case we do not know if they are subscribed to the service).
Alternatively we can always send the sharing link by clicking on the link URL item, which allows you to generate a good link to be shared in chat.
Once all the collaborators have been added, we will have the shared document available, the changes will be displayed (in real time only if we also have an Office 365 subscription) on the document and we will also have a small chat where we can discuss the new points and additions.
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