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collaborative software, note strong, for small biz

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Steven Avery:
Hi,

A complex field.  Lots of issues like mobile sync, response time, support, etc.

I'm working with a small company (small in # of people, about 5 total involved) where sometimes we are a distance away and a good collaboration software would be helpful.  It should not be too complex a project management paradigm, more a notes-task-calendar + paradigm. The task manager paradigm (e.g. Toodledo and Producteev-Jive) seems a bit limited.  The company works with WooCommerce and is probably replacing the Method CRM.

btw, we are using LuxSci now for the email, which has been a good move. They have built-in collaboration software, but I really don't see using too much of it, in this case. Partly because of the multi-threading aspect, it is hard to be in the email and notes at the same time. (Maybe two instances?) Also while functional, it is not elegant. We also are not too interested in the Google and Microsoft environments.

One place many of them seem to be weak is simply having an easy to get to RTF note document related to each "task" or "item" or whatever.  If it is RTF you can color-code who is writing, and keep things nice and condensed compared to the "discussion" format (which has its own limited place).

Asana is an example of a good program that is working with "comments" that use keystrokes for bold, etc. Not yet a real editor, otherwise a nice looking program. They will probably improve it in a while, yet still comments to be documents have to be re-editable.

Proofhub is so far my leader.  Bitworks24 is a sleeper that might be very good.  On a test account I set up today they have some nice features.

Podio was nice but did not fuzz me warmly enough. HyperOffice I might check. PBWorks is a nice program, but a little difficult for this use. Smphonical. Azendoo. Flow I have to check, likely too tasky. There are many others.

I really want the collaboration NOT to lose the "read and improve and enhance this note" aspect, which is a good way to think and work (think RightNote, KeyNote-NF etc.)  The great weakness of many of these programs is losing the simple clean note paradigm.

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Even if there was a collaborative note program that had some features, or if RightNote or TreeDBnotes etc have a good server edition, that would be a real possibility. Their hosting or mine.  They could work with the X-Y axis of folders and tabs and good searching. In fact, consider that a separate question. Any good web note programs, or server editions?

Ok, I'm looking at WizNote
https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=36909.0

Also I noticed something about Onenote Cloud stuff, that might be interesting.

Your thoughts?

Steven

mouser:
Have you tried google docs?

KynloStephen66515:
Have you tried google docs?
-mouser (August 31, 2014, 02:41 PM)
--- End quote ---


We also are not too interested in the Google and Microsoft environments.
-Steven Avery (August 31, 2014, 01:55 PM)
--- End quote ---

40hz:
@SA - Q: Just to clarify - the client piece wants to be running under Windows - but the backend not be a Microsoft solution?

Steven Avery:
Google Docs I will try more.  I wouldn't mind using it sometimes as a word processor to go to HTML to the web, an alternative to my current Atlantic Word Processor which is desktop.

It just seems to be so integrated with google drive, and I like DriveHQ with a real file manager, maybe I am missing some app or widget or something.

Even at the best though, for the biz needs, it seems like it would only be a fair documents in folders with search solution. Very limited.  I always find google trying to do too many things, other than the one I want to get done. :)

I'm not automatically non-google and non-MS, OneNote in the cloud might be good, (downloaded Wiznote too) it is just that you are really winging it without true support and without the most cohesive program for the job. (Although Google docs may be A-1 for cloud docs, and also the spreadsheet we are using already, although that has its own questions.)

Let me reiterate that ProofHub seems to be reasonably acceptable. The docs were funny, visible enough, and ruled lines with two sizes of font, and various RTF.  Unusual, yet good enough, especially seeing how weak, so far, most every web app is in the shared docs areas, i.e as part of task, calendar etc collaboration tools.

There are so many alternatives it is hard to narrow it and then try them out and find the gotchas.  I'll probably spend some time with both ProofHub and Wiznotes now and see how they fit (Wiznotes maybe become my personal Rightnote-style program in the net, even if it does not feel comfy for the biz, the China syndrome is always a concern.)

Steven

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