HX10235737 http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/help/FX101679371033.aspx Get the Crabby Office Lady's column as it comes out — hot and fresh, delivered right to your door. en-us http://office.microsoft.com/global/images/default.aspx?AssetID=ZA102537291033 http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx 165 36 Just a little note to you, my loyal readers: I'll be taking a very short sabbatical of sorts from the column in order to prepare Crabby for the new Office site coming your way very soon. Be sure to check back in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, visit me at my blog where I'll continue to write my tip of the day and engage in witty banter with you. See you there! http://blogs.office.com/b/crabby_office_lady/default.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC102368111033&WT.mc_id=RSS add asset description http://www.office.com/en-us/help/Add asset ID.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie...that's a graphic. And what a story it can tell. What kind of story do you want to tell in Publisher and PowerPoint?http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010390944.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Staring at a bunch of facts and figures in a spreadsheet isn't really the best way to make sense of all that information. When you learn how to create PivotChart reports, you may even find your data...exciting.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA101845052.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Knowing how to compile all your data into one huge Excel spreadsheet is one thing; making sense of it is another. Let's get an overview of PivotTables, those flexible little contortionists of the data world.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001042916.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS February is Black History month, and I've decided to mark it with an introduction to three of computer science's most illustrious pioneers.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010253102.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS If garden-variety Valentines are blighting the rose of your passion, if that rose is in petal free-fall, perhaps it's time for you to get creative. Get help from Office and create your own hothouse valentine flowers.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001111854.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS An old Crabby saying: Work is work. Otherwise they’d call it ‘play.'" Today I'm reconsidering. With this new game called Ribbon Hero, your work time can also be your play time.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010390372.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Crabby has a new blog. But what exactly are blogs? And why are they so popular? We're going to talk about that today and then you can head over to my blog's new home.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001224083.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS So many things to talk about... but only so many weeks in a year. I published 45 columns in 2009, and while each one holds a special place in MY heart, you, my readers, have your own ideas about what worked and what didn't. Below are the top five performing columns of 2009.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010390322.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS It's after January 1! Do you know where your resolutions are???http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010390313.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Everyone loves a good deal and everyone loves something new, so let's slap on a pair of comfy shoes, pile the kids into the minivan, and hit the Office Marketplace for some bargain hunting.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010390156.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS In my last column, I offered a couple of tips each for Word, Excel, and Outlook that should make your computing life easier and more efficient. This week we're tackling PowerPoint, Publisher, and Visio.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010389679.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS If you need to get from point A to point B quickly and someone offered a safe and easy shortcut, would you take it? Of course you would. This week I'm going to show you some tips and shortcuts for Word, Outlook, and Excel; next week I'll add PowerPoint, Publisher, and Visio to the mix.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010377782.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS As Olde Grammy Crabbye used to say, "Just because no one understands you doesn't mean you're an artist." This week, let's explore some of the most common software words and phrases that threaten all that's lovely about our language.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001042949.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Webster's dictionary defines a scam as "a fraudulent or deceptive act or operation." And that's it. There are no secondary definitions. It's pretty simple, really: Someone is trying to bamboozle you.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010225662.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Now that I've had some serious telecommuting experience, it's time to debunk a few myths about this style of working and offer some useful real-world tips. No, it's not a fuzzy-slippered fantasy come true, but if it's right for you, you can make telecommuting work.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010247476.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS I don't normally get too excited about operating systems. To me, they're necessities of computing, not the subjects of gushing excitement. I have to make an exception for Windows 7, however. It's put a kick in my step and a song in my heart.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010388135.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS For the past year, jobs have been disappearing at an alarming rate. You're nervous, I'm nervous: No one is 100% safe. Rather than sit here frozen in fear and anger, let's all wander over to Office Online, where a new site is devoted to helping you find work.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010386855.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS If you've ever pounded your keyboard in frustration or thrown your mouse against the wall because nobody heeded your desperate call for spreadsheet help, this column is for you.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001121553.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Your workplace draws all sorts of personalities. So how do you collaborate with them and still keep your sanity? Let Office be the middleman.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001145964.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS PowerPoint is one flexible, useful program. And it's fun to use, too. But does one mention of a slide master or a design template have you fleeing the room? Learn some of the basic terms for PowerPoint and don't be scared off again.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010234144.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS It used to be that drawing during a meeting or at school was an indispensable way to pass time. Now it just might be an essential way to get things done. Who knew that doodling and shape-shifting could make you the hit of the office?http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010234138.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Your feedback tells me that three basic issues about Outlook passwords are driving you nuts. Let's see if we can't salvage some of your sanity and unravel the mysteries of Outlook passwords at the same time.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010382152.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS You're an original. Now your Outlook out of office message can be, too.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010382029.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS You're the one doing all the work all the time, and it's time to step back and let go a bit. Handing off some work isn't a sign of weakness; it says that you trust others and need to get rid of the bags under your eyes.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001154612.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Even the most tech-savvy of us has days where computer problems and frustrations threaten to sabotage productivity. Today's column is a grab bag of little tips and hints hard-won.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001229111.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Camping is an activity that some people love— even live for. I'm not one of those people, but when I went camping in the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado, being organized helped. Here are the Office templates designed for country mouse and city mouse alike. (So you don't leave home without a corkscrew.)http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010379758.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Our first ever PowerPoint template contest was a great success; we received some of the most creative and useful templates ever. The winners have been announced, their hometown have offered them the keys to their respective cities, and today I want to introduce you to some of the other entries, too.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010290998.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Sometimes you just need a little something to tide you over until a new version of Office is released: an add-in, an update, a white paper to prevent your Office programs from going all flabby on you. A nip here, a tuck there ... a quick visit to Office downloads can make you feel alive again.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001165643.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS I, too, was hesitant to jump in and start frolicking in the newness of Office 2007. I mean, it looked completely different and well, can you really teach an old dog new tricks? Turns out you can.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010255329.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS When you work for a living, you MUST get away from the office once in a while. With a few of my tips and some helpful templates, create a vacation plan, prepare your colleagues for your time away, and then make a smooth return.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010154996.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS You're a foodie and everyone knows that about you (and benefits, too). You can bring home the bacon (or is than pancetta?), fry it up in a pan (copper of course), and wrap it around some seared scallops... Have I got some fresh and juicy templates for you to devour.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010290994.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS So you want to call a meeting. What's the best way to do it? And once everyone is gathered together and staring at you, anticipating your pearls of wisdom, what's next? Keep reading.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010373584.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS With Office's free templates, you can be a one-person library, book club, and archival society.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010290997.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS When all your hard work— your documents, spreadsheets, whatever— can't be opened by the people you send them to, it's frustrating, to say the least. But now you can turn those files into universally accepted (and beloved) PDFs.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010290991.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Hardworking and underappreciated? This week's column is dedicated to offering administrative professionals some help (for a change) and the recognition they deserve. http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010107721.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS" Everyone sees, hears, feels, and maneuvers around the world differently. Accessibility features exist to help those of us with less than perfect vision, hearing, or dexterity.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001162667.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS This column is not devoted to how you can dodge tax time; no, my goal is to help you with the taxes you have this year and to get you organized so you're not looking for tax answers from an Office columnist next year.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001173514.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS March 8 is International Women's Day. This year, Crabby acknowledges four women who blazed technological trails. Read and be inspired.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010290992.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS There are certain civilized ways of treating each other that years of evolution have encouraged us to realize. Still, some of us seem to have forgotten our manners.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001154570.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS This column gives you 10 ways to ease your boredom while still being (arguably) productive using all that your brain and Office have to offer.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001124552.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Jim and Pam, of the wildly popular TV show "The Office," met at the office and fell in love there, too. But their romance is not without its complications. Let's all take a lesson from the lovebirds at Dunder Mifflin.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010290995.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Not everyone gets to have ""Crabby"" written into their job description. So let's take a moment to examine some of the mental pitfalls you could stumble into when you allow events and coworkers to sabotage your mood (and possibly your work).http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010290996.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS" How many blogs are out there on the Web? Your guess is as good as mine. A whole lot. But what exactly are blogs? And, how can you start your own?http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001224083.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS" The holidays are upon us (and I mean UPON US) and I find it very difficult to keep track of my kids, let alone my various e-mail accounts with their separate calendars and contact lists. Maybe you're confused about how to share Outlook with more than one user, more than one e-mail address, or both. So let's talk about profiles, accounts, and the difference between them.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001200442.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Let's talk about what an e-mail "protocol" is, what the most popular types are, and why you should care. We're taking this one step at a time, so no panicking.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001132303.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS We spend a fair amount of time making sure that our computers, documents, and private information are all kept secure. But all that time and energy can be for naught if you share a network printer.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001227631.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS What happens when you receive an e-mail or a CD that contains a slide show or a diagram that you really need to see but that you can't because you don't have the program needed to open it? In a word: viewers.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001230900.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS There comes a moment every year when I find myself obligated to take up my machete of influence and cut a swath of clarity as we approach the holiday season together. This is that moment.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001154569.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS You know that you feel better when your body is in good shape; why do you let it all fall to pieces the minute you step through your office door? It's time to think about staying in shape while working, too. http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001190823.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS" I get truckloads of letters imploring me to address the universal lack of e-mail etiquette. From that infernal "Reply to All" button to server-choking graphic files, some cyber-discourtesies are driving us all nuts. http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010288021.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Revision marks in Word have wreaked a special sort of havoc for some of you; even if you think you've hidden them, they keep showing up and embarrassing you, like mole hairs and creepy uncles. Let's see if we can't pluck them, wax them, and send them packing, once and for all.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001139412.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS This week's column is a bit of a lecture. I'm trying, once again, to beg you to refrain from sending rumors, hoaxes, and jokes, either to or from your workplace. Of course, what you do in your personal time is your business, but please remember the Bcc box.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001230904.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Some things we just can't do without in life: love, friendship, a bathroom door that locks. With Office, the same is true: Some features should not be overlooked.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001222637.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Office isn't just for Windows-based computers. In fact, Office 2008 for Mac offers a powerful set of programs that are specifically designed with you Mac users in mind.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010143927.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS I get a lot of inquiries about how to institute a restraining order on Word to stop it from guessing what you want to do with your documents. I created a video about it, and now let's delve a little deeper and get the cuffs out.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001230899.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Sometimes you just need a little something to tide you over until a new version of Office is released: an add-in, an update, a white paper to prevent your Office programs from going all flabby on you. A nip here, a tuck there ... a quick visit to Office downloads can make you feel alive again.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001165643.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS It seems the school year just ended, but soon it will be time to begin a new one. (And if you're in year-round school, well, it never ends!) To all parents out there who are facing the daunting task of getting everyone ready: This week's column is for you.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010175755.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS This is the final column in my Font Facts series. Today I'm going to answer the questions you posed after reading the other columns. (You sure are a curious bunch!)http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001137126.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS In my first two fonts columns, I gave you basics and best practices. Let's have some fun with using fonts as a design technique. All you need is Office and your imagination. http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001119655.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS" In Font Facts 101 we got comfy with some of the basics. Now it's time to learn how to use those fonts like a pro.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001119384.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS You use fonts all day every day, but still you might be surprised by these pretty interesting facts about them.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001116430.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Preparing for a wedding can be a stressful time. But with a little help from Office, you can get a handle on your ever-growing to-do lists, plan a realistic budget, and even create an online photo album and scrapbook.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001042817.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Taking a leave of absence from work can be a great way to recharge your batteries and get a fresh outlook on both life and your work. Before you go, make sure you're prepared. http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001154571.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS" This week we're going to explore the sensitive topic of what diversity means and why it's so important to the health of a company, not to mention the dispositions and perspectives of its employees.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010121940.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS When you put all that work into writing the perfect e-mail message, it's nice to know that someone has received and read it. Outlook has a feature that can help with that, but it's a two-way street: Your recipient has to be willing to play the game too.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001227632.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS You may be fanatical about every single detail surrounding your vacation plans. Consider spending a little time making sure everything is wrapped up at the office too. It can make for a smooth getaway … and return.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001127525.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Hardworking and underappreciated? This week's column is dedicated to offering administrative professionals some help (for a change) and the recognition they deserve.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010107721.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Really Simple Syndication (RSS) has been around for a while now yet some of you are still scratching your heads about it. This week I try to deconstruct what it is, why you need it, and how you can get it.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010258097.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Life is a juggling act. Work, home, the family, the errands ... We all sometimes feel like hamsters on their wheels. And this year, lucky us, was a bissextile year; we got an extra day to run, run, run (and leap). This week I'm going to suggest a few ways to get some balance back into your lives.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010258096.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS As you know, I really enjoy demystifying terms. A couple of weeks ago I introduced you to five of the more colorful Internet terms, and today I'll try for five more.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010257398.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Welcome to part one of my two-part series about odd and wonderful Internet terminology. This week I offer five of my favorites and in a couple of weeks, I'll demystify some more.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010257102.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS If garden-variety Valentines are blighting the rose of your passion, if that rose is in petal free-fall, perhaps it's time for you to be a little more creative. Get help from Office and create your own hothouse valentine flowers.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010255332.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS I recognize resistance when I see it because it's like looking into a mirror. I, too, was hesitant to jump in and start frolicking in the newness of Office 2007. I mean, it looked completely different and well, can you really teach an old dog new tricks? Turns out you can.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010255329.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS I like to shop (I am a woman, after all; I don't just play one on the Web). I also like music and sound effects. This week I got to indulge in both of these pleasures in order to bring you a column about adding multimedia to your presentations.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010253368.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Ever feel stuck in a rut, using the same program over and over but not getting the results you want? It's time to open your eyes to what else is out there — expand your horizons, step outside your comfort zone, think outside the box (and perhaps get some new clichés).http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010247505..aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS As I merrily go about my daily life working in Office and administering advice about what I've learned, I often come across little nuggets of gold disguised as tips and tricks. These treasures make my life in front of the computer more efficient and less irritating, and I get much satisfaction out of them. So as crabby as I purport to be, I can't help but share them with you. (Hey, it's what they pay me for.)http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010253108.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Now that Crabby has had some serious telecommuting experience, it's time to debunk a few myths about this style of working and offer some useful real-world tips. No, it's not a fuzzy-slippered fantasy come true, but if it's right for you, you can make telecommuting work.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010247476.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS "Efficiency" is a big buzzword around my office, and I imagine it's being bandied about in your world, too. But what does it mean to be efficient? Is it about speed or is it about competence? Perhaps it's a little of both.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010234139.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS In this last column of my summer "demystifying" series, I'll talk about Publisher, one of our most useful and fun-to-use programs. From defining those funky words that describe how characters are spaced to showing you how to make your publications consistent, I hope this week's column will to set you on your way to Publisher heaven (or at least to getting a glimpse of that locale).http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010233863.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Access, our database program, has a language all its own. It's not Spanish, it's not French, it's not even Vietnamese (no, it's trickier). But just like I lectured you about in all my "demystifying Office terms" columns, the sooner you get on board and learn your vocabulary, the better off you'll be when it comes time to actually use the program.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010234140.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS It used to be that drawing during a meeting or at school was an indispensible way to pass time. Now it just might be an indispensible way to get thing done. Who knew that doodling and shape-shifting could make you the hit of the office?http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010234138.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS PowerPoint is one flexible, useful program. And it's fun to use, too. But does one mention of a slide master or a linked or embedded file send you screaming out of the room? Learn some of PowerPoint's basic terms and don't be scared off again.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010234144.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS I think the best way to learn something is to jump headlong into it and give it a try. It won't bite, and no one will know if you make mistakes (unless you're posting everything to a server, of course). But again, it's good to know some of the basics. You had to learn to blow bubbles before you could learn to swim, right?http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010236229.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Ah, Outlook. Good old Outlook. We use it every day, all day, and still … some of its terminology vexes us. Let's see if I can't assuage some of that pain this week so that we can get you to understand your right-hand program a bit better.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010233868.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Welcome to installment number two of my "demystifying" series, where I'll cover 10 commonly used terms in 10 widely used Office programs. Today, Microsoft Office Excel is the subject, and although many of you use Office Excel, some of the terms are still a mystery to you.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010233780.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Welcome to Crabby's summer "demystifying" series, where I'll define some of the most common terms that are apparently vexing you, like pebbles in your summer sandals. This week we'll tackle Word, and we'll keep it simple.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010233779.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Webster's dictionary defines a scam as "a fraudulent or deceptive act or operation." And that's it. There are no secondary definitions. It's pretty simple, really: Someone is trying to bamboozle you.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010225662.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Ever wish you had a tiny creature inside your computer that did your bidding? Something to pick up slack on a particularly hard day? It happens that you do: your macros. You tell them what to do and when to do it, and they are forevermore at your beck and call.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010225643.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS The world would be pretty boring if we all looked the same, liked the same things, and thought exactly alike. However, when it comes to software, it helps if everyone is on the same page, using the same version. When that isn't possible, it's up to you to ... adapt.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010203703.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007 is a very cool program. Before I wrote this column, I wasn't so sure we could be friends. But now that I've had some time to delve into it, discover its secrets, and make use of its building blocks and converting capabilities, I can't believe we weren't best friends all along.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010203702.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS I was asked to write about Access 2007, so my timidity toward using and creating databases had to be squelched — for the time being, anyway. But then, when I began to see how easy it was using Access 2007, well, I considered changing jobs (not really, but I did begin to see the light about why Access users are so loyal to the product).http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010203696.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS This column is not devoted to how you can dodge tax time; no, my goal is to help you with the taxes you have this year and to get you organized so you're not looking for tax answers from an Office columnist next year.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA001173514.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS We all know (or should know) that Project is the must-have program for anyone trying to manage a, well, project. And while the previous versions have done a good job of helping you do this, Office Project 2007 has some new features that will have you wondering how you got along without them in the first place.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010203700.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Visio 2007 has some impressive new and updated features that no other program has. And of course, you'll be working in that familiar Office environment, which is always...comforting. So even if you're new to Visio, take a moment to read this column: You may realize that this is the program for some of your more complicated projects.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010203695.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Yes, yet another OneNote column. So, what of it? So what if I'm all atwitter about the new features and changes made? After reading this column, you might be too.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010203691.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Summing up large quantities of information used to be time-consuming and daunting if you were unfamiliar with how to put it all together, particularly if you had to do it with a chart. Excel 2007 has made such huge improvements in the area of charts that you may find yourself making all sorts of charts for no apparent reason...other than it's fun.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010201915.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS Does the notion of "staying in touch" with your customers amount to posting a "We'd love to hear from you" link on your business Web site? If so, dear reader, that's just not enough. Step out of that warm, cozy den of yours with two things: an e-mail newsletter and E-mail Merge. Both are beautifully matched in Publisher 2007.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010203694.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS With the newest version of PowerPoint, you now have no excuse for dulling your audience to sleep with poor graphics, confusing charts and tables, and the same old layout.http://www.office.com/en-us/help/HA010201917.aspx?CTT=4&Origin=EC010236811&WT.mc_id=RSS