I've been a Yahoo Mail user for about 10 years, and for most of that time, I didn't really pay much attention to it. But now, as even free email has become a rich source of revenue for providers, Yahoo has upped their game. And you can get some pretty cool features for free.
Drag and Drop is probably my favorite feature. You don't have to read the email, just drag and drop it into a folder. Almost as easy to use as MS Outlook.
Yahoo has also added more "Actions" that are similar to Outlook, such as "Mark as Read", and the ability to re-size columns.
This is silly, and annoying to some, but Yahoo Mail also features 50+ emoticons.
26 November, 2011
29 August, 2008
Organizing your Outlook
Microsoft Outlook is a good email program. I’ve used quite a few in my time, and it may not be the best, but it has some great advantages. Here are some tips to organize your Microsoft Outlook. By the way, this first pass concerns only the Mail feature.
To delete more than one message at a time, use “Shift-Click” if they are next to each other, and “Ctrl-Click” if they are not.
You can sort messages by “To”, “From”, “Date”, etc. Just click on that heading. Click again to reverse the order (Z-A or reverse date) of the sort.
Folders are one way to keep your messsages organized. “New, Folder”.
Rules is a handy tool, fairly easy to use. Basically, rules tell Outlook what to do. Very useful for directing email messages to folders, or automatically deleting them, to give two examples.
17 September, 2007
Shortcuts - Word and Excel
This one's for all my friends and colleagues who have patiently read the blog, waiting for something they can really use. You use Word and Excel all the time and know all the basics.
You're ready for some shortcuts to save you time, but you don't wanna search websites, and you know the help key can be a real pain. This one's for you.
Home and End take you to the beginning and end of a line in Word and of a row in Excel. They also work in most pop-up windows, in Windows Explorer if you still use it, or most places when you need to rename a file. They also work in the formula line in Excel, or in the cell if you're editing text there.
Ctrl-Home takes you to the top of the spreadsheet in Excel, and Ctrl-End takes you to the bottom.
Ctrl-Enter to enter text or numbers into multiple cells in Excel (especially non-contiguous cells). Highlight all the cells you want to enter text into. Type the text, then Ctrl-Enter.
Zoom changes the magnification at which you view the file (in simpler terms, how big it looks on the screen). It has presets of 25%, 50%, etc. - but you can enter any zoom level you want directly into the zoom box (for example, 26% or 73% or 193%) - from 10% to 500%. Especially useful for zooming in to fine-tuning on graphic details, or out for page setup options.
Tools, Options is where you set or change settings in Excel, Word and any other Windows application.
Toolbars can be customized 100%. You start with 2 default toolbars (Standard and Formatting). You can have as few as 0 toolbars showing, or as many as you want. To play with the toolbar settings, Tools, Customize.
I like to keep Toolbars mean and lean - only showing the tools I like and use, and removing all others. Very useful tools in Excel - and in Word if you use tables - are Insert Row, Insert Column, Delete Row and Delete Column.
Menus can also be customized. if there are commands you don't use or think you will never use, those can be deleted. Commands can be added, too. Tools, Customize.
But my favorite shortcut is one I have used extensively while writing and editing this blog entry. Ctrl-Right Arrow moves the cursor ahead (to the right) one word at a time, and Ctrl-Left Arrow moves it backwards, or to the left. This works in all sorts of places.
Oh. You do use your arrow keys, don't you?
You're ready for some shortcuts to save you time, but you don't wanna search websites, and you know the help key can be a real pain. This one's for you.
Home and End take you to the beginning and end of a line in Word and of a row in Excel. They also work in most pop-up windows, in Windows Explorer if you still use it, or most places when you need to rename a file. They also work in the formula line in Excel, or in the cell if you're editing text there.
Ctrl-Home takes you to the top of the spreadsheet in Excel, and Ctrl-End takes you to the bottom.
Ctrl-Enter to enter text or numbers into multiple cells in Excel (especially non-contiguous cells). Highlight all the cells you want to enter text into. Type the text, then Ctrl-Enter.
Zoom changes the magnification at which you view the file (in simpler terms, how big it looks on the screen). It has presets of 25%, 50%, etc. - but you can enter any zoom level you want directly into the zoom box (for example, 26% or 73% or 193%) - from 10% to 500%. Especially useful for zooming in to fine-tuning on graphic details, or out for page setup options.
Tools, Options is where you set or change settings in Excel, Word and any other Windows application.
Toolbars can be customized 100%. You start with 2 default toolbars (Standard and Formatting). You can have as few as 0 toolbars showing, or as many as you want. To play with the toolbar settings, Tools, Customize.
I like to keep Toolbars mean and lean - only showing the tools I like and use, and removing all others. Very useful tools in Excel - and in Word if you use tables - are Insert Row, Insert Column, Delete Row and Delete Column.
Menus can also be customized. if there are commands you don't use or think you will never use, those can be deleted. Commands can be added, too. Tools, Customize.
But my favorite shortcut is one I have used extensively while writing and editing this blog entry. Ctrl-Right Arrow moves the cursor ahead (to the right) one word at a time, and Ctrl-Left Arrow moves it backwards, or to the left. This works in all sorts of places.
Oh. You do use your arrow keys, don't you?
03 June, 2007
Organization
When I was writing a resume during the summer 2006 job search, I spent a lot of time thinking about what I was good at. I was an administrative assistant for about 15 years, but I did a lot of different things.
I don't know how I got good at being organized, (a public school education? a controlling mother?) but I thought about some basic concepts of being organized. That seemed to be the constant in all my jobs.
In truth, I'm not the most organized person in the world. I have my "secret closets" (ok, not that closet!, but other ones.....) and have been known to sweep everything on my desk at work into a drawer in emergencies. But a lot of administrative assistant work boils down to being organized. Your boss usually isn't - he or she is way too busy - and looks to you to be the organized one. The dreaded filing system, that annoying application for something that must be filled out, so-and-so's cell number, meeting times, doctor's appointments, etc. - that's your bailiwick.
I never got any formal training as a secretary. Maybe I'm just a left-brain guy.
So - here's a first pass at some organizational gems: They are all simple concepts, which is, I think, what makes them so useful.
1. Alphabetical order and numerical order. A very simple way to get stuff in order. When I don't know where to start in organizing a bunch of papers or files or data, this is what I use.
One thing an admin asst does is lots of typing of big presentations. The different parts may show up from different writers, or from 1 writer in pieces, and it can get confusing. Somewhere I read to just put the sheets of paper in order, and then number them in the lower right hand corner. Funny how helpful that was.
When confronted with a mess (paperwork, especially), I still consider alpha and numeric order first.
2. Throw away the trash. This seems obvious but I get tripped up with this one all the time. You might be surprised how much "stuff" you actually have, once you get rid of what you don't need.
If it's paperwork, just make 2 piles - 1 to save, 1 to throw away. If you have a tendency to get hung up about whether to save something ("what if I need it later???"), just save it. If it needs throwing away, that'll be obvious next time you make your 2 piles.
Don't neglect data - computer files, for example, in your housecleaning. True, they don't take up much space physically, but psychologically they can bog you down ("I can never find the right file when I need it"). It feels great to have things cleaned up.
2. Like with like. Put similar stuff together. If you're organizing bills, put all the utility bills together, put all the restaurant bills together, etc. If you're organizing your email-box, come up with some categories and make folders for each - project names or people's names or client names. If you're organizing a spice rack, put the spices for sweet foods (allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon) together, and the "savory" herbs like basil and cilantro together.
3. Do a little every day. (Or hour/week/month, etc.) Don't wait until Jan 2 every year, or April 15, or until your boss gives you "the look", or you can't find anything on your desk at home. Once a week, or month, or first thing every day, just throw out trash. Then put everything left over into neat piles.
4. Consider visual clutter. Creating neat piles can go a long way towards making things more manageable.
More on this topic later.
I don't know how I got good at being organized, (a public school education? a controlling mother?) but I thought about some basic concepts of being organized. That seemed to be the constant in all my jobs.
In truth, I'm not the most organized person in the world. I have my "secret closets" (ok, not that closet!, but other ones.....) and have been known to sweep everything on my desk at work into a drawer in emergencies. But a lot of administrative assistant work boils down to being organized. Your boss usually isn't - he or she is way too busy - and looks to you to be the organized one. The dreaded filing system, that annoying application for something that must be filled out, so-and-so's cell number, meeting times, doctor's appointments, etc. - that's your bailiwick.
I never got any formal training as a secretary. Maybe I'm just a left-brain guy.
So - here's a first pass at some organizational gems: They are all simple concepts, which is, I think, what makes them so useful.
1. Alphabetical order and numerical order. A very simple way to get stuff in order. When I don't know where to start in organizing a bunch of papers or files or data, this is what I use.
One thing an admin asst does is lots of typing of big presentations. The different parts may show up from different writers, or from 1 writer in pieces, and it can get confusing. Somewhere I read to just put the sheets of paper in order, and then number them in the lower right hand corner. Funny how helpful that was.
When confronted with a mess (paperwork, especially), I still consider alpha and numeric order first.
2. Throw away the trash. This seems obvious but I get tripped up with this one all the time. You might be surprised how much "stuff" you actually have, once you get rid of what you don't need.
If it's paperwork, just make 2 piles - 1 to save, 1 to throw away. If you have a tendency to get hung up about whether to save something ("what if I need it later???"), just save it. If it needs throwing away, that'll be obvious next time you make your 2 piles.
Don't neglect data - computer files, for example, in your housecleaning. True, they don't take up much space physically, but psychologically they can bog you down ("I can never find the right file when I need it"). It feels great to have things cleaned up.
2. Like with like. Put similar stuff together. If you're organizing bills, put all the utility bills together, put all the restaurant bills together, etc. If you're organizing your email-box, come up with some categories and make folders for each - project names or people's names or client names. If you're organizing a spice rack, put the spices for sweet foods (allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon) together, and the "savory" herbs like basil and cilantro together.
3. Do a little every day. (Or hour/week/month, etc.) Don't wait until Jan 2 every year, or April 15, or until your boss gives you "the look", or you can't find anything on your desk at home. Once a week, or month, or first thing every day, just throw out trash. Then put everything left over into neat piles.
4. Consider visual clutter. Creating neat piles can go a long way towards making things more manageable.
More on this topic later.
26 April, 2007
Excel Basics
Microsoft Excel is even more popular than Word. That's because of its easy initial interface. Nearly everyone I know who's jumped into Windows with no previous experience seems to favor Excel over Word.
It used to bug me that people used Excel for "word processing". I was a word processor when I started out with computers (on a mainframe), and a purist. Word was for word processing, Excel was an application for numbers and calculations, and that was that.
But I've evolved, and so have Word and Excel. Each of the applications grows closer to the other with each new iteration of Windows. You can crunch numbers in Word, and do a lot of word formatting in Excel. Plus, who am I to say what works for someone else?
Just keep one thing in the back of your mind: Excel was written as a spreadsheet program - so on its deepest level, it's about numbers - from simple addition all the way through to logarithms (and probably more).
OK, so let's say you just wanna jump in - here's a brief list of things to know..........
The interface is a grid. Creating things that are grid-like - lists, tables, charts, etc - will work well. The grid is made of rows and columns, and the intersection of a row and column is a cell.
Typing or entering text is fairly straightforward. Click on a cell and type.
If you have problems of any sort, leave a comment. I've led workshops on Excel to people who've never used a computer, so forget about questions seeming dumb or remedial - just ask.
It used to bug me that people used Excel for "word processing". I was a word processor when I started out with computers (on a mainframe), and a purist. Word was for word processing, Excel was an application for numbers and calculations, and that was that.
But I've evolved, and so have Word and Excel. Each of the applications grows closer to the other with each new iteration of Windows. You can crunch numbers in Word, and do a lot of word formatting in Excel. Plus, who am I to say what works for someone else?
Just keep one thing in the back of your mind: Excel was written as a spreadsheet program - so on its deepest level, it's about numbers - from simple addition all the way through to logarithms (and probably more).
OK, so let's say you just wanna jump in - here's a brief list of things to know..........
The interface is a grid. Creating things that are grid-like - lists, tables, charts, etc - will work well. The grid is made of rows and columns, and the intersection of a row and column is a cell.
Typing or entering text is fairly straightforward. Click on a cell and type.
If you type numbers, you'll need to format the cell. The command is Format, Cells, Numbers, Category. More on this command in the next Excel post.
That's really it. Have fun! You can't "break" Excel, and most mistakes can be fixed pretty easily.If you have problems of any sort, leave a comment. I've led workshops on Excel to people who've never used a computer, so forget about questions seeming dumb or remedial - just ask.
09 September, 2006
Word Basics
Microsoft Word has become the standard for word processing. I've used it for about 15 years, since way back when it wasn't even a part of Windows (if you can imagine a Windows-less world).
It's a good program. It has its quirks and annoyances, but it's fairly powerful and easy to use. One thing to keep in mind about Microsoft application is that Microsoft has attempted to standardize the menus across applications. In other words, you'll find File, Edit, View, Format, etc, on most Microsoft menus.
If you have questions on Word or Excel, feel free to leave them in a comment - i'll answer them in a future entry. Yes, this is a free service.
I guess it might be helpful to know some of the more powerful commands in Word:
Word UP!
It's a good program. It has its quirks and annoyances, but it's fairly powerful and easy to use. One thing to keep in mind about Microsoft application is that Microsoft has attempted to standardize the menus across applications. In other words, you'll find File, Edit, View, Format, etc, on most Microsoft menus.
If you have questions on Word or Excel, feel free to leave them in a comment - i'll answer them in a future entry. Yes, this is a free service.
I guess it might be helpful to know some of the more powerful commands in Word:
- File, Page Setup is where you will find settings like margins, page orientation, paper source, etc.
- Edit, Find and Edit, Replace are handy for finding specific words or phrases in the document, and replacing them.
- View, Header and Footer allows you to not only view them, but edit them.
- Format Character is all about changing the appearance of text - font style, font size, bold, italics, etc.
- Format Paragraph, on the other hand, takes care of spacing, indents, and similar stuff.
- Tools, Spelling is something that, in my opinion at least, you should become very familiar with. Nothing looks worse than a document with spelling errors. One cool thing about the spell checker is that it allows you to create dictionaries. More on that later.
- Tables are my favorite feature. There are lots of uses for them. Basically, any time you want your text to line up in columns and/or rows, tables will come in handy.
Word UP!
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