Last week's newsletter featured a macro (Go2Text) designed to take you to specified text without using cursor keys or the mouse. You can learn about it here:
http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1708547575
A couple of readers have asked (much more nicely than this), "Why the heck should I use Go2Text when Word's Find feature will do the same thing?" It's a fair question, and it's something I should have explained last week. Here's my answer:
The differences between Go2Text and Find are small (for the purpose of going to text), but to me they're significant, which is why I created the macro. Yes, Word's Find feature will take you to the text you wanted to find. But notice: after finding something, the Find dialog remains *open.* To work on the text you've found, you'll have to press the ESC key (or click the Cancel button) to get rid of the dialog. With Go2Text, that isn't the case. As soon as you press ENTER, the dialog goes away, saving you the annoyance of having to put it away manually.
Now notice this: After using the Find dialog, the text that was found is *selected,* which means you have to press the LEFT ARROW key to get in front of it--another unnecessary keystroke. Go2Text simply takes you to the beginning of the text without selecting it (unless you specify that it should be selected). This is also true when you press CTRL + R to repeat the macro, while pressing SHIFT + F4 to repeat a Find selects the text.
In summary, when text is found:
Go2Text: Find:
Closes the dialog Leaves the dialog open
Goes to the start of the text Selects the text
To some people, these differences may not be important. But in my experience, those extra keystrokes add up fast in both time and frustration. If I can avoid them, I do. And if I have a dozen small macros for specific editing tasks, with each one saving me a couple of keystrokes, the effect on my work can be dramatic.
[Clarification: I don't mean to imply that Go2Text *replaces* Find or that it should always be used *instead* of Find. Find is a useful feature all on its own. Go2Text is for those times when you just want to jump quickly to some specific text without reaching for the mouse or cursor keys.]
I'm a big believer in exploiting the power of the computer to its fullest and in finding as many ways as possible to make work easier. Eventually, I hope to do all of my work with no effort. I'm kidding, of course, but that's sort of the idea. R. Buckminster Fuller, inventor of the geodesic dome, had a word for this: ephemeralization. He believed that with technological progress, we would continue to do more and more with less and less until we were basically doing everything with nothing. That sentence is a simplification of Bucky's philosophy, but I think it's true to his vision of the world.
I love this statement from Dan A. Wilson, proprietor of The Editor's DeskTop (http://www.editorsdesktop.com/):
"The principal difference between the amateur e-editor and the real professional, in my opinion, is in the difference in their in-depth knowledge of the macro system and Find and Replace system. The amateurs use the computer as an electric typewriter and continue to do all of the slogging work as though they were still editing on paper. The pros seize the power of the computer's systems and exploit it ever more fully with each passing project."
Here's your assignment: Learn one thing this week that will make your life easier. Want some suggestions?
You can learn about macros here:
http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1706651129
http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1706748016
http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1706832239
You can learn about Find and Replace here:
http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1705963026
http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1706069286
http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1706167662
http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1706267069
http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1706365638
http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1706458823
http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1706553959
And you can learn about Buckminster Fuller here:
http://www.bfi.org/introduction_to_bmf.htm
_________________________________________
READERS WRITE
MACRO SECURITY MESSAGE
Mark Pool (mark913@earthlink.net) wrote:
From your most recent issue of Editorium I downloaded the Go2Text. When I tried to open the template, I got the following message:
"The macros in this project are disabled. Please refer to the online help or documentation of the host application to determine how to enable macros."
Can you tell me what I need to do to activate this template?
Thanks for your question, Mark. I'm sure others have encountered the same problem. This message means that Microsoft Word's macro virus protection is enabled or set to a high level of security. To change this:
In Word 2002 (XP):
1. Click the "Tools" menu.
2. Click "Options".
3. Click the "Security" tab.
4. Click the "Macro Security" button (on the lower right).
5. Click the "Security Level" tab if it's not already active.
6. Set your security level to medium and click the OK button.
7. Click the next OK button to close the Options dialog.
In Word 2000 or 2001:
1. Click the "Tools" menu.
2. Click "Macro."
3. Click "Security."
4. Click the "Security Level" tab if it's not already active.
5. Set your security level to medium and click the OK button.
In Word 97 or 98:
1. Click the "Tools" menu.
2. Click "Options".
3. Click the "General" tab.
4. Uncheck the box labeled "Macro virus protection."
5. Click the "OK" button.
In Word 95:
1. Click the "Tools" menu.
2. Click "Options."
3. Click the "General" tab.
4. Uncheck the box labeled "Enable Macro Virus Protection."
5. Click the "OK" button.
Now, in Word 2000 or higher, any time you open a document or load a template that includes macros, Word will give you the choice of whether to disable or enable macros. If the document or template isn't *supposed* to have macros in it, you should click the "Disable Macros" button, because the macros could be a virus. If the document or template *is* supposed to have macros and comes from a source you know is reliable, click the "Enable Macros" button so you can run the macros.
In Word 95, 97, or 98, you don't have these options. Macro virus protection is either on or off. Before turning it off permanently you may want to read more about it in Word's Help file or check with your system administrator.
MORE SEMIAUTOMATIC CORRECTIONS
Nancy Adess (naedit@earthlink.net) sent some additional semiautomatic corrections. Thanks, Nancy!
"is in the process of..."
Attempt to kill this.
"grow your skills" "grow your organization" anything but grow your food!
Substitute: improve, expand.
"To better serve" "to better market" "to better any verb"
Substitute: To verb more effectively/more efficiently/more successfully
"Impact" used as a verb.
Change to "affect."
To learn more about automatic and semiautomatic corrections, see these past issues of Editorium Update:
http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1708048908
http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1708127357
http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1708293844
http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1708382808
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