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| Warning: You are viewing this page with an unsupported Web browser. This Web site works best with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, Firefox 1.5, or Netscape Navigator 8.0 or later. Learn more about supported browsers. 100 things you should have learned from Crabby by now
 Crabby Office Lady 100 columns that garner close to 100 percent satisfaction. Can our president — in his first 100 days — say the same? You be the judge and I'll keep my political opinions to myself (sort of). Subscribe to Crabby's columns Read all the Crabby Office Lady columns Get the Crabby Office Lady's book President Obama has been in office a bit more than 100 days. Me? Quite a bit more than that. Has he fulfilled his 100-day promises? (Oh wait; he never even mentioned the "100 days" thing; that was an FDR thing that journalists and pundits alike have glommed onto. Well, whatever, it's here and we're marking it.) More importantly (for the time it takes to read this column, anyway) have I fulfilled my promise to make you a more efficient and happy Office user? Check it out: 100 free tips! That's money in the bank!
#1: A WYSIWYG (acronym for "what you see is what you get") program allows you, as the creator of a Web page for example, to see how the text, images, and links should appear as you're creating it.
#2: Phishing scams try to lure you into giving out personal information for identity theft. Don't do it!
#3: A splog is a term used for fake blogs, whose only purpose is to promote Web sites in order to help those sites get better search engine page rankings (which in turn means more money, what else?).
#4: What's all this fuss I hear about blogs? I decided to find out for myself.
#5: Using the Bcc box doesn't (necessarily) mean you're being sneaky. It's a great way to protect you and your recipients from spam.
#6: Do not hit Reply all indiscriminately — the reputation you save may be your own.
#7: Why go searching all over the Internet for the content you want most? Have it all delivered via RSS.
#8: Like brothers, Outlook and Outlook Express have a few things in common. But, just like brothers, one may be more suitable for the power e-mailing, calendaring, and all the integration that comes with that, while the other is, let's face it, a lightweight.
#9: Unless you know what protocol your e-mail provider supports, you won't be sure about how to set up any e-mail program.
#10: Flame mail: An e-mail message that is mean, hot-tempered, curt, or not-so-polite. It raises your hackles and gets under your skin. And unfortunately, it's contagious.
#11: Bounces are messages that can't reach their destination, and are returned to you, the sender. And they hurt.
#12: In PowerPoint, when you're running an automatic slide show, to stop or restart it, press S or PLUS SIGN.
#13: In Publisher, you can send a copy of your publication in e-mail so that it appears when your recipient opens the message.
#14: A great way to see what you've done all year long is to go through all your e-mails and pick out the ones that highlight your accomplishments. Search Folders in Outlook are built for that.
#15: Start with two level cups of organization: Getting organized will not only serve you in your quest for balance, but it will also make you feel better.
#16: "Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop." — Ovid
#17: We're tired of them, and we wish they'd go away. No, not Simon and Paula: meetings. If you're preparing one, you can make it more, shall we say, palatable, by knowing your topic, your audience, and your tools.
#18: Telecommuting isn't for everyone, but if it is for you, there are some things you need to do and know in order to make it successful not just for you, but for your team, your manager, and your company.
#19: After a few months of seriously telecommuting, I had to rethink...everything. (And cleaning the bathroom can wait.)
#20: You have a junk-mail filter in Outlook. Please use it.
#21: Depending on other people doesn't make you weak or lazy; it shows that you're someone who believes in the skills of others and wants to give them the opportunity to succeed. (Wow, did that really come from me?)
#22: If you don't have an Office program but need to view an Office file, you are not out of luck. Download a free viewer.
#23: Casual Friday does not mean you show up in last Casual Friday's underwear. As well, consider that your professional reputation is on the line the moment you drive into the company parking lot. Remember what your mother tried to teach you (about clean underwear and the other stuff too).
#24: You're back from a long leave of absence. If you did your leavin' right, when you return you can ease back into your job because of how neatly you left things.
#25: When you're taking on a big project, sometimes it's hard to know where to start. A little delegation and organization can go a long way.
#26: Tax time doesn't have to be taxing if you just prepare.
#27: Working in a diverse working environment will teach you to better respect all people, no matter their gender, age, religion, race, class, sexual orientation, or disability.
#28: Office will help you collaborate with difficult coworkers without ever seeing them. (Note: Doughnuts and lattes can often soften even the harshest of moods.)
#29: Access or Excel? Project or Outlook? Word or OneNote? I tall depends on the type — and scope — of your project.
#30: Take time to thank your administrative professional. Not just today — every day.
#31: You have a tiny creature in your computer waiting to be unleashed and do your bidding: A macro.
#32: Life is full of choices. (Please: bring your own bag and skip the paper/plastic conundrum.) I can offer you some useful insight regarding when to use Word and when to use Publisher.
#33: The Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack is a download that makes sure that everyone is able to read, view, and work with Office 2007 documents, presentations, and workbooks
#34: Why spend all day chained to your desk when you don't need to be? Office can help you become more competent AND more speedy.
#35: Take a hold of my fill handle and we'll learn together.
#36: And you thought a note was just a note. Wait til you learn about containers, tags, and screen clippings. Now you're cookin' with gas (and now I’m showing my age).
#37: A rule in Outlook is simply a way to manage your messages automatically.
#38: Have your slide master call my theme and we'll lay out a nice photo album…
#39: Let us track and scale and kern our way to brochure formatting nirvana, shall we?
#40: I'm going to nudge you to learn about diagrams, shapes and pasteboards. And a good time will be had by all.
#41 : Access, our database program, has a language all its own. sooner you get on board and learn your vocabulary, the better off you'll be when it comes time to actually use the program.
#42: Headers, titles, footers and footnotes…all will be revealed.
#43: Love finds a way — even within the same office. Make sure you know what you're getting into.
#44: You can plan a wedding using Office. (But I wouldn't use Office to plan your marriage.)
#45: Sell your own home using Office and save yourself a bundle.
#46: With a bit of planning, some Office templates, and some sage advice, this doesn't have to be as bad as it seems.
#47: PivotTable reports aren't just for data freaks (but they might turn you into one).
#48: Office has wooing value.
#49: Do a "bulk enter" and save your hands (and your time).
#50: Yes, you can turn off the Drawing Canvas in Word (now stop your crying).
#51: Make your drawings easier to create, work with, and view with my top 5 Visio tips.
#52: Even if you're not up to date with the latest version of Outlook (tsk-tsk), you can still make use of some great calendaring features available in the older versions.
#53: Crabby's readers have many questions about Outlook regarding the Bcc box, automatically saving addresses, and more. Luckily, Crabby has many answers.
#54: Watermarks, lists, and mail merge and all hot topics Crabby's readers want to know about. Again, Crabby is here for you.
#55: You and your musical PowerPoint presentation CAN travel (AND survive the trip).
#56: There is no way to completely avoid getting spam...but there are steps you can take to diminish it.
#57: You have choices when it comes to picking the best Office program for the job.
#58: Still dealing with mounds and mounds of disorganized documents? Try OneNote — for free, even — and I'll bet you'll never go back.
#59: You never again have to whine, "I don't get training!" or "I can't afford training!" because there are scads of free Office training courses available to you.
#60: There is a difference between a font, font family, and a font style. And if that weren't enough, you can get virtually as many fonts as you want (but be careful what you wish for).
#61: Certain fonts are better for printed material while others are more suitable to a computer screen.
#62: When you're getting funky with your fonts, think WordArt, think drop caps, and on occasion think topsy-turvy (orientation).
#63: You have many questions about fonts. To answer one: Yes, size matters, and if you don't like what you have, you have the power to change it.
#64: Outlook can help you manage those endless roadways littered with lists and lists of things to be done. A tisket, a tasket, a task is in your basket….
#65: For all you managers who shook your fist at me, why don't you please read this next column and then tell me if you still think that improving efficiency by learning keyboard shortcuts or learning some new PowerPoint skills is truly slacking off.
#66: A little preparation can go a long way when you're planning on leaving the office for vacation, a short leave, or for whatever.
#67: The Office Communities have their own rules and regulations, and they're there for your safety and protection. Don't leave your manners at the gate, folks.
#68: Anyone can say they're an expert. When you become a certified Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) you'll get the diploma to prove it.
#69: Some teachers you remember your whole life. In this technological age, the teachers who are up to date on the latest advances in Office software know how to grab and keep the attention of their students. Let me introduce you to just a few of them.
#70: Overlooked revision marks in Word can be the bane of editors and writers. Learn, once and for all, how control them.
#71: Each year we must deal with them: The holidays. Office can help you with invitations, menu planning, and those never-ending thank you cards.
#72: Researching colleges is a daunting task, especially when you're already swamped with finals, prom (not usually the best night of your life, in case no one has told you that), and those dreaded standardized tests in stinky old classrooms. Office can make it a bit more manageable.
#73: Want to add some functionality (not to mention security) to your Office programs? The Office Downloads site is the best place to research, pick, and choose what you want.
#74: Yes, we do want your feedback. But what we want even more is feedback we can do something about.
#75: You may think you're crabby because that's just the way you are. Have you ever considered that it may be your work environment: Your desk, your keyboard, your monitor? Ergo your way to a happier work style.
#76: The perfect birthday party means something different for each birthday boy or girl. Office can help you figure out what that might be.
#77: If you're not hopping into college right after high school, Office can still be there while you make your way into the working world.
#78: Some Office features should not be buried. They should be in someone's top 10 list.
#79: There is a time and a place for read receipts. Please learn the facts or risk irritating people.
#80: There's nothing more unsightly than someone who's normally the very picture of modesty and grace careening down the hall to retrieve a secure document from the community printer room. Learn about secure printing.
#81: Yes, I have problems; plenty of them. So I decided to unload some of them on you (after I'd solved them, of course).
#82: Word loves to think that it knows what you want to do. Maybe it does and maybe it doesn't. In any case, you can tell it to STOP CHANGING THINGS.
#83: Am I smart? Kind of. Who makes me seem smarter? Our Office MVPs, that's who.
#84: Everyone should have an assistant. Truth be told, not everyone does. However, Outlook can help you fake like you have one.
#85: You can create a digital postcard in PowerPoint...and survive the process.
#86: You can have many profiles, all on one computer, each with multiple e-mail accounts. Let's figure out what that means once and for all.
#87: Ribbons, buttons…we've retailored Office to make it work smarter.
#88: Creating complex forms in Word can be like wrestling with a cat in a bathtub — you don't think I know that? Try InfoPath instead. It does one thing and does it well: Forms.
#89: 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.
#90: The new Ribbon in Office 2007 looks a bit different than what you're used to. C'mon! Step outside yourself and see WHY it's changing the way we're working.
#91: I was resistant too. But I expanded my mind — and knowledge came with it.
#92: Meet three of computer science's most illustrious pioneers.
#93: Read about four women who blazed the trails of technology.
#94: The Great American Novel it's not; something you can use at your desk? That was the goal.
#95: This year's resolutions were all about "being": productive, true, and connected
#96: These sound like the same old resolutions you're used to hearing, but they have a twist.
#97: Some of these were predictable — but useful
#98: How did I do on last year's resolutions? Well, the news is good and bad.
#99: Six possible things before breakfast
#100: 10 Resolutions that are good for you (and taste great, too!)And now...our traditional wisdom before I move on to whichever column I'm up to now: "You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take." — Wayne Gretzky About the authorAnnik Stahl, the Crabby Office Lady columnist, takes all of your complaints, compliments, and knee-jerk reactions to heart. Therefore, she graciously asks that you let her know whether this column was useful to you — or not — by entering your feedback using the Was this information helpful? tool below. And remember: If you don't vote, you can't complain. Subscribe to Crabby's columnsRead all the Crabby Office Lady columns Get the Crabby Office Lady's book
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