<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!--Generated by Squarespace Site Server v5.9.2 (http://www.squarespace.com/) on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:54:31 GMT--><rss xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" version="2.0"><channel><title>Logical Writers' BlogFest</title><link>http://www.logicalwriters.com/ann_blog/</link><description>A goulash of commentary from Ann, Dot, and our guest bloggers about business, technology, project management, consulting, writing, training, learning, and life.</description><lastBuildDate>Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:20:48 +0000</lastBuildDate><copyright>Copyright © 2007, Logical Writing Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.</copyright><language>en-US</language><generator>Squarespace Site Server v5.9.2 (http://www.squarespace.com/)</generator><item><title>Finding merged cells in Excel</title><category>Microsoft Excel</category><category>Tools, Tips, and Tricks</category><category>find merged cells</category><dc:creator>Ann Grove</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:11:21 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.logicalwriters.com/ann_blog/2010/3/8/finding-merged-cells-in-excel.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">134405:1218888:6945864</guid><description><![CDATA[<p>Were you ever prevented from sorting records in Excel because of merged fields? Well, if you just want to remove all merged fields, you can just select all cells in the worksheet, click Format&gt;&gt;Cells, and clear the <strong>Merge cells </strong>checkbox.</p>
<p>If you prefer to take care of each merged cell individually, to avoid unintended consequences, try this (written for Excel 2003):</p>
<p>1.&nbsp; Open the Find and Replace dialog box.</p>
<p>2.&nbsp; Click <strong>Options</strong>.</p>
<p>3.&nbsp; Click <strong>Format</strong> (to the right of the <strong>Find what</strong> field).</p>
<p>4.&nbsp; On the <strong>Alignment </strong>tab, click <strong>Choose format from cell</strong>.&nbsp;</p>
<p>5.&nbsp; Click a merged cell.</p>
<p>A list of merged cells is displayed in the lower pane of the Find dialog box. Click one to navigate to that reference.</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.logicalwriters.com/ann_blog/rss-comments-entry-6945864.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>Creating a list of unique records</title><category>Microsoft Excel</category><category>Tools, Tips, and Tricks</category><category>exclusion list</category><category>remove duplicates</category><category>unique records</category><dc:creator>Ann Grove</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:39:25 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.logicalwriters.com/ann_blog/2010/3/2/creating-a-list-of-unique-records.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">134405:1218888:6886969</guid><description><![CDATA[<p>So my insurance guy and client <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jackgrove">Jack Grove</a> wants to send a mailing to people who have a homeowner policy but do not have car insurance through his agency. If someone has both policies or only a car insurance policy, he will not receive the mailing.</p>
<p>There are any number of ways to do this in Microsoft Excel, but I've <a href="http://www.logicalwriters.com/storage/files-for-blog/Compare%20two%20lists4_Ann.xls">attached </a>a modest attempt. Using this method, each record in each list is tagged with an identifier (a combination of name and telephone number). Then the records are compared based on identifier. You can sort a list based on a true/false column, to identify just the missing records.</p>
<p>For more information, check out these Microsoft-generated articles:</p>
<p><a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/HA011039151033.aspx">Use Excel to compare two lists of data</a></p>
<p>For an alternate approach involving advanced filtering: <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/kb/214324">How to use advanced filter to exclude records in Excel 2000</a> and <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/kb/183512">How to use advanced filter to exclude records</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.logicalwriters.com/ann_blog/rss-comments-entry-6886969.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>Self-determined vs. stubborn</title><dc:creator>Ann Grove</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:47:55 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.logicalwriters.com/ann_blog/2010/1/20/self-determined-vs-stubborn.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">134405:1218888:6377341</guid><description><![CDATA[<p>This weekend, a family member mused out loud "What is the difference between being self-determined and stubborn?"</p>
<p>I said, "Oh, that is easy. When you are talking about yourself, you say 'self-determined.' When you are talking about someone else, you say 'stubborn.' "&nbsp; :)</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.logicalwriters.com/ann_blog/rss-comments-entry-6377341.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>Personality testing: Friend or foe</title><dc:creator>Ann Grove</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:55:19 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.logicalwriters.com/ann_blog/2010/1/14/personality-testing-friend-or-foe.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">134405:1218888:6325680</guid><description><![CDATA[<p>People have often asks me how I have scored on the Myers Briggs test. I have never taken it, I reply. I've been a contractor for many years, and most companies only subject _employees_ to the test, I suppose due to expense.</p>
<p>But privately, I've always kind of questioned the value of personality tests. For instance, it doesn't seem to me designed to determine whether someone is a pathological practice of hoarding information or putting down peers. Now THAT would be truly valuable information. Barring that kind of hard-to-get info, I think a peer's work history tells me most of what I need to know.</p>
<p>Anyway, today a peer on my management list pointed out<a href="http://www.gladwell.com/2004/2004_09_20_a_personality.html"> this 2004 article</a> in the New Yorker, by Malcolm Gladwell, that goes into some depth about the limitations of personality testing. I hope you find it as interesting as I did.</p>
<p>I particularly enjoyed the author's self-created personality test, which tests four personality dimensions: Canine/Feline, More/Different, Insider/Outsider, and Nibbler/Gobbler.</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.logicalwriters.com/ann_blog/rss-comments-entry-6325680.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>What is a technical communicator?</title><dc:creator>Ann Grove</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:01:03 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.logicalwriters.com/ann_blog/2010/1/14/what-is-a-technical-communicator.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">134405:1218888:6325294</guid><description><![CDATA[<p>The following comes from <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/marcgravez">Marc Gravez</a>, president of the Society for Technical Communication's Philly metro chapter:</p>
<p>﻿What is a technical communicator? Technical communicators develop and design  instructional and informational tools needed to assure safe, appropriate, and  effective use of science and technology, intellectual property, and manufactured  products and services. Technical communicators combine multimedia knowledge and  strong communication skills with technical expertise to educate across the  entire spectrum of users&rsquo; abilities, technical experience, and visual and  auditory capabilities. For more information, see <a title="http://www.stc.org/story/tc_tw.asp" href="http://www.stc.org/story/tc_tw.asp" target="_blank">http://www.stc.org/story/tc_tw.asp</a>.</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.logicalwriters.com/ann_blog/rss-comments-entry-6325294.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>Automatically include heading text in your footer</title><category>Documentation</category><dc:creator>Ann Grove</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:15:18 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.logicalwriters.com/ann_blog/2010/1/11/automatically-include-heading-text-in-your-footer.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">134405:1218888:6292145</guid><description><![CDATA[<p>To include heading text in your footer, you don't need to bookmark the text and cross-reference. No, no!&nbsp; Just insert a StyleRef field and it will pick up the applicable heading text.</p>
<p>In Microsoft Word, use the <strong>Insert </strong>menu... <strong>Field </strong>option &gt;&gt; In the dialog box, select StyleRef in the Field Names list at left; select your heading style (such as Heading 1) in the Style Name list at right, and click <strong>OK</strong>.</p>
<p>If the formatting comes out funky (including or excluding paragraph number context, for instance), try again, but this time play with the field option checkboxes at right in the dialog box.</p>
<p>Works like a charm.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.logicalwriters.com/ann_blog/rss-comments-entry-6292145.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>Graphic editing laughter</title><category>Tools, Tips, and Tricks</category><dc:creator>Ann Grove</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:51:42 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.logicalwriters.com/ann_blog/2009/12/14/graphic-editing-laughter.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">134405:1218888:6060017</guid><description><![CDATA[<p>Anyone who has ever struggled to perfect an electronic graphic will appreciate <a href="http://fc01.deviantart.com/fs13/f/2007/077/2/e/Animator_vs__Animation_by_alanbecker.swf">Alan Becker's clip, Animator vs. Animation</a>.</p>
<p>Your graphic really MAY be working against you.</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.logicalwriters.com/ann_blog/rss-comments-entry-6060017.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>Word of the day: Octothorpe</title><dc:creator>Ann Grove</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:48:28 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.logicalwriters.com/ann_blog/2009/12/9/word-of-the-day-octothorpe.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">134405:1218888:6027834</guid><description><![CDATA[<p>What could Alan Houser of <a href="http://www.groupwellesley.com/">Group Wellesley </a>possibly be <a href="http://twitter.com/arh">talking about on Twitter</a> when he mentions a corrupt octothorpe character?</p>
<p>It's that little old symbol I always called the pound sign (#).</p>
<p>The term has an <a href="http://www.answers.com/topic/octothorpe">interesting history</a>. And sounds impressive too.</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.logicalwriters.com/ann_blog/rss-comments-entry-6027834.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>Cartoon: If fish could text...</title><dc:creator>Ann Grove</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:42:24 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.logicalwriters.com/ann_blog/2009/11/23/cartoon-if-fish-could-text.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">134405:1218888:5890928</guid><description><![CDATA[<p>They would face hazards like we do. My niece and I thought <a href="http://tinyurl.com/fishtxt">this cartoon </a>was really funny, though silly.</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.logicalwriters.com/ann_blog/rss-comments-entry-5890928.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>LinkedIn integrates with Twitter</title><category>Tools, Tips, and Tricks</category><category>Trends and New Technology</category><dc:creator>Ann Grove</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:06:00 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.logicalwriters.com/ann_blog/2009/11/18/linkedin-integrates-with-twitter.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">134405:1218888:5840867</guid><description><![CDATA[<p>I noticed today on LinkedIn that you can update your profile to note your Twitter account. Very cool.</p>
<p>In addition, you can set up the tools to feed each other. I set mine so that my LinkedIn updates automatically feed Twitter, but only some of my Twitter posts (those tagged with #in) feed LinkedIn.</p>
<p>Check out the<a href="http://blog.linkedin.com/2009/11/09/allen-blue-twitter-and-linkedin-go-together-like-peanut-butter-and-chocolate/"> 11/9/2009 announcement</a>. Calling it TwitterIn, they say it's like peanut butter with chocolate, the perfect combo.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.logicalwriters.com/ann_blog/rss-comments-entry-5840867.xml</wfw:commentRss></item></channel></rss>