CGXchange 2.0

What's different about CGXchange 2.0 (aka CGX 2.0)?

CGXchange has evolved with Google Apps and is now smaller, faster and better, with more tools in stock for you. More information

How can I request an account on CGX 2.0?

cgxchange.org accounts have been setup already for all the CGIAR centers (except IRRI) and you do not need to request an account. Follow these instructions to login. Note: if you need to share resources with users from IRRI, you should use their irri.org Google Account. 

Can I sign up if I already have a Gmail account?

Yes, but you will still need a separate account to use tools in the Google Apps on CGX 2.0. This will not affect your personal Gmail account.

I already have my own Gmail account: do I have to give that up to get a cgxchange.org account?

No, your Gmail account will not be affected. We are not asking you to shut down your personal accounts or your cgiar.org account. We will create an account (yourname@cgxchange.org) for you through Google Apps. This account allows you to access and use the collaboration tools. Other CGX 2.0 users use this account to invite you to view and collaborate on their own Calendars, Documents and Sites.

Other advantages of a cgxchange.org account: 

• Setting Limits: Google Apps offers CGIAR staff a private network of instant messaging and personal websites that can be limited to other CGIAR employees. Users can also change their settings so that their personal sites and documents can also be viewed by external Gmail users, or shared with the world.
• Easy communication: Share ideas with other CGIAR staff with a few clicks of a mouse. Features like live chat, personal webpages and file sharing are all accessible from any computer at any time, anywhere, all with Google's well known, user-friendly interface.
• Ultimate security: Although all applications are accessible from both work and home computers, they will always be behind the secure Google network. Moreover, in the event of a disaster, no data will be lost or compromised.
• Increased storage: users have more space on a cgxchange.org account than with a conventional gmail account.
• No-ads: we have turned of the ads in Google Apps so it will give end-users an increased corporate sensation.

What is the difference between my personal Gmail account and my cgxchange.org account?

It's the same as the difference between a Google account and a Google Apps account. They both allow you to access and use several of the same Google products, but they are separate accounts.

"A Google Account is a unified sign-in system that gives you access to a variety of free Google consumer products. (...) If you use Google's email service, Gmail, then you already have a Google Account. However, it's not necessary for you to create a Gmail email address to have a Google Account. If you signed up for any Google service in the past with your own email address (example: your_name@rediffmail.com) this account is also a Google Account. In short, if you sign in to any Google product or service, you already have a Google Account."

Google Apps is an enterprise suite of online applications, including Google Sites, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Google Video and Google Talk - hosted at Google and available via the cgxchange.org domain for CGIAR staff.

While your personal Google/Gmail Account provides access to products administered by Google, your cgxchange.org account provides access to products powered by Google but administered by the CGXchange team and CGIAR center administrators, for use primarily by CGIAR staff. The major advantage with this implementation is that you can easily find your colleagues and collaborate with them because we have integrated Google Apps with our corporate directory, more storage space than a conventional Gmail account and no-ads.

See also this FAQ on Google Documentation.

What happens if I forget my password?

If you forget your password, you reset your network password as you usually do or should contact your local Helpdesk to help you do this. The CGX Team does not reset passwords.

Can I request cgxchange.org accounts for partners outside the CGIAR?

No, cgxchange.org accounts will only be created for CGIAR staff . If you need to collaborate with external partners using Google Sites or Docs, ask them for their existing Google account or to create a new Google Account. You can then add their email address in the SHARE tab to set their edit permissions and send them an notification with the URL they an use to access the resources you share with them.

Can I share a Google Site, Calendar or Document on CGXchange with people outside of the CGIAR?

Once you have their Gmail or Google account, you can add their email address in the SHARE tab to set their permissions and send them an notification from the system to they can receive an email and be aware of the resources you share with them.

If sharing a Google Site: It is recommended to forward these instructions to non-CGIAR users so they can access the site successfully: http://www.cgxchange.org/collaboration-tools/get-started-with-google-sites/login-to-google-sites-for-non-cgiar-users

If sharing a Google Doc: it is very important to use the system's notification when sharing a document with someone outside of the CGIAR because the link of the URL is different from the CGXchange document URL you have as a CGXchange user, so using the notification from the system directly allows you to make sure that the document link for them is the appropriate one.

What is the difference between Dgroups and Google Groups?

Although Dgroups and Google Groups are both mailing list services that the ICT-KM Program can establish for CGIAR users, they do have their differences.

Dgroups is an online platform that enables users to establish a mailing list, with one main advantage: messages are archived on a website. Users may also upload documents and keep track of events on the site. Each Dgroup list must assign an administrator in charge of adding/removing users to/from the list. There is one main disadvantage, though: each user must establish another separate Dgroups username to view the mailing archives and the documents online. A Dgroups mailing list has the following structure: nameofyourlist@dgroups.org

A Google List is a simple mailing list that allows you and your fellow participants to easily send messages to each other with no additional username required. Because there is no online archival of messages, users will have their messages stored in their email boxes. Since the Google lists are centrally managed by the CGXchange team, the team wll be in charge of adding/removing users to/from the lists. A Google list has the following structure: nameofyourlist@cgxchange.org.

Google Apps

What browsers are supported in Google Apps?

Where can I find information about the privacy regulations in Google Apps terms of service with regard to security and privacy?

You can find the standard terms for Google Apps Education Edition here

Access to Google Apps is sometimes slow, what can I do to improve this?

Some users may experience slow access speeds depending on their bandwidth. Gmail has an option that can help low-bandwidth users load the pages faster. However, we have also found that accessing Google Apps through Google Chrome and Firefox browsers instead of Internet Explorer results in a better performance. 

Using Google Apps on Mobile Devices

Google provides excellent service on most major mobile phones. Below are links to help you connect your mobile device to Google Apps.

• iPhone
• Windows Mobile
• Blackberry

Google provides instructions for almost any mobile device also. From your mobile device's web browser, just visit m.google.com and follow the on-screen instructions. Remember - your username is your CGX 2.0 email address (e.g.: j.smith@cgxchange.org)!

Documents

Does Google Docs have offline functionality?

Well, yes it does!  Watch this video to learn more.

Google Docs uses Google Gears, an open source browser extension that enables web applications to run offline. When you aren't connected to the Internet, Google Docs uses information stored on your computer's hard drive rather than relying on information sent across the network. When you're offline, your edits are stored on your own computer until you re-connect, at which point your changes are synced with Google Docs' servers and made available to collaborators.

How can I move documents from one Google Apps domain to another? (E.g from CGgMAIL (or Google Docs) to CGX 2.0)

Copy Google Docs from one Google Apps domain to another

How can I backup my own Google Docs

The CGX 2.0 team is looking for ways to have a centralized copy of all the documents in our domain. For now, there is free tool called GDocs Backup that allows you to backup your own Google Documents.