Gazing Skyward
The cloud. For the uninitiated, you may be thinking of a collection of moisture cruising around in our lower atmosphere. What do you see in the above picture? I see a large animal on it's back. What I certainly do not see is an intangible storage drive that can be accessed on multiple devices across the entire globe.
Who Runs the Cloud?
There are several companies that maintain cloud services. Microsoft runs the OneDrive. Google of course has the Google Drive. Dropbox is another popular option. With so many to choose from, we have been presented with a bit of a comparison that can help the pickiest of users decide which is best for them. If you are new to the age, such as myself, perhaps a simpler choice will help. Steve Dotto will walk you through two popular options:
Searching For an Answer
After reviewing the options, I have decided to move forward with Google Drive. It is simple, and there is another great feature: Google documents. Instead of using an "office program" who shall remain anonymous, Google documents offers what I believe to be the best thing since dot-matrix printers: the research tool. A simple tool that is accessed from the tools menu, the research tool will allow you to enhance your document without ever changing tabs on your browser. Writing about kittens? Why not throw in a quote from a Siamese aficionado! A list of quotes will appear, and you can have your favorite inserted into your document, already cited in the style of your choice (between MLA and APA)! When my kitty narrative has saved, I can share it with groups, or individuals in my contacts. And since it is cloud based, I can pull it up on my phone!
Searches on Google have now been infinitely expanded in my eyes. Changing your syntax and exploring options on the engine can vastly improve your results:
Takeaways:
- Get out there, and get on the cloud
- Try Google Docs before using that "other guy"
- Enhance your searches with sharper language
- Be a scholar!
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