Google Drive Submission Idea

[Endurant Archivist]

Within Reading Excuses, currently we just use the forums for discussion on each submission, which has been working literally for year. However, I’ve been busy the past five weeks trying out a new format that I think could be beneficial to the entire group of writers on 17th Shard.

 

I talked with Silk, she knew it'd been kicked around before, but thought it could be worth revisiting.

So, to give some perspective on the concept, during the Write About Dragons writing group as we work through the entire lecture series by Brandon Sanderson. We’ve been using Google Drive to upload and comment on our work. So far it’s been a huge success because we’re all able to lay out what we like in the specific areas that matter as we see them. This has added a lot of value to the critiquing process.

For more info on the success, touch base with Robinski too, he's been a heavy part of the system (among others, but I don't want to speak for them).

Anyway, I’d be willing to get the system into place with you and provide the admin team all the information they would need to monitor it or I could also help with the process and oversee it.

Here’s what the process looks like:

Standard Layout



Uploading/Creating New Document



Label (Used RE Formatting)



Commenting & Critiquing



Then we could follow up with overall comments on the forum, like we do right now. 

Each writer could then download their documents with the comments, adding a lot of value to the virtual critique process.

What do you think, could this work for Reading Excuses?

[Robinski]

The Write About Dragons group certainly find the in-line commenting very helpful and user-friendly in the giving and receiving of feedback.There is perhaps a tendency to get drawn towards line-editing, but I'm sure if the submitter was clear those they didn't want that - critiquers would respect that.

 

In terms of more substantive comments on the whole piece, using Drive / Docs, we add those at the end. I would say that aspect is a bit cumbersome,  but that's where the forum would remain the best option, for the discussion.

 

Be interested to hear people views. I suppose the two systems could run in parallel, with those looking for a more in depth critique opting for a G**gle Drive submission, while those preferring an overview approach could continue to opt for emailing and forum commenting only.

Edited August 29, 2014 by Robinski

[Mandamon]

I was thinking about this a few days ago.  The in-line comments on the drive really help me place exactly where a reaction took place and what the response was.  Having others chime about their reactions makes a better pool of responses.  The comments section can get very crowded, especially if there are any small grammar comments, but it's fairly easy to scroll through and line up the right comment to the right section.

I'd be in favor of it.

[Endurant Archivist]

Well, we could start this ourselves and reincorporate the RE forums for our submissions overall comments. It wouldn't be too hard for us, we're used to it, and it would be simple enough to let others know so they could use it too. If people wanted to use it, they can, if not, they keep working how they are. 

 

I'll pass it by Silk again to make sure it's cool.

[molah]

As you give Google "(and those we work with) a worldwide license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content." when you upload anything, personally, I am never going to upload any creative work of mine to any of their services and I hope this does not become a requirement for participating in this writing group. (You may have heard of the stories where photographers uploaded their work to Google Drive and one day they found their photos used in some advertisement.. Luckily, Google is not in the book-writing-business, but for me it's a matter of principles)

http://www.theverge.com/2012/4/25/2973849/google-drive-terms-privacy-data-skydrive-dropbox-icloud

[Robinski]

Hmm, I admire you for reading the small print. I've no love of G**gle, but did not know this. Just as well they are not in the book-writing business (yet), as you say.

 

I'm certainly going to withdraw by casual back ups of my whole novel from there.

[Mandamon]

Actually, if you read the whole article above, it concludes that Google does have some language detailing that it must ask before using any of your information and the language is used to give Google the permissions to move things around within their own services.

 

While the rights you give them are still not very satisfactory, there are very similar and it fact better defined (according to the article) than the terms of service on Dropbox, Skydrive (Microsoft), and iCloud (Apple).  Plus, Microsoft and Apple both say they can delete your information if they find it objectionable.

 

Basically, anything you put in the internet is there forever (including this forum!).  Be careful what you post and say.

[Silk]

Yup, the rights grabs are always a bit of a concern (I refuse to post most of my original songs on Youtube for the same reason!) Much of it is, as Mandamon points out, there so that Google can move stuff around and actually provide the services they offer, because, good ol' copyright laws being what they are, it'd be pretty much impossible for them to do that WITHOUT granting themselves sweeping licenses to make copies. And yes, Google is no worse (and yes, better than, say, Dropbox, last time I checked either company's ToS) than most of the other companies out there. Plus, given that we're all working with the written word it's less likely that Google would be interested in using any of our stuff anyways... but the licenses they grant themselves are fairly broad, and typically irrevokable. Always important to keep that stuff in mind.