So Sabeer Bhatia has come up with a new ware on the shelf. InstaColl is a small download given its promises, and it seems pretty interesting. Been doing the rounds for some time, but now is when I finally try it!
InstaColl (or Instant Collaboration)had a plugin non-threatening UI I guess (strictly non-techie opinion) wherein the Office document that you’re working on becomes a collaborative space on the net. While there have been similar ventures in the past, this one seems more easy on the system, and is pretty *promising*. In that sense, it is not a screen-sharing irritating idea, but to share real-time data and changes and carry on a text-based discussion while you’re at it. And it doesn’t seem to have an issue with the standard firewalls as well. However, I don’t know if this would work on OpenOffice etc. (Doesn’t seem to…)
I guess this is where Social Tools and Workspace Tools begin merging. While I am sure multi-point office workspaces may be the first to use it in a definite sense, I get the feeling that this would be a great new way to write that collaborative novel! Also interesting that InstaColl is free to download and use. Perhaps, a bigger potential business for InstaColl would be to customize this application for corporate customers over their own internal networks. We tried collaborating over a MS XP and MS 2000, that worked as well!
This makes life easier for me. I am sick of the back and forth emailing and constant pinging with colleagues. And even better, it really doesn’t imply that you have to go around teaching everyone in the office how to use a new applicaition. (Which draws very painful sighs in every workspace I’ve known.). But this application is a slightly dangerous one if you have fragile egoes. Instant correction is not everyone’s cup of tea/ coffee or whatever!
Downside:
I do wish they had released a Beta version instead, the program seems to have some minor almost-not-seen bugs, and it would have been great if it had audio-video conferencing options as well.
It doesn’t work on Firefox or Open Office. Will work only on Windows. (Ggrr!)
Only two collaborators at a time for now. Hhmmpph. (Oh well.. Thank God maybe!)
