This document discusses potential communication tools for a group project, including their pros and cons. It analyzes email, Google+, Google Drive, iLearn, and mobile phones. For the group project, the document recommends first using iLearn for longer conversations. Mobile devices like SMS would be used next for shorter updates. Email would serve as a backup for when cell reception is unavailable. Considering features like accessibility, message length, and structure, this combination of tools was selected as most suitable for the collaborative group work.

1. SFSU ISYS 363 – FALL 2013 –
SECTION 01
CHARGERS
Group Project: Task 1

2. Topic and Features
• Five communication tools for successful group
collaboration.
– Needs to have instant message delivery.
– Needs to be reliable.
– Needs to have adjustable features for the meeting
that is being held.

3. Concerns
• Not all product is made to each specific required
element.
• Smaller market tools not being able to support
themselves because of competition from larger market
tools.
• Time accessibility of tool(s).
• Mobile phones are everywhere, and everyone has
access to one (may not always be their own).

4. E-Mail
Pros
• Professional and personal
uses.
• Can be accessed on multiple
portals, just needs an
internet connection.
• More precise and detailed
than other messaging
systems.
Cons
• Security and confidentiality
not guaranteed because of
the internet threats.
• Spam from
businesses, organizations, p
eople, etc.
• Have to rely on third
party, internet for delivery.

5. Google +
Pros
• When someone browses Google + and
searches something they can see
relevant pages and pictures shared by
other people in their circle.
Advertisements and information is
directed to the user’s interests.
• Privacy is stronger and easier to
manage. Google + allows you to place
each person in a category and each
category has specific privacy settings.
• Google + allows easy access to video
chat with a group of people. You can
pick multiple friends or a group of
people to video chat with. This is
convenient and limits potential
threats.
Cons
• Users create the database, so
searches must contain specifics.
This creates a chaos with
“unknown keywords” and an
unorganized searching data base.
• Google+’s layout can be
unorganized. New comments will
automatically be pushed to the top
of your news feed page. Websites
like Facebook will collapse a
conversation into a thread, while
Google+ will show everything.
• Currently, Google+ does not offer
third-party applications like
Facebook.

6. Google Drive (Google Doc)
Pros
• Accessible anywhere internet
connection can be found.
• Information can be shared
across different platforms with
ease.
• Cost savings- Google offers up
to 15 GB storage space for
free. It costs roughly 85% per
gigabyte less to store the
information in remote places
versus internally. Information
stored in Cloud doesn’t
require internal power to run
and mange documents.
Cons
• Some users and professionals are
concerned with general security of
information stored in remote locations
and the possibility of information being
mixed with other corporations. It is
important to choose a cloud provider who
encrypts the data.
• In Google profiles, pictures and
collaborators appear on the top of the file.
Some Google drive owners keep their
documents open to the public, and if you
are not careful with adjusting
settings, your picture will be visible to
strangers.
• Google gathers personal
information, password, etc. to manipulate
data for their own purposes. Google put
innovation ahead and forgets to ask
permissions. For detailed information and
analysis: "Google Drive's Terms of Use:

7. iLearn
Pros
• Widely used, all SFSU
students have one.
• Simple to use.
• Information is posted up
and accessed by
convenience of the user.
Cons
• Does not have the same ease
of access like e-mail or mobile
phone.
• Notifications are once at
midnight; you have to check
on your own during the day.
• If the group does not view the
site, the medium is not as
effective.

8. Mobile Phones
Pros
• Mobile devices are
transportable and easily
carried around.
• The learning curve is
minimal and almost
everyone has one.
• More efficient than meeting
in person.
Cons
• Not good for sending long
messages or documents.
• Very informal.
• Language can be
misunderstood.

9. Group Winner
• We will first engage in iLearn conversations, so that
everyone can respond to one another at convenience.
This will enable all information to stay together in
structure.
• We will next communicate through mobile
devices, mainly SMS. This will be for more direct and
short information.
• E-mail will be our third form of communication. This is
a simple way for everyone to access conversation with
one another, even when cell reception is unavailable.

10. References
• Google Drive's Terms of Use: Lazy People
Should Worry
• http://productforums.google.com
• http://www.pcworld.com
• http://www.pcmag.com