Summary
- The meeting discussed whether documents can be edited directly within Basecamp and clarified Basecamp’s approach to document management.
- Key takeaways include Basecamp’s strengths as a document repository, discussion hub, and version control system, with limited in-app editing capabilities.
- The discussion differentiated between external files (Word, Excel, PDF) and Basecamp’s editable text documents.
Action Items
(no specific actions or owners were mentioned in the transcript)
Basecamp’s Document Handling Capabilities
- Basecamp is designed as a central hub for project management and collaboration, not as a full-featured document editor.
- The platform provides a "Docs and Files" section in each project to serve as a central repository for all file types (Word, Excel, PDF, images, etc.).
- Basecamp cannot natively edit external document formats (e.g., .docx, .xlsx, .pptx) within its interface; changes to these files require downloading, editing externally, and re-uploading.
- Robust version control is available: previous document versions are retained, can be promoted, and help track document evolution.
- File uploads allow team members to start threaded discussions and leave contextual comments directly attached to documents.
- Basecamp offers built-in text documents (writeups) which support collaborative, in-app editing, simple formatting, and revision history; ideal for meeting notes or standard operating procedures.
Decisions
- Basecamp will not function as a direct document editor for traditional files — Focus will remain on organizing documents, facilitating discussions, and maintaining version control, rather than replacing word processors.
Open Questions / Follow-Ups