If Wikipedia, Why Not Google?

As Mark Holmes noted in his first hypothetical-bias entry, the Hypo-Bias blogger, John Whitehead, likes The Simpsons hence the name, A Cromulent Economics Blog.  Mark also notes that Whitehead has an affinity for Wikipedia.  Although, The Onion, America's Finest News Source, has taken shots at the accuracy of Wikipedia (see Wikipedia Celebrates 750 Years Of American Independence), Wikipedia can be fairly accurate.  According to an article in the journal, Nature, in terms of science, Wikipedia is about as accurate as the Encyclopedia Britannica.

What about Google?  I'm sure that Whitehead uses Google, Google Scholar and probably Google Earth (no hyperlinks here since I was hyperlink crazy in the first paragraph).  However, my attempts to push a gmail account and the associated benefits on Whitehead have failed.  What's the new appeal of Google's e-mail service/Google accounts?  Google Spreadsheets.  Stated benefits:

Get started quickly.
Import your existing spreadsheets or create new ones from scratch.

Edit your spreadsheets from anywhere.
All you need is a Web browser - your spreadsheets are stored securely online.

Share changes in real-time.
Invite people to your spreadsheets and make changes together, at the same time.

Anybody using 'em?

Comments

[John Whitehead]

Hey, I'm using john.c.whitehead@gmail.com. At least, I'm using it enough to get the hang of it and ween myself off MS outlook.

I've read good reviews on Google spreadsheets but one drawback to Google's try at an office suite is that you can't save your work to your hard drive. Is that so?

[Paul Chambers]

Suppose you are stuck in the Pura Vida Internet Cafe in Santa Elena, Costa Rica due to a thunderstorm and you want to do some work. (Side note: A big, burly Americano walks in and asks if he can get coffee anywhere around here. Dude! It's Costa Rica. Coffee is everywhere.)

No problem regarding coffee. No problem regarding saving work. Saving your Google spreadsheets work to your hard drive is way easy! Hit the file button and then Download as .xls.

[mark holmes]

biggest drawback of google spreadsheets -- no dancing paper clip that sucks 10 seconds of productivity anytime you accidentally hit F1. second biggest drawback -- your colleagues can't hear you scream at that #$%&ing stupid piece of #$@# paper clip -- i mean, why the $%# do i need to see a paper clip smile at me, when all i want to do is make "1-24" not show up as "january 24, 1900"???? ARRRGGGHHHH!!!!!