Category Archives: User Groups

Posts related computer user groups.

FACUG Conference and MySpace

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At the FACUG Spring 2007 Conference, the new President James Thompson requested that everyone create a MySpace account and include himself and others on the friends list, to make it easy for everyone to communicate regarding issues pertaining to the operation of computer user groups.

To that end I have created bpca_steve, as my account and added him and several others to my friends list. (Account no longer active)

James has numerous blog entries regarding FACUG and its operation on his site http://www.myspace.com/cocoabeachsunset.

The only problem I have with using MySpace is that access is blocked through the proxy at work, so I can only really use it from home. I do like the ability to IM (Instant Message) right from within my account and have communicated with James a few times already with some ideas and comments.

I do recommend that others set up their own MySpace accounts and use them to make FACUG better, as well as enhancing the operation of their own group.

Miscellaneous – Rotate Pages in Adobe Reader

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Have you ever received a PDF file, only to discover once you open it the pages are upside down?

This happens to me quite frequently at work, when multiple pages are scanned to PDF using a sheet feeder. If the paper is not in good condition, due to stapling or whatever, the scan is done from bottom to top and unless the full Adobe Acrobat is used can not be rotated before sending.

While this is aggravating, if you want to read the document directly from the computer, there is a way to do this without turning you monitor upside down or standing on your head.

The following directions apply to Adobe Reader v7.0.8, but should be similar, if not the same, in earlier versions:

To rotate left click on the Rotate View button twice.Rotate View Button Image

If the Rotate View button is not showing in your Reader window, select View on the menu bar, then Toolbars and make sure Rotate View is checked. (See image below.)
Rotate View Button Activation Image

If you are going to print out the file to read it, rotating is not necessary.

Freeware – tinySpell

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This is a follow up to the September 21, 2006 post Blog – Lifehacker, after which I have tried out the tinySpell “Download of the Day”.

This little application has been a real help to me when using Notepad or NoteTab Light to draft my blog postings emails and drafts for newsletter articles.

There are two versions tinySpell and tinySpell+, the first being freeware and the second an enhanced version, which will remember the last error, let you added auto-replacements and lists of words to the dictionary, checks capitalization, ignores internet and email addresses, etc.

I have been using the freeware version.

I have turned off the beep notification, and just rely on the tinySpell icon in the system tray to turn yellow and catch my eye.

When the icon turns yellow, I just left click on it and it comes up with a list of suggested corrections, from which I can choose or be allowed to add the word in question to the tinySpell dictionary.

I have been impressed with this little application and recommend it to others as an option for those applications that do not have their on spell checking capabilities. Also, I have seen no conflicts with the spell checkers in Microsoft Word, Publisher and OpenOffice Writer.

The link for the version I have used and written about above is http://tinyspell.m6.net/. There are links to several reviews there as well.

Try it out for yourself and let me know what you think.

If you have some other helpful application and you think I should check it out, leave me a comment with all the particulars and maybe one day there will be a posting about it.