4 ms·

Wait, isn't this particular problem solved with something like Google Sheets? Other than privacy issues of course.

by mettamage 7y ago

fit2rule 7y ago
Not all websites are for general public application.
- fauigerzigerk 7y ago
  Neither are all Google spreadsheets
kingosticks 7y ago
And you might want to still use it in x years time after Google decides to kill-off Sheets. You must be very wary when building anything on a Google service.
- jjuel 7y ago
  And what happens if Keikai fails long before Google gets rid of sheets? I get that Google has a habit of killing things off, but they are often things that are unpopular. Sheets is far from unpopular.
  - kingosticks 7y ago
    Yep, I agree it's always a risk; but if you were really concerned you could perhaps acquire a small outfit like Keikai and protect yourself. Your money just isn't interesting to Google so that's never an option. And I don't believe it's true to say they've only killed unpopular things. Anything outside of the core business (and I will argue Sheets/Docs is outside) is up for the chop.
    - fauigerzigerk 7y ago
      >but if you were really concerned you could perhaps acquire a small outfit like Keikai and protect yourself Only one customer can do that, not all of them. As a small provider of enterprise software I would offer to sign a source code escrow agreement.
      - kingosticks 7y ago
        Yes, that's a far better way to protect your investment. Thanks for pointing that out.
    - jjuel 7y ago
      So 4 million G Suite business customers and 70 million educational G Suite customers is outside the core business? I would say 74 million customers is a major part of any business.
      - kingosticks 7y ago
        G Suite is a lot more than just Google Sheets. And while it's not advertising, I think you are right and I was a bit hasty to declare it as outside their core business. They do not have 74 million paying customers. However, I agree that the "free" version is safe for as long as the enterprise offering continues to do well (5 million PAYING users as of Feb 2019: https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/g-suite/5-million-and-counting-how-g-suite-is-transforming-work https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/g-suite/5-million-and...).
jkaptur 7y ago
Before Sheets was acquired by Google it was known as XL2Web, and it was strikingly similar to this. I can't find a lot of press, but see [0], for example - basically the same article, just with 2004-isms like using XML. 0: https://www.eweek.com/it-management/xl2web-package-lives-up-to-its-name https://www.eweek.com/it-management/xl2web-package-lives-up-...

Wait, isn't this particular problem solved with something like Google Sheets? Other than privacy issues of course.

fit2rule 7y ago

Not all websites are for general public application.

fauigerzigerk 7y ago
Neither are all Google spreadsheets

kingosticks 7y ago

And you might want to still use it in x years time after Google decides to kill-off Sheets. You must be very wary when building anything on a Google service.

jjuel 7y ago
And what happens if Keikai fails long before Google gets rid of sheets? I get that Google has a habit of killing things off, but they are often things that are unpopular. Sheets is far from unpopular.
- kingosticks 7y ago
  Yep, I agree it's always a risk; but if you were really concerned you could perhaps acquire a small outfit like Keikai and protect yourself. Your money just isn't interesting to Google so that's never an option. And I don't believe it's true to say they've only killed unpopular things. Anything outside of the core business (and I will argue Sheets/Docs is outside) is up for the chop.
  - fauigerzigerk 7y ago
    >but if you were really concerned you could perhaps acquire a small outfit like Keikai and protect yourself Only one customer can do that, not all of them. As a small provider of enterprise software I would offer to sign a source code escrow agreement.
    - kingosticks 7y ago
      Yes, that's a far better way to protect your investment. Thanks for pointing that out.
  - jjuel 7y ago
    So 4 million G Suite business customers and 70 million educational G Suite customers is outside the core business? I would say 74 million customers is a major part of any business.
    - kingosticks 7y ago
      G Suite is a lot more than just Google Sheets. And while it's not advertising, I think you are right and I was a bit hasty to declare it as outside their core business. They do not have 74 million paying customers. However, I agree that the "free" version is safe for as long as the enterprise offering continues to do well (5 million PAYING users as of Feb 2019: https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/g-suite/5-million-and-counting-how-g-suite-is-transforming-work https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/g-suite/5-million-and...).

jkaptur 7y ago

Before Sheets was acquired by Google it was known as XL2Web, and it was strikingly similar to this. I can't find a lot of press, but see [0], for example - basically the same article, just with 2004-isms like using XML. 0: https://www.eweek.com/it-management/xl2web-package-lives-up-to-its-name https://www.eweek.com/it-management/xl2web-package-lives-up-...