UCSD Winter 2008
Monday & Wednesday, 6:30 - 7:50pm
H&SS 1330
In order to use Google Docs, you need a Google account (if you don't already have one -- if you use Gmail, you have one). Google accounts are free and easy to set up, and with them you can access lots of useful Google tools (all of them free). You will only need to use Google Docs for the purposes of this class.
Google Docs is a web-based word processor (there is also a related spreadsheet and presentation program, much like most "office" software packages). There is a very useful help center that can teach you the basics, but if you're relatively comfortable with computers and have used a word processor before, it will be very simple. The main things you need to know are the following.
Because Google Docs is web-based, you have to be online to use it. However, you can export documents, edit them offline (using Microsoft Word, for example) and then either cut-and-paste them or import them back into Google Docs. (The main problem with this is that you may lose some formatting; in most cases, this is not that much of a big deal.) See this help page for more on importing and exporting.
When you are finished with your document and ready to submit it to us for grading, click on the "Share" tab (next to the "Publish" tab in the upper-right of the window). Invite both klshelby@gmail.com and dfjung@gmail.com as collaborators so that we can leave comments on your documents. (Be sure to keep the "Collaborators may invite others" and "Invitations may be used by anyone" options checked.) You will be prompted to send us an e-mail with the invitation; make sure the subject heading is "FINAL-POLI 115A".
Finally: please don't forget to put your name on your document, and to give the document a relevant title.
BONUS: For a bonus point added to your final grade, share a short test document, with the subject heading "Test Message: POLI 115A" by 5pm on Wednesday, March 5th, following the instructions above.