I've been replaying moldy oldies from previous years of blogging. Many of those posts have a political bent. Don't assume that my interests stop at politics. Over the years I've also written about technology. The following is the first article in my first technology blog.

'Tis better to remain silent and appear the fool...

... than to use poor judgment when sending e-mails and erase all doubt.

OK, most of us have made every mistake in the book when sending e-mails. However, most of those mistakes aren't good enough to keep repeating. Let's all resolve to do better this year.

Common e-mail blunders:

• Forwarding bad advice. You've seen these e-mails. They carry warnings about some virus that the sender may have accidently sent to you previously. To solve the problem, you have to delete some file from your computer... and you have to forward the e-mail to all of your friends. Don't follow the bad advice, and don't forward the e-mail. If the e-mail is a hoax, you wind up looking foolish. If the e-mail itself contains a real virus, then you just helped spread the problem.
  
  Smart actions:
  • Research possible hoaxes at such web sites as
    
    • Snopes
    • Symantec
    • Hoaxbusters
  • Get professional help.


• Sending inappropriate e-mails, especially to someone's office. 'Nuff said?


• Sending large e-mails, anytime, anywhere. Big files sent can cause your recipients a large amount of grief. Your e-mail could tie up the internet connection and/or computer for a long time; such e-mails could also overflow an inbox and cause a system crash. Do that, and your friends may not appreciate your humor.


• Leaving a list of e-mail addresses in a previously forwarded message. I don't want my e-mail address in circulation; if I want you to know my e-mail address, I'll tell you what it is. Please don't spread it around without permission. If you pass along an e-mail that's been forwarded from someone else, erase the list(s) of previous recipients.


• Not virus-scanning an e-mail before forwarding it. You don't use a virus-scanner? Are you crazy??? One of the best is free! Download.

Labels: e-mail, hoax, hoaxbusters, large e-mail, snopes, symantec, virus

It's commonplace nowadays to send e-mails with attached files. If you want to piss off a lot of people and waste everyone's time, create text files in Microsoft Word and e-mail the Word documents as attachments.

It's not unusual for a 'mass-mailing' to become a mass-failing. You send out that Word file, and many intended recipients will get a file that is one or both of the following:

1. Unopenable and unreadable because the recipient has no way to open and read a file created using Microsoft Word. Just because YOUR computer has Word installed, don't assume that EVERYONE has a computer with Word installed. Yes, I know there are ways around that lack of expensive MicroSoft crap, but let's face it: those alternatives are beyond the comprehension of most computer users. Trust me.... I work with 'most' computer users every day.
2. Unopenable and unreadable because many e-mail programs have a way of buggering up Word files. I get calls about several times each month.

So you poured blood, sweat, and tears into that written masterpiece - and your message doesn't make it into the hearts and minds of your intended audience. Ain't life a bitch?

But wait! There is a file type that is universally accepted as 'standard'. That file type is "Adobe PDF." And how does one create a PDF file? It's easy.

The following assumes that you are using any version of Windows created in the past 13 years. There are similar solutions for Mac and LINUX, but Mac and LINUX users are mighty scarce. Since both groups consider themselves smarter than Windows users, surely they can figure out a solution without my help.

1. Start with your already-written MicroCrap Word document.
2. Process it with a simple, free tool.
3. Your unreliable Word file is now a PDF file, available to virtually anyone who has a computer and an e-mail program (and an Internet connection).

The conversion software is Primo PDF.

1. Download it from http://tinyurl.com/2mrrqn
2. Run the installation program that you just downloaded
3. Primo PDF installs as a "printer". To convert a Word document - or any other document - to PDF, tell Word (or whatever) to Print. A list of printers pops up. Select "Primo". Instead of using ink or toner, Primo just re-arranges the electrons.

Attach the newly-created PDF file to your e-mail.

Primo PDF: http://tinyurl.com/2mrrqn
Adobe Reader: http://tinyurl.com/6ip (just in case someone doesn't have the Adobe PDF Reader already.

Yes, I know there are many ways to solve the Word-as-e-Mail-attachment problem. I was using, programming, and fixing computers before more than 50% of the world's population was born (really). The above is the simplest, most straightforward way to solve the problem.

Labels: adobe, attachment, e-mail, email, microsoft word, pdf, primo pdf