What's New ~~
ABC Is Changing for the Better
As most of you know, I often write editorials
asking for your feedback and what you would like to see included in ABC.
Most of what I get in response to this request are questions and problems
that people have with their computer hardware and software. Also, many
of you may have noticed that some of ABC's authors have been contributing
less and less, and the articles are getting shorter and shorter. This
is not because they don't believe that ABC is valuable, it is more because
very few people write in and tell them what articles they want to see and
they are just plain out of ideas.
Recently I was talking to Hal Cardona (who just built me a new computer
and I'm rushing to get this issue sent out so I can play with it). I
asked him if he was ever going to write articles for us again and he
explained that he just doesn't have the time to write the long tutorials he
used to write, but he would be happy to answer a question or two about
hardware and operating systems in each issue. Then, a few days later
Tina Clarke sent me an email and said she really didn't have the time to do
the tutorials right now either, but she would be happy to take on FrontPage
questions. And, for a long time now, Vic Ferri has been telling me he
would really prefer to write short tips and answer specific questions,
instead of writing long articles.
So...being the slow learner that I am, I FINALLY got the point.
These great writers of mine don't want to stop writing, they just want to do
it in a different fashion, and I am happy to oblige them.
With that said, let me explain how ABC is going to work from now on.
- It will still be a monthly ezine, with a few short articles and some
tips (similar to what you see in this issue).
- Steve Mills will continue to review freeware/shareware and I will
occasionally review new software that I particularly like.
- Cap'n Patt will continue his Geek Speak column, and is always happy to
add any definitions you request.
- I will write a feature article each month, on something (who knows
what).
- Then, there will be a question and answer section, called "Ask the
Fleet", which addresses the questions and problems that you, the readers,
submit. (This issue includes a couple. Future issues will hopefully
have many more questions and answers.)
I have set up an online form you must use to submit your question.
You must fill in all the fields so the Fleet has enough information to
correctly answer your question. Once I receive your question, I will
send it to all the Fleet members and any of them who want to address it,
will. Your question may get multiple answers or it may get no answers,
depending on how the Fleet feels or how busy they are. It's totally up to
them. Your questions can be general (i.e.: Which operating system is
best for playing games?) or specific (i.e.: What do I do when Outlook
Express crashes when I try to send attachments?) The more information
you supply, the more likely you are to get a complete answer. Because
this newsletter only comes out once a month, I don't expect you to have to
wait that long for your answer, so I will email you privately, any and all
answers I receive from the Fleet as soon as I receive them. Then they
will be posted for the rest of the readers to see in the next issue.
The only rule is this:
YOU MUST BE A CURRENT ABC SUBSCRIBER IN ORDER TO GET YOUR QUESTION ANSWERED!
And that's about it. I hope you agree that this will make ABC less
cumbersome and should address the issues that you, the reader, want
addressed. If it doesn't, then that means you aren't asking questions.
So, the value of the content depends on you.
To submit a question,
go here and use this form.
Happy Computing!
Linda
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