Re: TECHWR-L Digest - 2 Nov 1997 to 3 Nov 1997

[Ken Richter <KEN_RICHTER -at- NON-HP-CORVALLIS-OM2 -dot- OM -dot- HP -dot- COM>]

There are 39 messages totalling 1696 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. Word97 Problem (2)
  2. Entry-level requirements
  3. Anyone work 4-10 hour days? (2)
  4. a fix for the red x's
  5. Bold, Italics, etc.
  6. Working short hours (2)
  7. Tech Comm and Criminal Justice?
  8. Good tech writing programs (2)
  9. Finding Off-Site Work
 10. What to Look for When Hiring (2)
 11. Engineers using FrameMaker+SGML?
 12. Reviewing on an intranet (3)
 13. JOB - OR - Webmaster
 14. Clip Art (3)
 15. BC/AD vs BCE/CE (4)
 16. Job-Temporary
 17. JOBS:  Contract & Perm. Technical Writers for RTP, NC
 18. Guidelines for Creating Wizards (2)
 19. JOB: Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
 20. Job Opening
 21. Technical Writing Programs
 22. Free Clip Art on the web
 23. Question re: Word 7.0
 24. Framemaker help
 25. QUESTION: Moving from WinHelp to HTML Help (2)

Posts: mailto:techwr-l -at- listserv -dot- okstate -dot- edu
Commands: mailto:listserv -at- listserv -dot- okstate -dot- edu (e.g. SIGNOFF TECHWR-L)
Archives: http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html,
Subjects: JOB:, QUESTION:, SUMMARY:, ANNOUNCE:, or none of these.



Dave Chisma wrote:

Here's what Microsoft said about that:

WD97: Picture Displayed as Red "X" in Document

  Last reviewed: June
  6, 1997
  Article ID:
  Q162349
  The information in this article applies to:

       Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

  SYMPTOMS

  In Word 97, when you open a document that contains graphics, some of
the graphics are displayed
  as a partial or whole red "X."

  CAUSE

  The problem is most often reported with inserted bitmap (.bmp) files
or pasted graphics. Note,
  however, that other graphics formats may display this behavior as
well.

  The problem can be seen when the "Allow Fast Saves" option is enabled.
If you encounter the
  problem, disable the "Allow Fast Saves" option before proceeding with
the following workarounds.

  WORKAROUND

  One of the workaround methods listed below may restore your original
picture.

  Method 1: Verify sufficient free space on your primary hard drive

    1.Double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop.

    2.Right click on your primary hard drive (for example c:\).

    3.Click properties.

    4.The amount of free disk space should be approximately 20 MB or
higher.

  Note: There is no specific minimum amount of free disk space required
to run Office applications.
  However, most PC systems do require a certain amount of free space to
perform file I\O and printing
  functions. 20 MB is a general recommendation.

  If your hard disk has less than 20 MB of free disk space available,
you should consider removing
  unused data files, temporary files or programs. Once you have cleared
20 MB or more on your
  primary hard disk, restart windows and re-open the affected file.

  Method 2: Replace the Graphic from the Original Source File

    1.Delete the Red X from the document.

    2.On the Insert Menu, point to Picture, and click From File.

    3.Select the original graphics file and click OK.

  Method 3: Open Picture in Picture Editor, Paste It Back in the
  Document

    1.Double-click the picture to open it in the picture editor.

    2.Click Select All on the Edit menu.

    3.On the Edit menu, click Copy.

    4.Click "Close & Return to document" on the File menu.

    5.In Word, click Paste on the Edit Menu.

  Method 4: Refresh the Field Results

  If the graphic is linked, you can refresh the field results.

  For example, when you view field codes, if you see a field that
resembles either of the following

     {IMPORT c:\\clipart\\picture.pcx}
     -or-
     {INCLUDEPICTURE c:\\clipart\\picture.pcx}

  make sure that Picture.pcx files does exist in the Clipart folder.
Then, select the field and press F9
  to update the field.

  Updating the field will cause the graphics filter to read the picture
again. When this occurs, the
  picture display may be refreshed and the red "X" will be replaced with
the expected picture.

  STATUS

  Microsoft is researching this problem and will post new information
here in the Microsoft Knowledge
  Base as it becomes available.

Horace Smith wrote:
>
> One of my colleagues opened an existing file with many inserted .GIF
> figures and found each replaced with a big red X - looked like it drawn by
> hand with a tube of lipstick. Does any one know a cure or have an idea how
> to prevent it happening again. He's tried cutting and pasting the file into
> a new one. The Xs transferred right along with the rest of file.
>

Barry wrote:
>
>>>Come to think of it, all of the touch typists in my group have braces on
>>>their wrists, and tears flow from their eyes when they type now...
>
>>>Maybe...

I've often thought that my not learning to type properly was a good
thing in this regard. Anyway, I can do at least 60 wpm and don't need to
look at the keyboard very often...

I would avoid any company that regarded typing speed as a criterion for
a tech writer's ability - I've never seen it.

>Regards...Ivan.
>
>
>

========================================================
Standard disclaimer:
GESB accepts no responsibility for the contents nor the validity of this message.
========================================================

     Is this discussion supposed to be helpful?


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: TECHWR-L Digest - 2 Nov 1997 to 3 Nov 1997
Author:  Non-HP-LISTSERV (LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- okstate -dot- edu) at
HP-Corvallis,mimegw02
Date:    11/3/97 10:01 PM


I wrote:
> > It seems to me that if you have to consistently put in 10+ hour days
> > (and I mean consistently -- everyone does it occasionally), then you
> > either don't manage your time very well or you have been given more
> > than one person's job.

and Michael J Wing wrote:
> I'm not quite sure how to take this.  If the emphasis is on HAS to
> consistently put in 10+ hours, I may agree.  In this case, the extra
> hours are forced on the person because 1) they mismanage their time or
> 2) are overburdened.  If, however, this statement is a whitewash applied
> to anyone who works over 40 hrs/week voluntarily, I disagree.

Thanks for pointing that out, Mike. I *did* mean those who work extra
hours involuntarily. That's why I said "have to" -- it's entirely
different if you do it because you *want to*. I should have emphasized
that.

Tracy
--
==============================================
Tracy Boyington   tracy_boyington -at- okvotech -dot- org
Oklahoma Department of Vocational and Technical Education
Stillwater, OK, USA
http://www.okvotech.org/cimc/home.htm
==============================================

We too had problems with red x's across gifs.

Microsoft's sr1 patch will fix the red Xs. Download it from the
following URL:

http://www.microsoft.com/officefreestuff/office/dlpages/sr1off97.htm



_______________________
Shirley Murphy
Technical Writer/Editor
Inter-National Research Institute
(703) 715-9605 voice
(703) 715-9638 fax

>-----Original Message-----
>From:  John Prince [SMTP:prince1 -at- WEBTV -dot- NET]
>Now, I do have a question about dialog boxes.  Do you guys write the
>name of a dialog box in bold or italics?  Or do you simply write it in
>plain text?  I prefer to write them in bold, BUT...sometimes when you
>have other words in bold (actions) and you write the dialog boxes in
>bold, in the same sentence, it's seems a bit too much.
>
>=======
>I use italics for dialog box titles. Our dialog boxes usually contain several
>tabs. I put the tab names in bold.
>
>Bev Parks
>parksb -at- emh1 -dot- hqisec -dot- army -dot- mil
>http://www.bayside.net/users/cbsites/techwr-l/
>
>

Howdy,

I used to work 60+ hours a week for too little pay. I kept thinking my
bosses would appreciate it; they just used my willingness and respected
me less for not standing up for myself (for me, this was a form
of abuse). I finally decided to leave that job and start contracting.
I reduced my hours down to 40 and made more money than I did working
60+. Then I started working my current job. Since I could do more in
32 hours than the last TW here did in 40, they left my pay and cut
my hours to 32. Now I am payed to work full-time yet I only work 4
8-hour days a week.

For those who love working long hours and are paid well for it,
great!! If you feel underpaid and overworked, it is time for
another job. Just my opinion.

I saw a sign in one office: On your deathbed, will you wish you
spent more time with the company comptroller? Just something to
think about.

I make a good living yet I have time for what I feel is truly
important in MY life. It is possible.

Melonie Holliman
The Tech Writer
ABM Data Systems, Inc.
Austin, TX
(mrh -at- abmdata -dot- com)

--++--==--++--==--++--==--++--==--++--==--++--==--++--==--++--
    We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness
--++--==--++--==--++--==--++--==--++--==--++--==--++--==--++--

I don't know of any examples of TW in the
criminal justice system, but I do recall that a couple of old
professors of mine were used as expert witnesses in a
civil suit.

I can't recall the circumstances, but my guess is that it was
some sort of liability thing.

Pete


Pete Kloppenburg - pkloppen -at- certicom -dot- com
Technical Writer
Certicom Corp
Mississauga, Ontario,
Canada
http://www.certicom.com

Pictures displaying as red x's in Word 97 is a sufficiently common problem
to warrant an knowledge base article:

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q162/3/49.asp??PR=WRD&FR=0
&M=F&

If the URL doesn't work, search for the title of the article (WD97: Picture
Displayed as Red "X" in Document) or Article ID: Q162349.

Good luck!

Chris Silker
Business Analyst
MEANS Telcom, Inc.
Plymouth, MN