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AttachmentsJust because you have the latest version of Microsoft Word on your computer, it doesn't mean that everyone else does. When you have a document that someone else needs, just attaching it to your message doesn't make it magically work like a champ on the receiving end. I use WordPerfect. I've been using it since 1985 and am a true believer. Not only do I use it, I paid for it! However, I don't have a version of Word on my system. I didn't feel like buying it, and I won't have bandit software on my system. But inevitably, I get email from others who send me Word 97 documents which my version of WordPerfect can't read. And I'm not alone. There are Ami Pro users, as well as people using older versions of Word, that aren't compatible with Word 97. After I upgrade to the latest version of WordPerfect in December, I'll be able to read Word 97 documents. But even then, if the other guy has done some really interesting formatting, it probably won't come through on my computer the way he intended. Here are some suggestions for improving your online document transfer skills: 1. Consider converting it to text. This is usually my first choice. I try to keep my formatting simple so I can convert the document to straight text. That way I can either attach it as a text file, or I can simply embed the document in an email message. Obviously, this doesn't work very well if you're doing more creative things, like tables, columns, outlines, different fonts, etc. But if your document doesn't require any of those features, keep it simple, and make it universal by converting it to a text document. 2. If you ARE creating a fancy document, try converting it to an older version of your software's format, so that other versions know about it, and can decode it. The problem is that, with some software manufacturers (ahem), every time they change their version, they also change the document format. That forces other vendors to catch up, and older customers to pay for the upgrade. Boy! Aren't these software guys clever? 3. If you have the ability, convert your document to an Acrobat PDF file. This is more universal (although there are problems here as well). Theoretically, it won't matter what word processor your correspondent has. With this format, they can read the document if they have an Acrobat reader (which is free). Unfortunately, you have to be able to write a document in PDF format (which is not free). 4. Another universal format is HTML - the formatting language of the Web. Most current word processors can output their documents (as well as read documents) in HTML. Unfortunately, LOTS of formatting doesn't translate to HTML, so this may only be a marginal solution. But it's worth trying. The key thing to remember is that the format you save your documents in may not be readable to other users. Don't assume that everyone has joined the Microsoft Word herd. There actually are other (and in my opinion, superior) products on the market, and you need to grasp the fact that your correspondents simply may not be able to simply read what you send them. Following the above tips will get the word out to everyone a little more effectively. And then there is my most favorite method of fast document transfer, the fax machine.
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