翻译《ELI7035 - 关于谷歌应用套件你要知道的七件事》

7 things you should know about...

Google Apps

关于谷歌应用套件你要知道的七件事

Scenario

场景说明

To support her master's thesis in sociology, Sylvia developed a project that brought together students from a high school in downtown Chicago with students from Monroe High School in Monroe, Wisconsin. Despite being just a two-hour drive away, the schools were worlds apart culturally, and the project's goal was to investigate attitudes that students in each school held about those at the other. The instrument for the project was a fiction writing exercise in which a group of students at each school would write a story set in the other school's town. As the stories developed, the students at each school would review and make edits to the story from the other school. Both schools suffered from outdated computers with a range of software (though all of it was PC-based) and no prospect of district funding for hardware or software improvements. Sylvia was a dyed-in-the-wool Mac user, which presented another compatibility concern. They all had Internet connections, however, at least at school, and most of the students selected to participate also had Gmail accounts.

希尔维雅为了证明其硕士论文，制定了一个项目，集合了从芝加哥市区高中到威斯康辛州门罗县门罗高中的学生。尽管这两所学校距离仅两小时车程，但其文化有天壤之别。该项目的目标是研究每所学校对其他学校的态度。而该项目的研究手段是小说写作练习，让各个学校一群学生写一个发生在另一学校所在地的故事。随着故事的发展，学生会查看、修改另一学校写的故事。两所学校都得忍受老旧电脑和一系列旧软件（但都是基于PC的软件），也不可能得到地方资金改善硬软件。希尔维雅是彻底的苹果用户，这又是另一项兼容问题。学生都可以上网，至少在学校可以。大多数参与学生都有Gmail账户。

Sylvia set up blank documents on Google Docs and granted access to the participating students. She left the story ideas and development entirely up to the students. Once a week, the two groups would "trade" papers, seeing how the story - ostensibly about them - was progressing and making comments in the file itself about how their town and its culture differed from the story's portrayal. Sylvia also reviewed the files and made her own suggestions. Because all of the writing and reviewing happened through web browsers, there were no problems with file compatibility, and Google Docs kept a record of the many versions of each story. Initially, Sylvia thought she and the students would keep in touch using Gmail, but the students soon began using Google Talk among themselves, so Sylvia did too. Those students who had Internet access at home could access the files and the software to work on them, which was vital because many of the students could not afford to buy traditional software. Sylvia spent spring break visiting her family in Arizona and, without having to take her computer, could access and comment on the stories from there. The ability to share documents - and to communicate - with others, regardless of platform or software, allowed Sylvia's project to succeed. Students in both groups saw how stereotypes influenced their ideas about urban and rural culture, and they came away with an appreciation for their differences - and their similarities.

希尔维雅在谷歌文档中建立空白文档，允许参与学生编辑。他留下故事思路，完全由学生自由发展。两组学生每周交换一次故事，看看故事——另一组给他们假设的故事——如何发展，并在文件中留下评论，评论他们小镇及其文化与故事中所描述的有哪些差别。希尔维雅也检查这些文档并给出建议。由于所有写作及查看都发生在网页浏览器中，没有文件兼容的问题，并且谷歌文档为每个故事记录了许多版本。一开始，希尔维雅认为他和学生会通过Gmail接触，但是学生之间很快就用上GTalk，于是希尔维雅也用了。那些在家上网的学生，也能编辑这些文件，使用这些软件，这很重要，因为这些学生很多没有条件购买传统软件。春假希尔维雅回到亚利桑那州的家乡，没有带自己的计算机，但从那儿也能访问评论这些故事。与其他人分享文档——以及评论——的功能，与平台和软件无关，确保了希尔维雅项目的成功。两小组学生看到自己对于城市和农村文化的看法是如何影响对方成见的，他们离开时带着对相互之间的异同的尊重。

What is it?

这是什么？

Google Apps is a collection of web-based programs and file storage that run in a web browser, without requiring users to buy or install software. Users can simply log in to the service to access their files and the tools to manipulate them. The offerings include communication tools (Gmail, Google Talk, and Google Calendar), productivity tools (Google Docs: text files, spreadsheets, and presentations), a customizable start page (iGoogle), and Google Sites (to develop web pages). The tools are free, or users can pay for a Premium Edition that adds more storage space and other features. Alternatively, an Education Edition includes most of the extras in the Premium Edition and is offered at no cost to K-12 and higher education. Google Apps allows institutions to use their own domain name with the service and to customize the interface to reflect the branding of that institution. In this way, a college or university can offer the functionality of Google Apps in a package (and with a URL) that is familiar and comfortable to constituents.

谷歌应用套件是一套基于网页的程序和文件存储，运行于网页浏览器之中，不需要用户购买或者安装软件。用户只需要简单登录入服务即可访问自己的文件，并利用工具处理这些文件。该套件包括通信工具（Gmail、GTalk和谷歌日历），生产工具（谷歌文档：文本文件、电子表格和演示文稿），用户自定义起始页（iGoogle）和谷歌协作平台（用以开发网页）。这些工具都是免费的，胡勇也可以付费购买有更大存储空间和其他功能的专业版本。另外，教育版本包括了专业版本绝大部分额外功能，免费提供给中小学和高校。谷歌应用套件允许机构在这些服务中使用机构自己的域名，定制界面，以反映机构自己的品牌。这样，高校就能同一套件中（使用同一地址）提供谷歌应用套件熟悉而舒适的功能。

Who's doing it?

谁在使用它？

Since its launch, Gmail has been a popular choice among students - higher education as well as K-12 - and many of these same students are users of Google Apps. For them, being able to access their documents from any Internet-connected computer, without having to worry about software versions or compatibility, fits well with their always-connected, just-in-time lifestyles. Many faculty, however, have been hesitant to store their files on someone else's servers, given perceived concerns over security and the stewardship of their data. Some institutions have adopted Gmail for student and alumni accounts while maintaining inhouse mail services for faculty and staff. Still, a number of colleges and universities have migrated to Google Apps, often only for e-mail but increasingly for the entire suite of communication and productivity tools.

自推出以来，Gmail已成为高校以及中小学学生的流行选择，其中许多学生也是谷歌应用套件的用户。对这些学生而言，能够从任何联网计算机访问他们的文档，而不需要担心软件的版本或兼容问题，非常符合他们时刻在线、实时处理的生活方式。但是，许多教师，一直犹豫是否将自己的文件存在别人的服务器上，担心所谓的数据保密和管理问题。一些学校在也为学生和校友提供Gmail账户的同时，仍然为教职员工提供内部邮件服务，一些高校已经迁移到谷歌应用套件，通常只使用电子邮件，但日渐使用整套通信和生产工具。

How does it work?

它如何工作？

All of the applications in Google Apps work through a web browser. Users must have a Google account and, once logged in, can access familiar - if scaled-down - functionality for word-processing, calendaring, chat, and other tools. Google Docs, for example, allows basic formatting of text documents but without higher-level functions (such as style sheets and templates) found in traditional software. Spreadsheets support formulas and simple functions but not macros or the creation of figures and tables. Each file has a creator/owner, who determines who is allowed to access the file, either as a viewer (with read-only rights) or a collaborator (who can change the file). Because Google stores all of the files and content centrally, collaboration and document management become far simpler than when distributing files to multiple people and keeping track of different versions. For a text document, for example, the application maintains the file, allowing authorized users to see or edit the text while keeping track of all the changes and who makes them. This version history is available and allows comparing any two versions of the document. Similarly, the content in a user's calendar can easily be shared with other users, and Google Sites provides a simple tool for groups to collaborate on developing web pages or whole websites. When a file is complete, it can be "published," which gives it a unique URL, or it can be exported. In the case of a text document, export options include PDF, Word, RTF, OpenOffice, and others. A spreadsheet can be exported as a PDF, a text file, or an .xls file, among others. Much of the Google Apps functionality is available on mobile devices.

谷歌应用套件所有应用程序都通过网页浏览器运行。用户必须用一个谷歌账户，登录之后，就可以访问熟悉的——相对简化的——字处理、日历、聊天和其他工具。比如，谷歌文档，允许对文本文件进行基本的格式编排，但是没有传统软件的高级功能（比如样式表和模板）。电子表格支持公式和简单函数，但不支持宏，也不支持创建图表和表格【译者注：现在已经支持图表和表格了】。每份文件都有一个创建者/所有者，它可以决定谁能访问此文件，其中谁是浏览者（只有只读权限）谁是协作者（可以编辑文件）。由于谷歌集中存储所有文件和内容，相对于文件分散到许多人手上时跟踪不同版本，协作与文件管理变得非常简单。比如，对于一份文本文档，应用程序管理此文件，允许授权用户浏览或编辑文件，并跟踪所有改变并记录更改人。版本历史允许比较文档的任何两个版本。同样，用户日历中的内容，也很容易与他人分享，谷歌协作平台为团队提供了协作开发网页甚至整个网站的简单工具。文档完成之后，可以“发布”出去，并为文档提供一个惟一地址，也可以导出到本地计算机。还是文本文档这个例子，导出选项包括PDF、Word、RTF、OpenOffice 以及其他格式。电子表格可以导出为PDF、文本文件、XLS文件以及其他。谷歌应用套件的许多功能都能在移动设备上使用。

Why is it significant?

它为什么重要？

Particularly for higher education, the notion of providing software to constituents as services rather than as products offers several key benefits. Such an approach transfers responsibility for software updates and maintenance away from the institutional IT department, freeing IT staff from a considerable amount of software support. The resources saved can be directed at making the IT department more innovative and agile, attributes that are increasingly important in responding to rising student expectations of technology on campus. Sharing content is as simple as granting someone access, which facilitates collaboration without having to transfer files or worry about software compatibility. The limited functionality available through Google Apps is sufficient for the needs of most users, who have access to their files and related software any place they have a computer and an Internet connection. In addition, Google Apps can work with existing single sign-on programs, and hardware (and hardware failures) becomes less of a concern.

特别在高校，以服务而非产品的形式向成员提供软件，这种观念有若干关键好处。这种做法使得机构IT部门摆脱软件升级和维护的责任，使得IT员工从大量软件支持工作中解脱出来。节省下来的资源转而为IT部门带来更多创新和灵活，学生对校园内技术的期望越来越高，因而对这些期望的实时响应也越发重要。分享内容与设置权限一样简单。大多数用户需要在有计算机和互联网的地方访问他们的文档和软件，谷歌应用套件有限的功能，已经能满足他们的需求。此外，谷歌应用套件还可与已有的单点登录程序一起工作，硬件（以及硬件故障）变得不那么重要。

Although Google is not the only provider of web-based applications, it is in a strong position to make this concept acceptable to a broader audience, in part because of the cost savings it offers and in part because of Google's reputation as a "good citizen." Google is seen as responsive to the concerns of its users and as a company that is not likely to disappear overnight.

虽然谷歌并非网页应用的唯一提供者，但他的强有力地为使得这一概念广为人知，部分原因是节省开支，部分原因是谷歌的声誉良好。谷歌被认为急用户之所急，并且作为一家企业，不大可能一夜蒸发。

What are the downsides?

他有什么缺点？

The greatest concern about Google Apps and similar services is the loss of control. Because access rights are shared across the service, users rely - to some extent - on how carefully others protect their login credentials. Even though providing e-mail and other applications is complex and expensive, many in academia see this as a core responsibility of the IT department. Given concerns about long-term availability, security, and privacy, storing files, e-mail, calendar entries, and other content on non-institutional servers is a deal-breaker for some colleges and universities. From an administrative standpoint, Google doesn't offer as much granularity in managing user accounts as many institutions want and need. For users, the menus and tools are not consistent from one application to another, and applications running over the web do not work as smoothly and predictably as those running locally. Users who find themselves without an Internet connection cannot access the applications or their files.

谷歌应用套件以及类似服务最大的问题就是失去控制。因为访问权限为多项服务共享，用户——在某种程度上——依赖于如何小心保护自己的登录凭证。尽管提供电子邮件和其他应用非常复杂昂贵，学术界许多人都认为这是IT部门的主要责任。因为人们担心长期可用性、安全与保密，对于某些高校，非机构所有的服务器上的文件存储、电子邮件、日历安排以及其他内容都相当糟糕。从管理角度看，谷歌并不像许多机构所希望和需要的那样，在管理用户的时候足够细微。对用户而言，应用程序之间的选单与工具不同，应用套件运行在网络上，还不像在本地计算机上那样流畅、如意。用户会发现，离开网络连接他们就不能访问应用套件以及他们的文件。

Where is it going?

用在什么地方？

Google owns several companies including YouTube and GrandCentral, and Google Apps may see increased integration across the family of Google companies. GrandCentral, for instance, gives users a single phone number that, when called, will ring on any of the user's phones. All of that person's contacts can use the same number, even if that person graduates or transfers to another institution, changes jobs, or otherwise changes numbers. Google may incorporate these and other tools into Google Apps, and we may see more integration with applications outside the Google family. Because each new added feature affects the speed of the service, however, Google will need to balance complexity with performance. In addition, Google is said to be working on offline functionality, which would allow users to access the software and their files even when not connected to the Internet.

谷歌拥有多家公司，包括YouTube、GrandCentral，谷歌应用套件看上去会将谷歌公司家族都集成进去。例如，GrandCentral 为用户提供一个惟一的电话号码，只要有电话打进来，用户任何一部电话都会响起。即使这家伙毕业、转校、跳槽，或者因为其他原因更换电话号码，用户所有联系人都可以使用该号码联系到他。谷歌也许会把这项服务以及其他工具集成进谷歌应用套件，我们可能会看到更多谷歌家族之外的应用也被集成进来。然而，由于每项新加进来的功能都会影响到服务的速度，谷歌需要在复杂度和性能之间做出平衡。另外，谷歌据说要实现离线功能，这将允许用户在没有接入互联网的时候访问软件和他们的文件。

What are the implications for teaching and learning?

他对教育学习的影响是什么？

While the financial incentives to use Google Apps might compel a university to try it, the benefits for building a more collaborative teaching and learning environment could be the reason to stay. These benefits potentially include peer review of academic work and the ability to observe and participate in the creation of scholarly material. Today's students are generally comfortable sharing content and collectively generating knowledge. The Google Apps model of application delivery and file storage provides a set of tools and an infrastructure to make this happen. By leveraging student interest in and use of such tools, institutions might be able to encourage more experimentation with collaborative learning. Google Apps also facilitates sharing of information such as syllabi, and it offers an easy way to publish student work. Google Apps allows students and instructors to forget about the tools and focus on creative ways to use technology in their disciplines.

虽然使用谷歌应用套件的经济原因会促使大学试用它，但建立更为协作的教育学习环境带来的好处，会成为留下来的原因。这些好处可能包括，学术工作中的同业互查、观察与参与到创建学术材料活动中的能力。现在的学生都惯于分享内容、集体创作知识。谷歌应用套件这类应用程序交付与文件存储，提供了一整套工具和基础结构，帮助学生实现目标。利用学生对使用这些工具的兴趣，机构可以鼓励更多的协作学习体验。谷歌应用套件也有利于分享课程提纲等信息，也为发布学生作品提供了便捷。谷歌应用套件可以让学生教师忘掉工具，把注意力放在利用技术在学科领域内的创新。

EDUCAUSE 2008

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March 2008

二零零八年三月