Always a pleasure.

It occurred to me an hour after posting while out walking (where all my ideas of world domination originate) just how much Peepel might sound like Paypal to some people - could be a source of confusion to some users who are verbally told to go there to sign in. Everyone knows Paypal, nobody knows Peepel.

As you can probably tell, not all of my "ideas while walking" are actually useful. :P

Your response gave exactly the kind of information I had hoped for. Thank you for your insight, BuBBy!

Clearly it is still very early days for Peeple.

I was browsing having a quick read so I could get a handle on "how it all works".

1. At the moment the files are all stored only online (on their servers) - limited to 2mb per document. (offline storage - on your own hard drive is still only in Alpha testing at the moment).

- If you lose your internet connection or something happens to their servers - loading and saving your work isn't possible.

2. More a case of "we're not ready yet - can you come back later?". The FAQ asks "will my files ever be deleted by Peeple" - the answer: "We will not delete your files unless your account is cancelled or you breach our terms and conditions". (with a link to the T&C). So I go to read the "T&C" http://www.peepel.com/acceptableuse.php

The T&C currently read "Acceptable Use. This will be the long version". ROFL. (Don't worry, it's a looong story).

Could be useful - depends on pricing and presentation (free with ads? subscription?). Also absolutely necessary is offline support - so can continue & save work locally in the event of an outage.

I also consider the risk of using the site for commercial purposes and if the site was DDOS'ed and nobody could access their files etc - the ability to hold companies and their data to ransom. Bit risky.

I think Microsoft considered something similar a few years back. A subscription version of office where you could download the separate components and run via a browser - they were cached and kept up-to-date online and you could go anywhere with an internet connection and use your office apps. I didn't think that idea had any legs back then.

I still think the best option would be an open source version of a portable (USB Key friendly) Office Suite that leaves behind no footprint. You could take your data and apps with you to any pc you visit.

A bit like this. http://portableapps.com/apps/office/openoffice_portable

Has anyone used the new Peeple Online Office Suite? It's similar to MS Office and oOo, but with a twist: the applications reside on the Peeple website; no expensive proprietary software to purchase and no upgrades to worry about. All of your documents can be safely stored on your own hard drive.

Apparently it is a work in progress (Beta), containing a spreadsheet application, calculator, word processor application and desktop window that allows you to open multiple applications in the same window. It hopes to employ off-line capability and Peeple WebMaps in the near future.

Potential Drawbacks: compatible with Open Office (oOo) but not MS Office applications; documents stored online limited to 2Mb.

Collaboration seems a bit different, too. They are partnering with Touchstone, a desktop notifier program, that will alert you if someone on your project team edits or contributes a document. Not exactly like office IM, but probably an improvement.

Might be interesting to test-drive.

http://www.peepel.com/