Business Computing Tips

By K&K Fainges kfainges@...

Now regular readers would know my proofing is not perfect. But there
are proofing methods out there to help. The most obvious is the
spelling and grammar checker. It is not infallible though.

For example, 'I sea you are out their' contains two errors, neither
of which the spell checker would pick up.

The most infallible way of proofing your work is to get a fresh eye
to read it. That might mean waiting a day or two and reading it again
yourself, or getting a friend to proof it for you. Perhaps offer to
proof their work in return.

Many of us need to print out something to see the errors. Don't ask
me why it works, but it does. Try to get used to reading it on the
screen though. After all, you could save a tree.

The most effective way I've found of proofing though is the old
Kindie proofing technique. Run your finger over the words and read
them one at a time - out loud. It sounds silly, but it forces you to
read what is actually there, not what you think you typed. And a lot
of punctuation errors can be caught by reading out loud. The general
guide is to breath for a comma and wait one beat for a colon or semi-
colon. If your voice changes, it's often a new thought, so a full
stop is needed. If your voice goes up, a question mark. If you sound
really amazed or forceful, an exclamation mark.

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JUST FOR FUN

AN OWED TO THE SPELL CHEQUER
by Dr Jerrold H. Zar of Northern Illinois University

I have a spelling checker,
It came with my pea sea.
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss steaks aye can knot sea.

Eye ran this poem threw it,
Your sure reel glad two no.
Its vary polished in it's weigh.
My checker tolled me sew.

A checker is a bless sing,
It freeze yew lodes of thyme.
It helps me right awl stiles two reed,
And aides me when eye rime.

Each frays come posed up on my screen
Eye trussed too bee a joule.
The checker pours o'er every word
To cheque sum spelling rule.

Bee fore a veiling checker's
Hour spelling mite decline,
And if we're lacks oar have a laps,
We wood bee maid too wine.

Butt now bee cause my spelling
Is checked with such grate flare,
Their are know fault's with in my cite,
Of nun eye am a wear.

Now spelling does knot phase me,
It does knot bring a tier.
My pay purrs awl due glad den
With wrapped word's fare as hear.

To rite with care is quite a feet
Of witch won should bee proud,
And wee mussed dew the best wee can,
Sew flaw's are knot aloud.

Sow ewe can sea why aye dew prays
Such soft wear four pea seas,
And why eye brake in two averse
Buy righting want too pleas.

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Please feel free to pass it on to your friends, just let them know I
wrote it.

Karen Fainges holds a Bachelor of Business, and a Grad. Cert of
Vocational and Educational Training. All this is nice but it's the 14
years of having to make sales or starve that makes her think she has
really learnt what does and doesn't work. A tutor for all ages, she
specialises in helping people get started on the long road to
technology.

"It has to be practical, it has to be cheap, and it has to work."