Computer Chit Chat

Archive for the ‘Tips’ Category

I get a lot of email. on a typical day I get no less than 100 different emails. Hating a cluttered inbox, I try to go through them and handle them appropriately right away. More than a few things aren’t relevant to me or annoy me so much that I just delete them. Here’s some of the things that annoy me (any many other people) that you should consider when you’re sending an email.

1. If I’ve emailed you first please leave the original email in there so I know what in the world you’re talking about.
2. Place replies at the top of the email. That means the oldest piece of the email will be at the bottom. Noone wants to scroll all of the way down there and then read backwards. You should have an option to set this up in your email program.
3. Only email and reply to the relevant parties. Not everyone needs to receive every email. If that is the case, set up an online group and leave your messages there.
4. Don’t use all capitals.
5. Use real sentences, not internet acronyms and abbreviations. Not everyone knows whatthey mean and there can be more than one meaning for something.
6. Don’t use stationery.
7. Don’t forward everything you like to me without considering if I’d like it. I don’t care to debate politics so why annoy me with your political cartoons when you probably know I don’t think they’re funny. If you really want to forward me something please include a note as to why you think I should see it or what your thoughts are.
8. Don’t email pictures. Post a link to them. It’s faster and saves wasting download time.
9. Use a subject in the subject line.
10. Leave your name in the email so I know who it’s from.

Got any suggestions to add?

• forwardOn
• How to properly email a group of individuals
• I Want Sandy, personal assistant

If you have a new blog and you want people to find you when they search Google, you’ll need to get indexed quickly. Otherwise, indexing can take a while. Here are some different ways to getting your site indexed.

If you use Google webmaster tools, submit a sitemap.

Use the “add url” page on Google, Yahoo, Alexa and MSN.

Submit articles to Digg and other social bookmarking sites.

Be active on forums and include your blog in your signature.

Get an existing site or blog to link to your blog.

Write good content and network with other bloggers.Bloggers link to stuff they like.

• Blogatiser social bookmarking
• SearchStatus Firefox add-on tells you more than rank
• Amplify your feedback with Wagwire

Have you ever been writing something or working on a website and wondered what the finished results would look like complete with text? If you use Microsoft Office you don’t have to wonder. There’s a way you can enter “dummy text” effortlessly. It’s great if you’re working on a newsletter. Depending on which version of Word you’re using you can type one of a couple of things into your document.

Word 2003, Word 2002, Word 2000, or in Word 97 for Windows.
Type =rand() and press enter in your Word document and you’ll get a paragraph of five sentences. Each sentence will read The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. You can put numbers inside the parentheses to obtain the output you desire. P is for number of paragraphs and l is for the number of lines per paragraph.

Word 2007 actually has three options.
Option one. Type rand() and then enter and you will get three paragraphs containing three sentences each. The text will come from Microsoft help files. Again, placing p and l inside the parentheses directs how many paragraphs and/or lines you want output.
Option two. Type rand.old and then enter and you will get three paragraphs containing three sentences each. Each sentence will read The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Again, placing p and l inside the parentheses directs how many paragraphs and/or lines you want output.
Option three. Type =lorem() and then enter and you will get three paragraphs of Latin text beginning with the words Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Once again, placing p and l inside the parentheses directs how many paragraphs and/or lines you want output.

That’s it. Let me know if you find it useful!

• How to keep notes in Wordpress
• How to adjust what appears in the content of your rss feed
• How to embed a video in a Wordpress post

Have you ever gone into the plugins section of your Wordpress dashboard only to see that several of your Wordpress plugins have been updated? They don’t appear in the dashboard tab to see when you first log in, which I think would be really helpful. So, in order to keep up with my plugins I schedule one day a month on my calendar to do list to log into each blog and go into the plugins tab. I know it might not sound like a big deal to some but some plugins are updated rather frequently.

So. Anything I’m not using regularly I deactivate. If I see the words “there is a new version of whatver plugin available” I go to that page and take a quick look at the notes on it and upload the new version to my plugins directory and activate it. It’s just an easy way for me to remember to be sure I am running the latest stable version of the plugins I use.

• How to install a Wordpress plugin
• How to clean up your blog archives
• OIO Publisher on sale for $20

Three coworkers at my last job always marveled at how fast I got some things done at work. One day one was at my desk so I could show her something and she saw me use control-v and expressed amazement. That’s when I realized that even though some people use computers on a daily basis there are some tips, tricks and shortcuts that people still don’t know about. My favorite shortcuts of all is control-v for paste. For copying I either use control-c or a right mouse click. I used to just highlight and delete stuff rather than cutting it by using control-x, until I realized if I changed my mind quickly if I used cut I could put it back. For saving my work I only use control-s. What shortcuts do you use?

• 6 tips to getting your new blog indexed quickly in search engines
• 10 things to consider before emailing
• Is your computer a pain?

Do you start to feel uncomfortable when you’ve been at the computer for a while? Your desk may not be ergonomically correct. I had carpal tunnel and had to have it surgically corrected, and it isn’t something I recommend as a fun time. So if you’re having any issues such as pain, numbess, tingling, cramping, burning or weakness in your hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, back or neck try following some of these suggestions.
Your monitor and keyboard should be directly in front of you.
Your keyboard and mouse should be below elbow height.
Your wrist should be relaxes as you type, not bent up or down.
Use keyboard and/or mouse shortcuts whenever possible.
Use a document holder so you aren’t constantly turning your head.
Keep frequently used materials close by.
Your feet should be even and well supported.
If you start to have a problem, speak to your doctor about it before it gets worse.

• Do you use shortcuts?
• How to insert random text in Office documents