G Suite Drive and Docs - Add-Ons

[jthompson]

We currently have Add-Ons for G Suite Drive and Docs disabled, simply because it seems like a good idea to not allow users to build-up bodies of work that rely on add-ons that could disappear/change without warning (or that we're otherwise unable to support). I also feel that there's a data protection angle to it.

 

Things like mailmerge (that people could understandably expect to be a first-party feature) seem to need a third-party add-on, and I'm sure there's plenty of other useful stuff besides.

 

Am I right to be holding out and preventing add-ons for all end users, in the same way that we would restrict Windows users from installing/running whatever software they want? Are the Add-On and App marketplaces just a big no-no (because GDPR)?

[Ditto]

I agree with the approach as it brings a degree of safety and control, not just for GDPR, but more widely. Staff can ask for an app and you can decide then to make it available in a controlled manner.

[TwistedHelixis]

I agree with the approach as it brings a degree of safety and control, not just for GDPR, but more widely. Staff can ask for an app and you can decide then to make it available in a controlled manner.

 

Can staff still see all the add-ons if they are blocked, or are they just blocked from installing them?

[rogerdnixon]

We whitelist apps and API access for all users. On the staff/students sites, there is a link to a form to request access to an app/extension. We check them out and approve as appropriate. Same goes for Android apps on Chromebooks. Users can browse the entire store but only add/authorise what we allow. Most ket addons (Formmule, Autocrat, Copydown etc) are deployed centrall anyways via the Admin marketplace - so are just there for users. We addons, for the most part they are scripts (which in theory the user could make themselves themselves) and jst run on the local G Suite user and don't give any data to third parties. You can do lots of cool stuff and build loads of systems with addons - we sort of run on lots of them - never been a problems - but we do manage quite carefully.

[Ditto]

Can staff still see all the add-ons if they are blocked, or are they just blocked from installing them?

As above, except we've not really got stuck into Android ones yet - partly as our early stock doesn't support, but they are due to EoL later this year so maybe we'll look more closely next year. I'm actively encouraging staff to come forward with apps, but really with need a champion. If I could get a couple of keen teachers to go down Google educator certification as part of CPD, we really might get things moving. Far better a teacher drives teachers app usage forward than me!