AV News 184 - May 2011
As I said, if you're just starting, it's easy. What about the situation where you
already have a pile of anonymous folders full of pictures randomly scattered
about your computer? The first thing is to realise that, the longer you leave it, the
worse it will get and the more frustrated you will become. Take a deep breath, set
aside a full day and tackle it. Create a tree of empty subject folders, exactly as
above. Then open each scattered date picture folder in turn as you come across
it, look at the pictures in it and decide which subject (sub-sub?)-folder(s) they
belong in. Copy and paste the pictures, in subject groups, into those folders.
Check they are all where they should be and then (and only then) delete the
original folder, so you never fall over it again. Then look at the next scattered
folder. It's a ****-aching job but it has to be done. A pencil and paper can be useful
to make notes. You can add new subject folders to your tree as required.
Long after you have 'finished' you will keep coming across forgotten picture
folders in all sorts of odd places. Deal with them, as above, as soon as you find
them. Your computer will gradually become tidy and you will find things quickly.
Apply the same 'tidy tree' logic to filing everything else on your computer.
Remember - it's up to YOU to tell your computer what YOU want it to do, where
YOU want it to put things. Not the other way round.
And ..... never, ever, click 'save' without first checking that YOU have specified
WHERE to save.
Dayschools at Wilmslow Guild
Computer familiarisation courses are run at many places and it will save a lot of
frustration if you go on one before trying to use your computer for anything
serious particularly - something a bit complicated, like AV.
This autumn we have arranged two related dayschools to ensure that
everyone gains the maximum possible benefit.
On Saturday 8th October there is a 'Make Friends With Your Computer'
dayschool run by Dr. Terry Chamberlain, who has run computing courses at the
Guild for some years. Whilst it will cover all aspects of basic computer familiarity,
use and management, Terry will deal particularly with the basic computer skills
which will be needed for AV.
On Saturday 29th October there will be an 'AV' dayschool which will be run
on the assumption that all students have been on the 8th Oct dayschool (or if not,
already possess the equivalent knowledge.)
Last year we concentrated on the picture side of things, so this time we will
concentrate on the audio side - particularly microphones and recording the voice.
We anticipate that half the day will be spent 'hands on' using and comparing mics,
trying different mics with your computer etc.
Full details appear on the 'dayschools' page of the Wilmslow Guild AV Group
website along with downloadable booking forms. Please book early as, when the
Guild enrolment starts in September, all events will be open to everyone and the
computing one will no doubt fill with non-AVers.
It is unlikely that we will be able to repeat these two related dayschools, so we
suggest you download the booking forms at: www.wilmslowguildav.org.uk or
contact Howard or Suzanne to discuss any queries you might have.
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