On Building Git for Lawyers

google docs has a very nice version control

Google docs IME is great for collaboration until the number of reviewers exceeds, say, 5 people and/or there's a need for extended conversation on parts of the text. For simple editing? Fantastic. Loved it. For a debate over, say, product requirements or licensing... not so great.

This must be a different google docs from the one I have to use. It sort of works if there's one primary writer and editor, and everyone is contributing small suggestions through that person, but it definitely doesn't work if there are two people modifying the same section of text.

Google Docs is a step in the right direction but has several limitations.

1. Lawyers don't want everyone holding the pen at the same time. Specialists want to make their changes and have them reviewed in isolation from other's changes. Think of a redline like a pull request. You don't want other people's changes in your work when it's getting reviewed.

2. Google Docs breaks down when even a single person drafts outside of it. See the section of my essay about why lawyers will never stop using Word. Even if you managed to get an entire firm using Google Docs, it still wouldn't work because they need to exchange drafts with external parties.

so lock it down so people can only "suggest edits" and then you have a middle person approving or commenting on the suggestion