Thread: Power of google

You need an existing web domain name to use Google Apps. If you don't have one, you will not be able to continue with this Workshop. Start by paying' a visit to the Google Apps website and click the 'Organizations and members' link to the left of the page. Now click the 'Compare Editions and Sign Up' button before clicking the 'Sign Up' button at the top of the Standard Edition column. Onihe next page, select the option labelled' Administrator: I own or control this domain', enter the domain that is going to be worked.

Next, create an administrator account, which will be used to manage the Google Apps installation. Choose a username and password, read through the terms and conditions and then click 'I accept. Continue with set up'. Before things can progress any further, it is necessary to verify ownership ofthe domain that has been selected for use. When the Google Apps Dashboard loads, click the 'Verify domain ownership' link at the top of the page in the meantime, a confirmation email will be sent to your domain.

From the dropdown menu labelled 'Choose verification method ... ', select 'Upload an HTML file' and some instructions will be listed. Launch Notepad from the Start menu and copy the text that has been provided into the blank document. Save the file using the name provided and upload it to the root (or top-level) folder o'fthe domain being used - this can be achieved using an FTP program.Once this has been done, click the Verify button.

Account'verification can take up to 48 hours to complete, but in our experience it is likely to be much quicker. If the GoogleApps Dashboard does not automatically appear, and click the 'Returning user, sign in here' link in the upper right-hand comer of the page. Enter the domain that has just been configured, select 'Manage this domain' from the dropdown menu and click Go. Enter the relevant usemame and password when prompted and click' Sign in'. The domain verification message should now have disappeared.

Once Google Apps has been successfully activated, it is time to set up a number of user accounts. At tile Dashboard, click the 'Create new users' link, then enter a name and usemame. It is possible to assign a temporary password to a new user account but by clicking 'Set password', a specific password can be configured. Click the 'Create new user' button and repeat the process for the number of user accounts required.

Any Google Apps online services configured for a, access through your domain are accessed through the Start Page, and this can be customised as required. At tfie Dashboard, click the Start Page link and work through the customisation wizard to change colours and page headers and footers. In the Content section of the wizard, it is possible to configure which Google Apps and other components appear on the Start Page. Content boxes can be simply dragged and dropped into position, or minimised as required.



Click the Next: Publish link, followed by the Publish Updates button to sav any changes. ow click the 'Back to Control Panel' link in the upper-left ofthe page. In the 'Web addres' section of the page, the URL that is used to access the Start Page is displayed. This can be somewhat lengthy and unmemorable, but can be easily changed. Click the 'Change URL' link, click the second selection box and enter the preferred URL- for this to work, sub-domains must be enabled with your hosting package by editing CNAME settings. You'll need to check with your domain host for specific guidance on how to do this.

Back at tl;te Dashboard, the Service Settings section lists all of the components of Google Apps that are currently available and shows their status. Most should be set to Active by default, but ifthis isn't the case, simply click the relevant Activate link. To add unlisted components, click the' Add more services' link. At time of writing, Web Pages is the only available optional component and this can be included by clicking the' Add it now' link.

The main elements of Go ogle Apps are Chat, Email, Calendar and Docs, and all require a degree of configuration to work as desired. Click the Email link in the Dashboard and a 'catch-all' email address can be configured to deliver messages that have been addressed to a non-existent account to a specific user. More advanced users may want to edit a domain's MX records to control the delivery of messages, although this is not absolutely necessary. Click the 'Instructions on how to activate Email' button for details of how to proceed.

Move to the .Email addresses' tab, and the email addresses of each user that has been created will be displayed. To make it easier to stay in touch with several people at once, it's possible to configure mailing lists so that more than one person can be sent the same email simultaneously. Click the 'Create an email list' link, enter an address for the list and then specify the recipients. Lists can be edited by clicking them in the list of email addresses and making any necessary changes.

The Calendar component of Google Apps makes it possible to share schedule information with other users of the site. Click the Calendar link in the Dashboard and the level of infomation that is shared can be configured. Use the three selection boxes at the bottom of the page to indicate whether complete schedule information should be shared with others, only information about whether users are tree orbusy, or ifno information is to be be shared. It is advisable to leave the settings in the 'Outside this domain - set user ability' section as they are.

Google Docs is possIbly the most useful element of Google Apps, as it enables sIte users to create and share files as well as collaborate on documents Dependmg on the types of file bemg created, it may be necessary to adjust the level of sharing available to users of the site. Click the 'Docs' link in the Dashboard and look in the 'Sharing options' section. Use the selection boxes to indicate whether users should only be able to share documents with other users 0 ,he site, or whether they should be made available externally.

Google docs works much like an online version of Microsoft Office and can be used to create word processing documents, spreadsheets and presentations from any computer with an intemet connection. Visit the address of Go ogle Docs on your site and create documents as required. When it comes to sharing files with others, move to the 'Created by me' section in the left-hand pane, tick the box next to a document that is to be shared and click the Share button. It is then possible to configure an email to send out to other users to grant them access to the file, either as a viewer or a contributor who can make their own edits.