Collaborative Tool Setup (nextcloud)
Why use an open source collaborative tool?
We use them every day… they’re on the cloud. Their impact is not visible. Yet it’s not the least of them:
Environmental impacts:
Energy consumption
• Cloud services, which support these tools, require huge data centers that consume a lot of electricity.
CO2 emissions
• Most data centers are located in the USA where the energy mix is 10 times higher than in France (450 grams of eqCO2 per KWh).
Material resources
• Manufacturing the servers and equipment needed for data centers involves resource extraction, production, transportation and end-of-life e-waste management.
Societal impacts:
Privacy and personal data
• GAFAM is criticized for its handling of personal data and privacy issues.
Technological dependence
• The ease of use and ubiquity of these tools can be addictive, reducing the diversity of solutions used in the professional and personal world.
Monopoly and competition
Monopoly and competition
• Their market dominance can stifle competition, limiting innovation and choice for consumers.
Security
• While GAFAM invests heavily in security, centralizing services and data increases the risk of large-scale cyber attacks.
Digital inequalities
• Advanced collaborative tools often require high-quality Internet access, which can increase inequalities between well-connected and unconnected regions.
Culture and diversity
• The ubiquity of GAFAM products can influence local culture, particularly in terms of communication and information exchange, potentially to the detriment of local or traditional solutions.
What are the benefits?
Open source collaborative tools like NextCloud offer an interesting alternative to proprietary GAFAM solutions:
Transparency
• Since the source code is open, anyone can review it, which helps to check for unwanted or malicious features and ensure transparency about how the tool works.
Independence
• NextCloud can be managed and operated by different vendors, so there is no dependency.
Community
• NextCloud has an active community that helps improve the software, provides support and develops extensions or plugins.
Ethics and values
• NextCloud is developed from the perspective of equity, sharing and cooperation, the values of certain organizations.
Personalization
• Like any open source tool, it can be modified to meet the specific needs of an organization, allowing for increased customization.
Cost
• Lower cost compared to proprietary solutions.
Security
• NextCloud’s transparent nature allows a large community of developers to review and improve code, which can lead to faster detection and remediation of vulnerabilities.
Sustainability
• NextCloud is not related to the financial health or strategic decisions of a single company. Even if the initial development slows down or stops, the community can continue to maintain and develop the tool.
Interoperability
• NextCloud meets open standards, making it easy to integrate with other systems or tools.
What are the features?
Nextcloud is an open-source collaboration platform that allows users to store, share, and collaborate on documents. The main features:
File storage and synchronization
Users can store files on Nextcloud and sync them to different devices (computers, smartphones, tablets).
File sharing
• It is possible to share files or folders with other users or through public links, with options to set expiration dates, passwords and permissions.
Collaborative editing of documents
• Through applications like OnlyOffice or Collabora Online, users can collaborate in real time on documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
Agenda and contacts
Nextcloud offers apps to manage calendars and contacts, which can be synchronized with other devices.
Task management
With the application "Tasks", it is possible to create and manage task lists.
Instant messaging and video conferencing
The application "Talk" allows instant messaging, voice and video calls, and even video conferencing with several.
Photo gallery and music player
Users can view their photos in a gallery and listen to their music stored on Nextcloud.
Security
Nextcloud offers many security features, such as data encryption, two-factor authentication, group or IP-based access rules, and audit logs.
Third Party Application Integration
The platform allows to integrate many third-party applications through its application market, thus extending its functionality.
Notifications
Users can receive notifications for changes or additions to their files, invitations to events, and other alerts.
Backups and versioning
• Nextcloud keeps a history of file changes, allowing you to return to a previous version in case of error.
Offline access
Some applications and files may be available offline, especially on mobile apps.