MTips E-Zine

Newsletter for MT’s using MS Word

Vol 3 No 1 January 12, 2003

Laura Bryan Editor

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Table of Contents:

1. Feature Article: Taking the Pain out of Windows, Part I

2. QuickTakes-Keyboarding Tips: Close the Window–Fast

3. Technical Advice: Peek a Boo

4. Bloopers

5. Other Sites to See: Look here for some useful reference sites.

Don't miss the Calendar of Events. MTWerks is on the road again in 2003.

Editor’s Note:

I’m sure many of you have wondered why the newsletters have been so scarce lately. Bob and I have been quite busy this past year running the operations center for a transcription/software company. In addition, I have been traveling from East to West presenting workshops on MS Word. I really enjoy these opportunities to teach, and I am looking forward to upcoming trips to San Diego and Tulsa.

Of course, this is the time for New Year’s Resolutions. This is the time we all commit to being better, faster, thinner, and happier. While you are at it, resolve now to solve those problems in MS Word that slow you down, frustrate you and keep you working long hours. Make a commitment to learn one new shortcut key each day or spend an extra five minutes per day learning a new technique or creating a macro. It may sound like time you don’t have to spare, but just one of those new skills can potentially save you several hours per week! It is definitely a great return on your investment (which is hard to find these days!)

With HIPAA coming closer to reality for many MTs, so is MS Word. Many organizations are incorporating MS Word into their new administrative software programs in order to be compliant with the long-awaited regulations. If you have friends or colleagues faced with using MS Word for the first time, tell them about MTWerks. We’re here to help!

I hope you enjoy this edition of MTips Ezine.

Taking the Pain out of Windows

Part I

Many MTs are finding themselves in a whole new world of technology that is changing swiftly. Just keeping up with new medical terms can be a challenge, but we are also faced with technology challenges that can derail our efforts to produce an accurate and timely report. This will be the first of several articles covering basic concepts relating to Windows and MS Word.

Windows-based programs share common features, which allow you to learn a new skill in one program and apply it to many programs. This is a major advantage of using Windows-based programs, because it decreases the learning curve. A common feature among Windows-based programs is the Title bar. This is the upper most bar across the top of the program window, and the color of this bar varies depending on the color scheme you have selected for your computer. The Title bar’s main purpose is to identify the program and the file that is currently active. When more than one program or window is open, the active program (or active dialogue box) is identified by a colored bar and inactive windows have a "grayed out" Title bar. You may be accustomed to clicking the program icon on the Task bar across the bottom of your screen to switch between programs. But you can also use the keyboard to switch to a different program. Hold down the ALT key while repeatedly pressing the tab key until the program icon is selected. Release both keys and the selected program will come to the foreground as the active window.

The Title bar also contains icons at the far right for closing and minimizing the program. Clicking these icons with the mouse is the most common way of minimizing or closing a program. But, hidden on the LEFT side of the Title bar is a drop down menu with these same commands. Press ALT+spacebar to open the Title bar menu. From there, press N to minimize the program or C to close. This is a universal shortcut key, so you can use this keyboard trick in ANY Windows program, including MS Word. You can minimize a program window in less time than it takes to say "left click"!

Part II will cover the Menu bar and explain more Windows conventions for keyboarding through menu commands.

New Year’s Resolution Sale

at

MTWerks

In honor of your resolution to type faster, work smarter, MTWerks is offering $5 off your order during the month of January. Order the Make It Your Own Manual, Combo or Curriculum and save $5. Use discount code JAN when checking out through the on-line store, or call toll free 1-877-320-1241 and ask for the January Special.

QuickTakes-Keyboarding Tips

An even faster way of closing programs that the method described above is to simply press ALT+F4. This will close ANY windows program, applet or dialogue box. If you are at the desktop, this shortcut key will open the dialogue box to shut down or restart Windows. But, this may be the best use of ALT+F4: It will immediately close those pesky pop-up ads on web sites that trick you into going to their site when you try to X-out of the ad.

Check out the

to accompany the

The perfect solution for those who would like a structured approach to learning

MS Word specifically for medical transcription.

Ideal for students in home study courses and community college programs.

Make It Your Own Curriculum

Includes the

Make It Your Own Manual, CD and Workbook

$59.95

Test materials available for teachers/facilitators.

For more information, see

Technical Advice

From Bob’s PCWerks

Who's In Control?

More and more, I hear computer users complain about their system running very slow even though they have up-to-date processors and sufficient RAM. Often, I find these PCs have between 10 and 30 processes running at start up. A lot of these programs are shareware, adware, or spyware, and the user has no idea these programs are installed and running on their computer. In earlier issues we discussed how to identify and eliminate these items from startup. (See previous newsletters in the archive section of the web site.) One of the worst offenders is KAZAA.

I have been saying since last February that KAZAA has been altering peoples’ computers. Aside from installing spyware and slowing down PCs with countless TSR cycles, it now appears that the Stealth P2P network hides inside Kazaa . This installs a potentially hazardous new network protocol which the company plans to turn on remotely, creating a huge pier-to-pier network and allowing people to share files (read that as giving people access to your files). In a federal securities filing recently, the company revealed it also has been installing more ambitious technology that could turn every computer running Kazaa into a node in a new network controlled by Brilliant Digital.

Nearly all of the file-swapping programs routinely come bundled with so-called adware or spyware--programs that automatically pop up ads while surfing the Web. These programs also keep track of sites you have visited--information that can then be sold to marketing companies. Despite growing concerns about this bundled software, usage and downloads of the file-swapping programs are at an all-time high.

In addition to file-swapping programs, most "free" Internet utilities, shareware, and "personal pages" also contain adware and/or spyware. A great example is "Gator". What started out as a seemingly benign utility (designed to store your credit card numbers and passwords for easy entry into web pages) has become a suite of extremely invasive information-sharing programs. Most of these have been installed without your knowledge or consent. Think about the risk here. Even if Gator does not intend to broadcast, harvest, or use those credit card numbers and passwords, a cleverly designed virus could exploit this vulnerability."

Read the article below to get more of the story.

La Jolla, California.

Come learn how you can work less, earn more!

This workshop is sponsored by the San Diego Chapter of the Association of Medical Transcription. Students, members and nonmembers are all invited to attend. HIM supervisors–don't forget to sign up your transcription staff, too!

Click here for contact information and the registration form.

"Paid $40, worth $400"

Quote from the Orange Empire Chapter MS Word Productivity Workshop Evaluation Sheet

This Month's Blooper:

"The patient presents with his wife and they have three children requesting vasectomy."

Other Sites to See

If you live in one city, but type for a client in another state, you need a good reference for spelling cities and towns that are unfamiliar to you. Check out this site for tracking down the name of any city, town or metropolitan area in the United States.

(note the blank spaces in the web address are under scores)

MTWerks is your resource for using MS Word for Medical Transcription.

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