ACET, Inc. Blog

Last week, we posted about document sharing resources that organizations may find useful. This week, we would like to follow up with a post sharing online resources that you may appreciate.

Tagxedo is a free program that creates tag clouds, also known as word clouds, in visually-appealing images and styles. This resource can be particularly useful in helping to analyze and display qualitative data. Users simply copy and paste all their prose into the text box. From there, the program automatically removes common words such as “and” or “so,” and allows people to select words from a list that they want to include. Users can choose an image that best depicts the text subject(s) or upload an image of their own. They can also create tag clouds from a blog, a Twitter ID, a news story, or a variety of other online sources by uploading a link rather than pasting in text. The program will require you to install Microsoft Silverlight in order to run, but the program is free, simple, and entirely safe. See below for the poem “Peanut-Butter Sandwich” by Shel Silverstein.

Prezi is a free web-based presentation application that uses a single page instead of multiple slides. All information (i.e., text, images) is put on one canvas and then grouped into frames. This allows the user to create a nonlinear “story” of sorts. The presenter can create a path for the frames or choose to select a section at will. Although the application is web-based, the user can download the presentation at any time if they don’t have an internet connection. The basic version of Prezi is free to use, but must be published on the Prezi site; however, private licenses can be purchased.

Another presentation tool, MindMeister, allows users to create a mind map to show information. Users can change font size and color, insert images or icons, add links, and rearrange spaces as needed. The map fits as many paths as you need for any given area, automatically readjusting to make space. Each caption and path is easy to create – click “add” to create a new path, “delete” to remove an unwanted path, or move a path by clicking on the caption and dragging it to a different path. MindMeister does only allow three free maps before you have to buy a membership to use the program, but the membership is low-cost at $4.92 per month. See below for my example that, again, highlights peanut butter sandwiches.

What tools or programs do you find most useful in your work? Leave a comment below and let us know!

Cassie

When you want to share information, either hosting a presentation or simply wanting to share work on a document, what resources do you use? We’ve found some particularly useful tools for sharing and presenting information (click on the link attached to the application to view more about that resource). This week we’re posting on tools for sharing documents.

A simple way to share documents that are not confidential is by uploading them to an online space. By using an online space, users are able to access the document anywhere they have internet access.

Google offers a free online sharing application called Google Documents that allows users to not only share documents, but also work on a document at the same time as other users. Once uploaded, users can edit, add, and change information in a document much like they can in Microsoft Word or a similar text editing software. When one user uploads a document, they can share with other users who can view or edit those documents. The original user must have a Google account to upload the document, but any other users do not need a Google account.

Dropbox is also a free project collaboration tool that allows users to upload and store files on multiple spaces of their choice. Just as with Google Documents, users can upload documents, photos, and more. An additional feature that Dropbox offers is the ability to link the application to multiple computers and phones. The program creates folders on each computer or phone that a user wants, allowing a safe space to upload documents without having to go onto a website.

Stay tuned for next week’s post on online resources!

Cassie