Ask The Geek: Can TurboLaw forms be used in Star Office?
May 27, 2008
Today’s question comes courtesy of Donald MacLellan – he asks:
Can the [TurboLaw] forms be used in Star Office 8? Are there any plans to go to Linux Ubuntu or some system [other] than Microsoft Windows?
Technically that’s two questions, so here are two answers:
- TurboLaw relies on Microsoft Word (and Microsoft Excel) to create documents and merge case information into the documents, however, once the forms have been created, they are just regular Word and Excel documents and could be opened by any program that is capable of reading Word or Excel format files – including Star Office. However, you will still need Microsoft Word (and Microsoft Excel) to create the documents initially with TurboLaw.
- There are currently no plans to make a version of TurboLaw for any operating system other than Microsoft Windows – although we are not ruling that possibility out, if our customers were to demand it. Right now, however, most of our customers use Microsoft Windows, so that is where TurboLaw will run.
Have a question for the geek? Send it to us at askthegeek@turbolaw.com!
Ask The Geek: How do I type in documents where it doesn’t carry over to the next line?
April 3, 2008
Many thanks to longtime TurboLaw Document Software customer Candice McKenna-Imlach for today’s question.
In Microsoft Word, in order to keep “typing lines” under each line of text it is necessary to use Word Tables without text wrapping. This means that, when reaching the end of the table cell where text is typed, it is necessary to Tab (advance) to the next form field in order to continue typing text.
Microsoft has some very good (and very free) on-line training courses for learning how to deal with tables in Microsoft Word – here are some courses you can take to learn more about how to use Microsoft Word and tables to make complex page layouts:
More courses are available from Microsoft by clicking here.
Have a question for the geek? Send it to us at askthegeek@turbolaw.com!
Ask The Geek: How can I send documents in PDF format?
March 10, 2008
To send documents as PDFs (which stands for “portable document format“), you need a program to create PDF files – there are several available on the Internet for free, as well as some from commercial software vendors. The company which popularized the PDF format is called Adobe, and they sell a program called “Adobe Acrobat Professional” which allows you to create a PDF from just about anything. They also give away for free a program called “Adobe Acrobat Reader” which allows you to view a PDF and print it out (although not create a new one).
The best part of a PDF file is that just about anyone can view it – whether using a PC, a Mac, or some other type of device, chances are he or she can open a PDF file and view it. There are PDF viewer programs written for virtually every type of computer ever made, so when you send a PDF, you can generally be assured that the recipient can view it. Over the years, it has become the de facto standard for printable documents on the Internet.
Another great benefit of PDF files is that they strip out all the hidden “meta data” in your documents. You may have heard about “meta data” – this is the data inside your documents that you normally don’t see, but that may contain sensitive or personal information you don’t want disclosed. Creating a PDF naturally strips this information out – which makes PDFs a simple, easy solution to the problem of “meta data.”
Have a question for the geek? Send it to us at askthegeek@turbolaw.com!
Ask The Geek: How can I get rid of junk mail (or “spam”)?
January 23, 2008
Unfortunately, the only guaranteed way to stop all spam is to not use e-mail. Spam is a part of life now, but you can take steps to reduce the amount of spam you get:
- Don’t publish your e-mail address on the Internet anywhere. Or, if you must put it on the Internet, write it out as “john at NOSPAM myaddress.com” instead of “john@myaddress.com”. This will help prevent automatic programs from collecting your address.
- Be careful whenever a website asks for your email address. Consider using a 2nd address just for on-line ordering and so forth – this way, all the spam goes to the 2nd address and you can just delete it from time to time.
- Use a good spam filter. Most email programs have some sort of ability to sort emails as they arrive – look into the features for your program. Microsoft Outlook has its “Junk Mail” folders, and if you use Microsoft Exchange in your office, there are many programs your IT person can load onto the sever to reduce spam before it even gets to your inbox. If you use Mozilla Thunderbird or Eudora, just start marking junk email as “junk” by using the buttons for it in these programs. They will “learn” to recognize spam over time and filter it for you.
Hopefully these tips help you deal with the avalanche of spam we all have to deal with these days. Good luck!
Have a question for the geek? Send it to us at askthegeek@turbolaw.com!
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