Google Creep

Yes, yes, yes...of course it concerns me that Google is trying to take over the world. But I can't seem to help it -- I keep using Google products. Me, the guy, for political reasons, who has stepped foot only twice in a Wal-Mart over the past eight years -- once to return items bought by a project manager I was working with, and another time to buy a microwave pizza for my hotel room in Natchez, MS. That's it. I understand they have great prices on tires, but I just got a pretty decent price from the guys at the locally-owned Texaco station down the street. (I suppose they have to get their gas from somewhere.)

And, yet, here I am posting documents and spreadsheets to Google Docs. Why? Because of the collaborative features; one of them is an outline for the book I'm working on that the editors back in the home office can check in on so that they can see the lack of progress I'm making toward my deadlines. (I've had two good days this weekend, however.) Another is a cash budget spreadsheet we're using to follow the cash flow of our local film festival, so that the Festival Director, Coordinator, and board members can see what we plan to spend, what we're spending and what we need to raise. That budget started as an Excel sheet that was mailed to me; in my Gmail account, there's this handy little link that says "View in Google Spreadsheets."

I'm weak. I clicked it.

So, yeah, taking over the world, etc. If they just put a dent in Microsoft, though, that would be a start. And I gotta say, the whole "free office applications" thing is mighty tempting to a small business owner...