Online Collaboration Tools

What are Online Collaboration Tools?

Online collaboration tools allow for people to work together via the internet.

Wikis are one type of online collaboration tool that are web pages with an edit button. One of the most commonly known wikis is Wikipedia, the collaborative, online encyclopedia. Wiki technology creates a webpage that anyone with permission to access can modify—quickly and easily. Wikis are a tool to help manage multiple contributors to documents or projects.  They can be public or password-protected. Users can add to and edit pages or documents on a wiki -—and you can view changes made by different users or go back to previous versions. Popular wiki platforms include PBWorks and twiki.

Cloud storage is a system that backs up data on a server (instead of media like a hard drive or compact disc) and is accessible to a single or multiple users via an internet connection. Email is an example of cloud storage. Services like Google Drive allow for real-time file access and editing by multiple users. Other services that allow shared access to documents include Dropbox, Box, SugarSync, and Microsoft SkyDrive. Oftentimes files can be accessed with various devices (desktop computer, tablet, mobile phone, etc.) Cloud files can be public or private, and some provide certain amounts of storage for free.

How Can I Use Wikis in Response to HIV?

• Work with others to create resources such as websites, fact sheets, and policy papers on HIV prevention, testing, treatment, and research.
• Maintain up-to-date HIV resource lists.
• Use as an internal tool to coordinate the writing of grant applications and reports.

What are Some Examples from the Field?

• AIDS.gov’s Google Drive folders for developing blog posts and other collaborative documents.
• Wikipedia’s HIV page and AIDS page
• The MobileGov Wiki
• Care’s HIV/AIDS Wiki

Where Can I Learn More?

• Common Craft’s Video “Wikis in Plain English”
• Common Craft’s Video “Cloud Computing in Plain English”
• Wikipedia
• Wikipedia’s about wikis page
• AIDS.gov’s blog post, “The Cloud: Using Web-Based Tools for Collaboration”