In the past, I have said that Web Based replications of office applications are, to me, not that interesting.

Gliffy is the exception. Gliffy Rocks! Gliffy is an AJAX powered version of Visio. Except, it is easier to use than Visio and produces beautiful diagrams that look better than Visio diagrams. And they can be saved in the open, XML based SVG format.

Best of all, Gliffy diagrams are available as server based links to jpegs. That means you can update the diagram, and all your blog or wiki based documentation that references the diagram will be automatically updated.

So far, I have seen companies using Wikis for things like collaborating on Policy and Procedure documentation. Or, for tech companies, on software documentation. In both cases, the documentation within these Wikis includes diagrams. Gliffy now provides a fast way to update both the documentation and the associated diagrams.

Considering how professional and slick Gliffy is, I don’t give them more than a month as an independent company.

Google and Microsoft should be looking at them now. I wonder if Don Campbell has seen this?

Here is my first Gliffy diagram:

On a separate note, I find it interesting that Microsoft has an open approachable Office 2007 evangelist blogger, like Don Campbell, who is willing to interact with the blogosphere.

Does anyone know who takes on this role for Google? Is there anyone at Google in this role? Or is Google only interested in collaborating with Googlers, and not with the blogging/Internet community as a whole?

Many thanks to Geoffery Millewich for pointing me to Gliffy.