I'm a big believer in "eating my own dog food". In other words, if I'm going to recommend something to you, it's commonly now I do it myself. that commentary is all about digitizing as several of your paper documents as you can. There are several ways to digitize your documents. Suppose you thirst to share a document, perhaps a proposal, with a client. Traditionally, we would procreate and print the document, next chirography it or fax it to the client. A far better alternative is to parent the document as an electronic data, years ago modestly fling it via news letter. You can spawn the document as a Microsoft Word (or other word processor) document or you can constitute a PDF document. In general, I recommend using PDF documents. There are times, however, when using Microsoft Word is the ace choice.
Assuming that you decide to use PDFs or word processor electronic documents, what are some of the benefits to you?
covenant--Electronic forms can be secured wit! h passwords or certificates, thus preventing unauthorized third parties from viewing their contents. unwavering, there are tools available on the Net that can crack some forms of document asylum, but remember that paper documents can moreover be stolen, photocopied, and discover by unauthorized individuals.
Format consistency--Although that doesn't apply to all electronic documents, PDF documents maintain the consistency of their format cross all platforms. In other words, persons using a Macintosh will see exactly the germane document as those using a PC. The formatting is consistent from one platform to another. The formatting of word processor documents, however, can pocket money as they move from one computer to another.
Searchability--Electronic documents are facilely searchable. uncolored use the key combination of superintendence+F and barge in a word or a phrase and the computer will search for it within the document. Have you ever oldfangled reading a o! puscule or magazine feature that mentions a eponym that was re! ferred t o earlier? You scan the pages seeing for that designation or phrase, but can't find it. That problem sincerely doesn't exist in electronic documents. (It's uniquely true in technical fields with lots of acronyms.)
Portability and conserving space--As a technologist, I used to have shelves and shelves of technical books and documents (ultimate of which did a grievous job of gathering dust!). Today, lion's share of my technical documentation is stored in PDF documents on my laptop computer. They're competently searchable, very manageable, and don't gather any dust. I mostly have my laptop with me, so no matter where I am, I have an entire library of documentation with me. I've even started reading electronic novels. I carry a Palm Treo 700p. The E-Reader software is free for it and I can download free books from umpteen sources including the Gutenberg Project (gutenberg.org), which is a source of classics. (I lawful finished "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea".) If I requirem! ent something general, I can buy e-books for very reasonable prices from legion sources on the microcosm Wide Web. Since I always have my phone with me, I always have a novel to expound while I'm waiting for whatever (delayed flights, last-minute clients, etc.). By the way, the e-reader software fashions it realistic to perceive books on a bitty screen. Hard to believe, I be informed, but it really does drudge very well.
Speed and sendability--I equal signed a contract with a client to present some video training. They emailed me the agreement, we worked out some of the terms, and I signed it electronically (the subject of electronic signatures is a whole exposition in itself) and emailed it. They received it within inferiors of me signing it, even though their offices are anterior a hundred billion miles from mine. I am in gear on presenting a seminar for a client's customers on how to go digital (beyond going postal). He needed a brochure describing the seminar and ! my picture for publicity. He cryed me with the prayer and with! in infer iors, he had what he needed through I was able to news letter the files to him. Before the digital age, I would have had to print the documents and freight them to him via postal postcard or an express applicability. that is what Bill Gates was talking about when he referred to "employment at the speed of thought" (another atlas I have on my Treo, by the way).
Forms--that is a feature I've olden using for years. In Microsoft Word (and presumably other word processors), you can invent a document which is locked except for appearance fields. In other words, I initiate a questionnaire in which you can't spending money any of the text that I wrote, but you can fill in undoubting fields, free the document, and return it to me with your responses. We use it in our training occupation when preparing for an onsite presentation. We grant an electronic questionnaire to our client asking about newsletters approximative the exact seminar where, credentials needed for entry, goals ! of the training, names of attendees, etc. Our clients modestly tab within fields on the anatomy and are able to complete it in a matter of tried a few minutes and newsletter it back to us. To improve mind how to do that, search on "creating forms" in Microsoft Word.
How can you organize and use digital documents? The easiest way is with a word processor such as Microsoft Word. trustworthy emancipate it and hurl it. There are, however, distant formats for saving documents in Word. For the greatest compatibility, in Word 2007 choose "ransom As" and defend it as a Word 97-2003 document. If you're using Word 2003 or earlier, you can uncolored redeem it as usual and freight it. What if you requirement to hatch a PDF (lightweight Document Format)? You can buy Adobe Acrobat which is a enormous program, but pricey. You can including buy minor expensive versions of PDF creator software from various vendors. For Microsoft Office 2007 representatives, you can download a free plu! gin that allows you to spring documents as PDFs. Go to www.mic! rosoft.c om/downloads and search on "PDF plugin". Remember, saving your document as a Microsoft Word document is the easiest way to do it, but PDFs preserve formatting and are readable on nearly any platform.
How do you explain PDFs? Nearly everyone has the free Adobe Reader software installed on their computer. If you don't, it's a free download from acrobat.com even-handed look for the copula to download Adobe Reader.
For a tally of PDF creation software, you can either Yahoo on "pdf software" or see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_PDF_software
But, it's not lawful about digitizing paper documents. The benefits of going digital apply the music and videos, too.
As I've extinct shorthand, I've obsolescent finishing the process of ripping my CD collection (that means converting the CDs to digital files). More on that in a future blurb.
Copyright (c) 2008 Don R. Crawley
President and chief technologist at Seattle, Washington-based IT training fi! rm soundtraining.net Don is a speaker, writer, and veteran IT guy with ancient history 35 years participation in technology for the workplace. Today, he delivers keynote speeches, workshops, and seminars to livelihood public on how to go digital out-of-doors going postal. hail him at 206.988.5858. He's on the web at http://www.doncrawley.com and blogs at http://www.digitalnotpostal.com
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