Linda's Soapbox
Editorial by Editor, Linda Johnson

The True Meaning of "Input"

Last month I pleaded and groveled for input for the Fleet on what types of articles you readers would like.  Chad Welch even offered money for suggestions.  Well, we got lots of mail, but were they suggestions for articles? Nope.  What were they then?  Requests for free technical support and troubleshooting...and we got a bushel full!!

Now, it's not that we are not sympathetic to your problems, nor is it that we don't want to help others for free.  But, when we do this, we choose to do it through email support groups at a time that is convenient for US.  Since most of the Fleet make their livings doing what you are asking them to do for free, I could hardly ask them to do this for you.  Don't they do enough by writing these terrific articles?  Do we really need to suck them dry so they don't even want to help us anymore?  Not over MY dead body!  ;-)

So, since most of you were looking for technical help instead of suggesting how-to tutorials, which is what this newsletter is supposed to be all about, I am going to give you some resources where you CAN get this info for free.

You can join any of the following email groups for free and post all the questions you want.  These groups are owned, moderated, and/or contributed to by Fleet members, therefore I feel completely confident in recommending the advice you will get there...just watch for Fleet members posting and listen to what they say:

Microsoft Office questions:
http://www.freelists.org/webpage/mso

Windows/Hardware/Internet/Email questions:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WinTips-Tricks/

Windows XP questions:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WinXPHelp/

FrontPage questions:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AccessFPList/

Home Networking questions:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/networkinghelp/

Virus questions:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freds_virusinfo/

And if these groups aren't enough for you, try searching through Yahoo's Group Home Page for the group you want.

Also, a bunch of the questions you sent me have already been addressed in previous issues of ABC, so you might want to check our archives:

Archives by Issue

Archives by Author

Yes, there are indeed many ways to get free help. But, you need to use the proper channels.

Good Luck and I hope you get your problems solved.

Linda

Linda Johnson is a college instructor of all of the Microsoft Office Programs, as well as Adobe PhotoShop and Windows. She also teaches online distance learning classes in Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Word at Eclectic Academy. She has worked helpdesk and teaches and lectures at many local businesses and tech schools in her area. Support this newsletter by checking out Linda's eBooks, MS Word MAGIC!, Book I: Fonts, Fun & Formats and Book II: Table Wizardry, How To Get Started As a Software Trainer, and her newest series of MSOffice eBook Tutorials and CD