Comments on: Freelancer Tools: Are WebApps the Answer?

By: Tom Chandler

Tom Chandler — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 12:32:22 +0000

Tom: MS Project is powerful, but it also seems like massive overkill for the average writer who’s just trying to shepherd a small project to completion.

By: Tom Higgins

Tom Higgins — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:00:52 +0000

I think if your serious about project management, you should use MS Project. Usually comes as part of the whole suit but I’ve seen it sold on its own for about $20. Worth it, lets you specify contingencies, resources and adaptive timelines that can auto update based on what you say has been completed late or early.

By: Tom Chandler

Tom Chandler — Fri, 25 May 2007 05:08:12 +0000

Ross: I’ll have to play with Basecamp again. I played with it briefly, but didn’t automatically see the benefits.

Probably stuck in a certain way of working with my clients…

By: Ross Hunter

Ross Hunter — Fri, 25 May 2007 00:59:02 +0000

I’ve used Basecamp and Google docs – collaboration is the key, when someone’s writing and someone else is handling collateral materials, and a third person does the actual posting to the venue, you just can’t be sending docs by email everywhere.

And that’s just the team, the clients get to see it too, until they tire of editing or reading, or else just start trusting you – actually I think now putting it up in basecamp wears them daown faster than letting them have a Word doc to ruin over a weekend ;)

By: Tom Chandler

Tom Chandler — Sun, 13 May 2007 17:28:51 +0000

Some WebApps seem to really hit a sweet spot. Basecamp leaps to mind, and it’s hard to deny the utility of a hosted CRM solution to a far flung salesforce.

Yet I admit I don’t understand all the noise over hosted “office suites” (essentially WebApp replacements for MS Office and Open Office).

I can’t imagine an Excel power user living with an application that robs a few seconds from him every time he updates the page.

As for sharing with clients, I’ve tried it twice with Google Docs. Once it was a success, but I also learned that your client better have some technical chops (e.g. a Google account and the brains to exercise it).

Otherwise, you’re creating a nice (unpaid) technical support position for yourself.

I look forward to more discussion around this. For example, has anyone successfully invited a client to use collaborative software (like Basecamp, calendar, etc)?

By: Paul Lagasse

Paul Lagasse — Sun, 13 May 2007 14:37:18 +0000

Interesting. I’m considering how to share documents with my clients using collaborative webapps like SharePoint and Google Docs. Is anyone doing this, and what has your experience been?

By: Johan

Johan — Sun, 13 May 2007 07:27:46 +0000

If your main motive for using web apps is price, I think you could equally well go with open source applications, like open office. I believe that sharing and access are the main motivations for web apps. And the fact that you don’t need to install a lot of software on your computer.

As an interesting side note, Firefox 3.0 will have support for using web apps when off line (don’t know exactly how). That could solve a lot of the issues with web apps, including lag.

By: Kyle

Kyle — Sat, 12 May 2007 20:26:37 +0000

I’m with you Tom, just using google docs when on the laptop for easy back-and-forth between the desktop. The lag makes a big difference to productivity, and there’s always a feature or two missing that you’re used to.

By: Yoav

Yoav — Sat, 12 May 2007 19:07:11 +0000

Hi Tom,

For me they are real. I find the release from the desktop liberating. It easily outweighs the few extra features the desktop apps have.

-Yoav