Google's "Docs and Spreadsheets" Service

I recently found a potentially great service from Google. It is their "Doc and Spreadsheet" service. Google says, "Google Docs & Spreadsheets is a web-based word processing and spreadsheet program that keeps documents current and lets the people you choose update files from their own computers".

What Can It Do?

In theory the service can do everything a normal spreadsheet or document software (such as Excel or Word) can do. It also allows the user to change it from anywhere, since they are sorted on a web browser instead of on your hard drive. It allows different people to change the documents at the same time without dealing with sending back and forth through email. Google boasts that the service can:

• upload old docs/sheets or create them from scratch
• has a "familiar desktop feel"
• share, edit and export instantly
• safely stores work and allows user to control who access it
• publish work to webpage or blog instantly

My Take

It seems to me that the Google service could simplify work being done on the same project by a number of people. It could eminate a lot of irritation and potential of loss of information from copying and pasting. It also stops sending updated attachments back and forth through email. My only concern is that although Google claims the pages would be secure, I've been taught that you can never be sure of that on the web.