This week’s Tool of the Week is Etherpad.com.
What it does:
Allows you to edit a text file collaboratively in real time with others. Each person’s changes are highlighted in a unique color. The file gets saved to their server at a unique URL that you can share and reference. You can view past versions of the file using a “Time Slider”. It’s kind of like Google Wave, but easier to use… There is even a chat feature on the side of the page for off-document conversation that persists from session to session.
When you need it:
- When walking through or collaborating on some code with another developer
- When collaborating on a text document (like a list or something)
How to use it:
In case you blinked at the end, I had Firefox and Chrome both open and was editing the same pad from within the two browsers. It kept the edits in sync live between the two browsers. This would have been more apparent had I actually had them both showing, which I should have done, but didn’t think about it until just now…
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