Originally published August 19, 2012
The Cloud is making me write again. Actually, it’s not making me write, and it’s not even fair to say it’s inspired me to write. It’s just removed any excuse for not writing. That’s the truth. I’ve amazed myself with the number of excuses, valid or otherwise, that I’ve originated for not getting my words on paper or screen. Access to the cloud and ability to write and store work online – even without an installed word processor – makes writing that much less of a chore or burden.
Cloud-writing – yes, I’ve decided to call it that now – lets me write anytime and anywhere. I can scribe right from my phone, iPad, Galaxy Tab, laptop, or any desktop. And I’m no longer constrained to the times I’m on my home Internet connection. This flexibility allows me to store, share, and collaborate as never before. Besides, I don’t have to e-mail those files around to teammates; I can invite them to collaborate right where the file is stored. Peer editing is easier than ever. If I’m storing stuff I’m going to publish later, I can either save it to my blog without publishing, or I can copy from my online word processor and paste it to my blog later.
So to be fair, while my rekindled love affair with the Cloud isn’t inspiring me to write more, it certainly has swiped all my excuses for slacking. How are you using the Cloud to enhance your personal, business, or academic writing experience?