3 basic tools - which do you use?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Peter HJ on September 8, 2010 at 22:40

I'm a huge fan of iGoogle, as the base for a quick Intranet. Tabs can be shared, so it can also act as weGoogle. And iFrames can be used to include any non-Google content you like. So, at no cost, you can have a secure 'start page' with scheduler, chat, to-do, knowledge base, translator, currency converter, skype, RSS, weather, street maps... plus it's dead easy to customise & can lookas funky as you care to make it. I reckon this could become the killer app for stewards/delegates/reps.

Permalink Reply by Jill Biddington on September 9, 2010 at 5:27

I suspect there will be a common thread of each of us being a bit crazy.

The first problem that I had was trying to get an application that allowed me to manage and synchronise 5 diaries - that's 4 different contracts and one for my family. Each workplace had their own system and I tried to get others to log their meeting requests etc locally as well as in my iGoogle calendar but that didn't work even with colour coding. In the end I gave up and bought an iPhone which does the job brilliantly.

I use Xmarks to synchronise my book marks so I could have the same set up on all of my various pcs - that saved a huge amount of time in assisting others to access on line resources etc.

For a couple of reasons, I don't use an electronic journal - but use bound notebooks. There is something in the way that I take notes that reminds me of more than the words I use - and I am quicker writing in my shorthand than keying in words and I am often drawing on butcher's paper, white boards, bit's of paper and so I felt that the electronic journal wasn't working for me. I did have a OCR based electronic notepad which was tremendous and easy to use but in my way of rushing through life I would sometimes forget to click the button for new page and create a big mess. I still use it for really important meetings that need a record of proceedings though.

I use Task Manager as a very low brow tool to set up work for groups of people, personally I prefer the MS Project for it's depth and breadth but it is so expensive that few use it.

A time tracker? No I am someone who sets up the diary at the beginning of the week around projects prefer that - I find it easier to manage my time rather than to track it to be honest.

I tried to use a web based To Do list but became annoyed with having to move between different tabs - I am terribly impatient! so in the end I use the iGoogle To Do function and start the day with an email from my account that reminds me what is on for the day - what are the tasks I have to do and so on. I prefer to use one app for as much as possible to be honest - and I do like the alerts and reminders from iGoogle as I am often getting my head so into whatever I am doing that I can lose track of time - sometimes I think a small electric current might be in order to get my attention. I will go and have a look at Toodledo though.

Mostly I am now based at my desktop as I found the two years of doing 4 jobs was not good for my health and so now I only have one job - not a union job but on a online support community for people with mental health - still it is very much the same skills as union organising. I haven't "left" the union movement - just making sure that I am feeling like I am contributing to a more civil society. I am perhaps more dependent on the iPhone than I am comfortable for being able to get out and about but it works for me providing I maintain my routines of synchronising and updating.

Good subject for discussion.

I wish I worked for unions that had a mature approach to project management - often the impetus was micro management rather than good planning and allocation of resources and staffing.

cheers
Jill

Permalink Reply by Jamie West on January 5, 2011 at 4:59

Google Document can also be useful. It gives you a "cloud" to store documents that you can access from wherever there is internet and it can be used for collaborating with others. It's password-protected, but I'm not sure if I'd use for anything super-sensitive. However, if your planning - say - an activist dinner, and you need a way for 10 people to be able to easily edit and add who has confirmed their attendance, it works great!

 

~ Jamie West

Peter HJ said:

I'm a huge fan of iGoogle, as the base for a quick Intranet. Tabs can be shared, so it can also act as weGoogle. And iFrames can be used to include any non-Google content you like. So, at no cost, you can have a secure 'start page' with scheduler, chat, to-do, knowledge base, translator, currency converter, skype, RSS, weather, street maps... plus it's dead easy to customise & can lookas funky as you care to make it. I reckon this could become the killer app for stewards/delegates/reps.