Browser Based Collaboration Services

Browser based collaboration services used on Campus

This list is incomplete and is based on Paul Davis' understandings. It has not been broadly vetted. Please add comments and corrections.

#	Type	Service	Description	Best For	Notes
1	Website	Confluence.cornell.edu	Quick web page builder with strong templating and content pipelining capability	General purpose tool (blogs, document sharing, task management, websites, email archive, forms, etc.) Project, team, service, or department restricted or public websites Templated content where a summary is needed Sharing documents or collaboratively developing documents	It's strength is that it is so general purpose. It's not the best at any of it's major features. Recommended
2	Doc mgmt	cornell.box.com	Document storage and management on the web and synced to your computer	Sharing documents with others on and off campus Sharing documents with other computers you use Simple document workflows (e.g.: having students upload web content and getting it approved) Backing up critical files (use Box Sync)	Recommended
3	Doc mgmt	File Share	Document storage and management	Storing large numbers of documents in a structured way Sharing documents with people in your department Much better than storing files only on your computer Secure document storage	Not browser based
4	Doc mgmt	docs.google.com	Office documents on the web. Multiple people can edit them at the same time	Document that multiple people need to edit or comment on at the same time Very simple forms with data stored in spreadsheet	Recommended for multiple concurrent authors or reviewers, but not formally supported by Cornell for staff and faculty.
5	Doc mgmt	Sharepoint	Work group website, document repository, workflow engine, etc.	Similar to Confluence Allows building of applications (not easily)	Doesn't deal with large numbers of documents well. Requires IT staff to set up and administer access, sites, etc. Works best in a Windows/Microsoft only environment.
6	Doc mgmt	TeamForge	Developer tool that has document management, issue management, wiki, release management, version control, etc.	General purpose developer tool	Primarily a developer tool, but was used heavily before Confluence to allow sharing and commenting on documents. Very few users now. Not recommended.
7	Forms	cornell.qualtrics.edu	Survey tool. Simple or complex forms.	Forms Simple Workflow Surveys	RAIS has developed simple workflows based on emailing completed forms. Each approver receives a copy of the completed form and replies to the service administrator with their assessment (approve or not) Recommended
8	Email	outlook.cornell.edu shared account	Shared email and calendar account that can be used by multiple people	Email archive Office or service email address	Avoid using personal email addresses as the definitive address for a service or office. Recommended
9	Notes	Evernote.com	Note gathering that syncs to all devices and shares	Capturing notes, especially website clippings, and sharing them with a limited workgroup Searching through huge volumes of notes Excellent document or whiteboard photos	Great for capturing whiteboard photos to post to confluence, or email. Not formally supported by Cornell.
10	Notes	OneNote	Note taker with ability to share on the web	Meeting notes shared via email ??? (I don't have much experience with OneNote)
11	Website	blogs.cornell.edu	Word Press Blog site specific to Cornell	Blogs Simple public website (e.g.: Research group web site)	Best for less than ~100 pages with relatively few contributors...unless it's a blog, or blog like site. IWS can be hired for a small fee to set up a site for research groups.
12	Website	Drupal	Web Content Management System	Department or college websites where pictures and stories may be used in different sections. Can support very complex sites	Drupal is growing in popularity on campus for large complex sites. Best to hire a specialist to set up. Recommended
13	Website	CommonSpot	Web Content Management System	Department or college websites where pictures and stories may be used in different sections. Can support very complex sites	CommonSpot was the most common web CMS for large sites on campus, but is being overtaken by Drupal. Not recommended.

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