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Whew! June was another wild month around here. I'm sure the momentum will slow
down one day, but it sure wasn't during June!
For starters, I was offered a slot (and accepted) to teach three advanced,
online Word courses at Eclectic
Academy. So I've been swamped writing up my classes for the last few weeks.
Eclectic Academy is a terrific resource for people who want to learn
more about computers. For only $20, you can register for a 6-week class from
a large list of popular courses. They currently offer over 50 classes, ranging
from art and business to graphics and web development. You can check out their
full curriculum list at this link: http://www.eclecticacademy.com/curriculum.htm.
Although the summer semester just started June 30th, the September 1 semester
will be here before we know it. However, if you see a class you're anxious to
take, email the academy now
as many of the courses allow late registration, so you may still be able to
get in. Since they just started yesterday, there's a good chance you'll be able
to get up to speed. You can also click on the Training Courses link on
the TechTrax menu above for more details.
So I get through my course writing and start to finalize the July issue of
TechTrax, when an important and loaded 40gig hard drive on my main system decides
to commit suicide during the night! <sigh> Like I have time to spend restoring
data! This is why you'll have to forgive us this month for not offering an Assessment
Test. Yes, we had backups! As I love to say, there are two types of computer
users, those who backup often—and those who wish they did. But as I'm sure
you can appreciate, it also eats your time. So consider this month's assessment
test eaten by my Micron!
But fear not! Even without an assessment test, I believe we have again assembled
a nice supply of information for you in this month's issue. And we've been able
to entice a few new, extremely talented authors, too. Beth Melton is a MOUS
certified instructor, as is our own Linda Johnson. Beth is also a Microsoft
MVP, as are Greg, Bill, Steve and I. And we even managed to snag Susan
Daffron, a former Microsoft MVP, who had to give up the award because she was
just too busy becoming famous writing and publishing technical books
and magazine articles. So you can expect even more useful articles related
to Office applications. And for those at the higher-end of the geekdom scale,
who have been enjoying Greg Chapman's Windows scripting articles, you'll be
thrilled to know that scripting ace and Microsoft MVP, Alex Angelopoulos, has
joined up to assist Greg and Vic in our Operating System arena.
Although, on the disappointing end of running an Ezine, it appears Flight Sim
2002 and Racing Madness aren't enough to drag guest writers out of the woodwork.
Seems folks must be too busy enjoying the summer to contemplate entering our
writing
contest, as we didn't receive a single entry during June. That's ok, I'm
not hurt. No, no...really, I'll be fine! <whimper, whine, sniffle>
Sure, I bet folks were just waiting to see what the competition had to offer,
right? Well, good news! There isn't any competition! So get those articles
in by July 24th. Hell, if you're the only one who enters, who cares what
you write...you'll win! <smirk> But seriously, I promised two months
for the contest. So we'll continue to accept any articles if any of you care
to enter. If no one enters by then, I'll just have to figure out another way
to clear out my software cabinet.
So to boost my spirits this month, I decided to create a new department in
TechTrax, Letters to TechTrax. Now I have a place to show off all the
wonderful email we've been receiving. No, I didn't include the couple of nitpicking
emails I received from a couple fellow MVPs, cos' who listens to them
anyway? <evil snicker> Be sure to check out this month's Feedback
and if you have something to tell us, good or bad, feel free to click the link
on the Feedback page and pass along your comments for next month's issue.
And saving the best for last, MouseTrax.com, and two of Greg's Word utilities,
were recently featured in a Lockergnome.com
newsletter. Pretty impressive! Lockergnome has been around for a long time and
has become well known and respected in the geek world. So we were thrilled to
receive their award, which we now proudly display on our home
page. And besides telling their 250,000+ subscribers about Greg's
cool, freeware
programs they could download, many folks found their way from MouseTrax
to TechTrax and have joined our subscriber list.
I knew something was up when
I opened my email the other day and my hard drive began to beg for mercy as
nearly 200 new subscriber requests began to download!
So to all of you who have just joined us here at TechTrax, we hope you find
the information here valuable. Don't be shy. Relax, kick off your shoes and
enjoy—there's beer in the fridge.
Enjoy!
Dian ~
Dian D. Chapman
Editor, TechTrax Ezine
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