Writing Secret Messages In Word October 25, 2006
Posted by iawalsh in : How do I ?, Formatting, Style , add a comment
Writing Secret Messages In Word
Here’s a few ways to write secret messages in MS Word.
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Write your message, select it, and change the Font Color to white. Your words have disappeared!
The problem here is that if another person highlights the document and changes the font to black, your words come back. Let’s try another option. -
Select the text and change the font to Wingdings or Webdings fonts. This will ‘scramble’ your text and make it unreadable to prying eyes. But, of course, it’s hardly bulletproof. Let’s try again.
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Select the text and change it to 1pt. This shrinks the words so that they appear as a thin, slightly jagged line. This might work if you can disguise your text as underlines or line breaks in your document.
Adding Diagonal Lines To A Table October 25, 2006
Posted by iawalsh in : How do I ?, Formatting, Style , add a comment
Click inside the table you want to modify and follow these steps:
1. From the Format menu, click Borders and Shading.
2. From the Apply To box, select Paragraph, Cell, or Table.
3. Click the lower left button to add a diagonal line.
Using Cascading Style Sheets October 25, 2006
Posted by iawalsh in : How do I ?, Formatting, Style, Templates , add a comment
You can use Microsoft Word to attach cascading style sheets (CSS) to your web pages.
Cascading style sheets are small text files which control the formatting of web pages. There work just like templates. Inside the CCS file, you can define how the headings should look, indentations for the bullet points, table settings, background color and so on.
You can then link a CSS file to a webpage, so that when you want to change its formatting, or maybe just part of the website, you simply update the CSS file instead of having to update every single page by hand.
FYI” If using CSS saves you just one hour per week, over the course of the year you’ll have saved over 50 hours. Multiple 50 by your hourly rate and you can see how valuable this approach can be.
To attach a cascading style sheet to a webpage, follow these steps:
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From the Tools menu, click Templates and Add-ins.
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Click Linked CSS.
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Click Add.
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Select the cascading style sheet (CSS) you want to add, and then click OK. Where are the style sheets?
You can view the style sheets that are attached to your web pages in the Styles and Formatting task pane.
What is Filtered HTML? October 24, 2006
Posted by iawalsh in : How do I ?, Formatting, Style , add a comment
Filtered HTML is a special type of HTML where Word-specific functions have been removed from your document.
This is very useful when you want to create a webpage with ‘clean’ code as web pages created from Word don’t always work correctly when viewed in non-Microsoft browsers.
The reason for this is that when you save a file as HTML, the web page cannot display features which are designed specifically for Word, such as ‘frames’ and ‘text boxes’.
Web pages can’t represent these, though you can create workarounds if you understand the underlying HTML code. To convert a Word file into Filtered HTML, follow these steps:
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Open your Word file and click File, Save As.
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In the Save as type box, click Web Page, Filtered.
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Click Save.
FYI: if you save the file as filtered HTML and then reopen it in Word, its format and appearance may be slightly different as the Word specific-functionality was deleted when you saved it as Filtered HTML.
For this reason, save into Filtered HTML only after you’re finished the document and don’t plan on making any more changes.
Otherwise you’ll need to maintain two files:
1 x of the original Word document and
1 x with the Filtered HTML web page
FYI: Another option is to save your document as a Single File Webpage. How does this work? When you do File, save as Single File Webpage, it saves everything, including text and graphics, into a single web page.This lets you publish your entire site as a single ‘hold-all’ HTML file. This is ideal when you want to email your entire web site to a colleague or customer.
Siobhan
Using Filtered HTML October 24, 2006
Posted by iawalsh in : How do I ?, Formatting, Style , add a comment
Purists may not approve of the quality of its code, but Microsoft Word lets you save your documents into HTML and, for the most part, the end result is fine. If you want to convert your document into HTML you can choose from three different options, each of which has its own advantages.
To get started, from the File menu, click Save As and then select the file type you want to use:
Single file web page – one large web page with the images embedded into the page.
Web Page – like above except the images are held in a separate folder.
Web Page, Filtered – web page which has removed the Word-specific features.
The third option—Web Page, Filtered—allows you to significantly reduce the size of web pages created in Microsoft Word.
Reduce the File Size of Word Documents October 20, 2006
Posted by iawalsh in : How do I ?, Formatting, Troubleshooting , add a commentQuestion: I have a very large Word document with many large bitmaps.
However, even when I delete the bitmaps, and reinsert a number of smaller images, the file size remains the same as when the bitmaps were in the document.
How can I reduce the file size?
Answer: Use Save As, which wipes out the ‘document history’ information and should reduce your file size significantly.
If that doesn’t help, select the text and copy it into a blank Word document.
But here’s the trick - when you select the text, click on the very first word (starting point) and then go to the very last letter but DONT select any text after the full stop!
The invisible text after the full stop contains the ‘hidden code’, for the use of a better word, that will bloat your document if you copy it.
So, make sure you copy up to the last fullstop - but not any further. Needless to say, dont Select All and copy everything into a new page.
Ivan
Use the word ‘Must’ When Writing Requirements October 20, 2006
Posted by iawalsh in : Writing , add a comment
Do you use the word “shall” in everyday speech?
Can you tell the difference between “shall” and “will”? In what context should you use each word?
Anyone whose job involves writing requirements, proposals, or legal text will have encountered this dilemma. From where I’m sitting, shall is dated and, in many case, used incorrectly. But it’s the safe option for many writers and they stick to it.
The difference between the two can be seen in this example from Bartleby:
You shall have your money
expresses a promise (“I will see that you get your money”),
whereas…
You will have your money
makes a prediction.
Who uses Shall?
I started my writing career in London. Using “shall” was normal. It sounded fine to most people’s ear. However, when I moved to the US, it became a real thorn, especially when writing requirements.
Bartleby mentions that “Americans use shall chiefly in first person invitations and questions that request an opinion or agreement, such as Shall we go?”
Personally, I think this may have passed. Many Americans I know say, “Will we go, now” or simply “Let’s go.”
Why use Shall?
In theory, the word “shall” is more precise and exact than “Will”. This is not always the case. The reality is that few people use “shall” in their daily conversation and you run the risk of sounding haughty, arrogant or pretentious if you adopt this tone in your writing. It sounds like you’re talking down to someone - giving them an order.
When a reader encounters “shall”, their reaction is, “you have to get this 100% right or else…”
It carries a veiled threat that if you fail to meet your obligations, you will be punished. When I encounter the word shall, I can’t help feeling that the writer is stuffy, pedantic. The type to split hairs. The tone is definitely not pleasant. My impression is that this will be a difficult customer to please and not someone I would volunteer to work with.
You can improve your documents by dropping “shall” and using “must” or “will” instead. This changes the tone and creates a much more receptive readership.
Why use Must?
The Plain English Network has made great strides in persuading government agencies, especially in the UK, to adopt more user-friendly text and to root out archaic writing styles.
Yes, there are writers, lawyers and style police who’ll persuade you to use “shall”, otherwise contractors will fail to meet their obligations. In truth, this is a crude instrument to use. More than likely the agency doesn’t have much confidence in their own project management personnel and is resorting to using the RFP specifications to fight the contractor every moment they deviate (or appear to deviate) from the specs. Contractors can play this game too and claim that specifications are ambiguous and contradictory.
The good news is that many government bodies now use “must” to convey obligations. The word “must” tells the reader what you expect from them. The voice is firm but neutral. The condescending tone is no longer there.
Why use Will?
If “must” sounds to aggressive or inappropriate, consider using “will”, especially when indicating an obligation that will occur in the future. For example, “after the servers are networked, you “will” install the security software.”
In today’s business world, people will react more positively to requirements written in modern English. You can read more over here: “Expressing Requirements In Your Letters”
Time Management Tips October 20, 2006
Posted by iawalsh in : How do I ?, Troubleshooting , add a comment
Here are some tips for managing your schedule, especially if run your own business:
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Create a Schedule – if you run a small business, chances are that you have an endless to-do list. It can be very stressful, and unproductive, to manage these unless you have a plan. Here’s a suggestion. Don’t try to keep everything in your head. Open up Excel, create five columns for each day of the week, and give each day a specific task. You can use the template at this url to get you started. Once you have this in place, print it out and keep it on your desk. Stick to this schedule as close as possible. The more consistent you are, the more productive you’ll become!
PS – refine the schedule every now and then based on your overall workload.
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Make your aims smaller – most of us don’t achieve our aims as they are too large. Create small bit-size aims. You will achieve more in the long run by using this approach instead of tacking massive 5 year plans.
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Make your aims even smaller – try to create 1 minute aims. That’s an aim you can achieve in 1 minute. For example, delete all the newsletters, ezines, and promotions from your inbox. A clean inbox will help you focus and concentrate on what needs attention. Get rid of the clutter.
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Print out the schedule. Keep it on the wall where you can see it. Don’t make appointments or arrange meetings without first checking your schedule. This will help give your business more structure. It will also make you feel more professional as you are working in a more structured and organized environment.
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Clean Desk policy – throw out all magazines, newspapers, printouts, bits of paper, post-it notes that clutter your desk. Scan in those you MUST keep. Otherwise, get rid of the rubbish. You deserve to work in a clean, organized environment. A clean desk may seem difficult at first, but once you get into the habit, you will be amazed others don’t the same!
Writing User Guides October 20, 2006
Posted by iawalsh in : How do I ?, Writing , add a comment
Some points to consider when choosing software for writing user guides and technical documentation:
- Requirements – make a list of what you want the software to do. You won’t need all the features that come with FrameMaker, Interleaf or other specialist writing packages. So, instead of investing in these products upfront, define your publication requirements and then start looking at the products – not the other way around! For example, if you don’t know much about FrameMaker, try to determine if its features are relevant to your project – maybe they’re overkill for what you’re trying to achieve - and then make your decision. Create a Product Features spreadsheet and use this to evaluate the products before you buy anything.
- Single Sourcing – this is the holy grail of many Publications Departments. Single sourcing means that you create one ‘master’ version of the content, which you can then export to other file formats. Instead of reformatting text, layout and images, you can click a button and it’s available in whatever format you want. Do you really need single sourcing? Most companies don’t and can get by with MS Word documents, which can be converted into PDF or HTML. Two features that MS Word can easily handle. Granted, the HTML won’t be perfect, but you can refine it in a HTML editor if you need to.
- Qualified Trainers – before you select a new product, or a product that your company has no used before, check with the local training companies and see if they product such training. Otherwise, you may not be able to train your team with this product and will have to invest considerable energy in learning how it works. Not very practical if you’re running a busy Publications Dept.
- Qualified Writers – as in the previous point, check with the local recruitment agencies to see if they have writers with these skillsets on their books. We recently wanted to hire a RobeHelp / RoboHTML content developer. These folks were very hard to get, so we outsourced the work to a specialist company. Lots of time, effort, money…
- Support – this sounds boring, but if you can’t get support when the wheels start falling off, you’re in real trouble. Many times I’ve had to trawl web forums and BBSs for an answer because the Tech Support couldn’t answer my question or the answer they provided was inadequate. MS Word gets a lot of criticism but, in its defence, it goes to great length to provide workarounds to the many issues you’ll find in any piece of software.
- Testimonials – speak to other people who work in technical publications and other areas related to professional writing. Go to the most popular writing forums and ask for their opinion.
Tip: try to be specific. If you ask a general question, you’ll get a general answer. - Templates – if you’re choosing a new product, see if templates are included on the CD. You can use these to get up and running fast. Starting from scratch can be very expensive.
- Trial Versions – download the 30-day trial versions and start testing. Before you download anything, define the areas your want to test. List them in order of priority. Have sample documents ready for the testing. Make sure you have enough time to do the testing before the trial period expires!
- Price – what is the licensing costs associated with the product, especially if you need to get multi-licences copies. For example, Adobe FrameMaker costs close to 700 USD, so five copies will cost 3500 USD. Wonderful though the product may be, this may be outside your department’s budget.
- Making the Final Decision – after testing all applications, sit down and compare the products using a spreadsheet to calculate the results. Try to be as objective as possible and avoid being influenced by glossy brochures, free tools, and other extras that you probably will never use.
If you are buying on behalf of your company, ask yourself: if this was my own money, would I buy this product?
Generating Leads October 20, 2006
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Running a small business involves many balancing acts, few of which are more important than generating new leads. You have to work at creating leads. It’s naïve to expect that lucrative business leads will walk up to your front door or passing strangers will throw checks in your letter box. It doesn’t happen.
I’ve seen many businesses fail, not because they don’t have a good product or service offering, but because they can’t generate enough leads that eventually translate into fee-paying projects.
Many writers wrongly believe that their writing skills alone will bring in work. Not true. That’s just arrogance. Writers are in the same boat as everyone else. You have to get out and sell your wares. Otherwise the checks stop coming in.
Entrepreneur.com adds “Go where the people go. A booth displaying your product offering usually works best to get attention. Keep in mind you’re there to create leads for new recruits and not just sell products.”
Let’s look at some of the traditional ways to make contacts and some other avenues you mightn’t have thought of. If you have other ideas, send them over.
- Existing clients – always ask your current client for quotes, references and positive endorsements. Post theses on your website, brochures, and sales material. Endorsements are gold-dust. They prove you’ve delivered the goods and people are willing to give their name to your company. Make a point to follow-up and get an endorsement from every client. If you can’t get endorsements, you’re in real trouble.
- Former clients – follow-up every 3-6 months, but don’t be a pest. Phone, don’t email. Don’t assume everyone has your contact details; even the best of us lose business cards and delete emails. Make regular contact to stay on people’s radars. As people move on from organizations, be prepared to re-introduce yourself. Don’t take this as an insult (do I have to do this again?) but as an opportunity to make a greater impression. Have something to share when you call, don’t just make chit-chat. Yore wasting their time and the wont take your call the next time.
- Contribute – write articles to trade magazines, local newspapers, business newsletters, chambers of commerce and so forth. Get your name in front of people. If you don’t have money for advertising, writing articles is a low-cost way to generate business leads. Ask the editors if you can republish the articles on your site. You can also bang your own drum by listing the publications you’ve written for in your sales literature. If you write one article a month, it will soon start to add up. The point is to start!
- Join organizations – people prefer to work with friends. So joining local business organizations, making contacts, and contributing will always work in your favor. Be active. Turning up isn’t enough. Make presentations. Offer suggestions. Organize workshop. The more you put in, the more you’ll get back, though this is long-term strategy as it takes time to build trust and friendships with others. Again, it’s low cost and gets you out from behind the computer.
- Partnerships – approach small-to-midsize companies who could use a writing expert on a project by project basis. For example, web design firms need content developers, graphic design and advertising agencies need copywriters, and local government agencies need proposal writers. Smaller firms will not have these skills in-house. Offer your services as their preferred partner.
Tip: Don’t say you’re a freelancer – it reduces your status. Freelancing is not appreciated within large organizations. Instead, suggest a partnership. This has more gravity and offers the prospect of long-term relationships. Write a press release to promote your partnership. Get photos taken marking the event. Then, send it to the local newspapers, radio stations and other channels. You could never do this as a mere freelancer! - Help new writers – make it known that you assist new writers breaking into this field. As well as generating goodwill, these writers will return the favor and send you leads, while also including you in projects that are outside their scope.
- Web Portfolio – finally, you have to get an online portfolio. Your website is your all singing all dancing business card. It says who you are, what you do, and even offers free quotes. Understand how you can use the web to your advantage. After all, your competitors are. One suggestion is to define a niche and write about it every month. For example, write tutorials on help wanted ads, letters of resignation, cover letters, grants or some other area that most writers don’t cover. Establish yourself as an expert in this field. Give plenty of tips, tricks, and downloads. Put your phone number (low-cost if possible) on the home page. Don’t hide it in the About Us page. Highlight the companies (and sectors) you’ve worked in, backed up with enthusiastic endorsements from your best clients. If you know nothing about web design, look at the entry level package from Dreamhost. Their free web design tool is like using Word. Cut and paste your content, click a button, and you’re site is updated.
Grokdotcom spells it out, “It is your job to help your visitors qualify their needs as soon as they land on your site. When you provide a means for them to find what they want and get to it quickly, you build rapport and help your visitors feel understood. It’s a process that begins on the home page.”
Give at least 25% of your time every week to generating leads, otherwise you’re going to run out of work. The lead you start today may not translate into hard cash for several months, so plan long-term. Use different approaches to highlight your services. Over time you’ll find the ones that are most productive.
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More at http://www.grokdotcom.com/topics/leadgeneratingtips.htm
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/0,4621,278265,00.html