Google Stumbles with Google Docs Service

A recent upgrade to Google's cloud-based Google Docs service is causing headaches for users that are finding their ability to print, upload and export documents crippled. The problems cropped up after Microsoft and T-Mobile had to deal with the loss of Sidekick user data during what's become a bad week for cloud computing.

Google began implementing a series of upgrades for its Google Docs service at the beginning of the week, and complaints about problems began surfacing shortly after.

In a statement on the Google Docs forums, the company said "We discovered some latency (slow response) issues in the conversion process used in the upload and printing/export features of Docs, which caused some of the symptoms seen. We've made some improvements and we're still working on a complete fix."

Google hasn't said when to expect service to return to normal.

The problems with Google's Web-based word processor, spreadsheet and presentation service haven't done anything to help boost trust in cloud computing -- especially since the issues appeared after Microsoft and T-Mobile were dealing with the aftermath from a Microsoft server failure that lost all Sidekick user data that wasn't stored locally on the smartphone.

Microsoft has since been able to start recovering the Sidekick user data, but restoring the information will likely come faster than restoring user trust in cloud computing and cloud data storage.

[Thanks to Macworld UK for the heads up.]