I’ve used Word for Windows and/or MsW for a dozen years now, aware that I’ve only scratched the surface of its vast collection of functions. Where I’ve needed to I’ve (reluctantly) taught myself new tricks. As now.
The MS I’ve been editing for two years (a biography) needs converting into book-page format – chapter titles, page numbers, justified text, etc. Word can do this but you must first learn what keys to press and then remember what you’ve learned. I confess page numbering defeated me and I had to call for more skilled help. I was impressed to find that giving chapter headings a style code causes them to appear as page headers.
The problem – as ever – is that complex software needs regular usage to prevent it from lapsing into a set of forgotten rules. When I was still employed Quark Express was the lingua franca of publishing and even the slowest amongst us eventually picked up this demanding DTP package. The contrast came after retirement when I had to teach myself Dreamweaver in order to create the community website I edit. Dreamweaver is based on HTML which, despite Julia’s kind explanation, always seemed like ten steps backwards and I struggled with it. Even now when I return to the website I need a ten-minute tutorial to remind myself about such things as “named anchors”.
Perhaps septuagenarians exploring software represents hubris in its latest form. We should know our place and lie a’bed reading Trollope.
The MS I’ve been editing for two years (a biography) needs converting into book-page format – chapter titles, page numbers, justified text, etc. Word can do this but you must first learn what keys to press and then remember what you’ve learned. I confess page numbering defeated me and I had to call for more skilled help. I was impressed to find that giving chapter headings a style code causes them to appear as page headers.
The problem – as ever – is that complex software needs regular usage to prevent it from lapsing into a set of forgotten rules. When I was still employed Quark Express was the lingua franca of publishing and even the slowest amongst us eventually picked up this demanding DTP package. The contrast came after retirement when I had to teach myself Dreamweaver in order to create the community website I edit. Dreamweaver is based on HTML which, despite Julia’s kind explanation, always seemed like ten steps backwards and I struggled with it. Even now when I return to the website I need a ten-minute tutorial to remind myself about such things as “named anchors”.
Perhaps septuagenarians exploring software represents hubris in its latest form. We should know our place and lie a’bed reading Trollope.
