The Shorthand of Digital Communications

The Shorthand of Digital Communications

Living in the digital world of online connectivity and technology, we have been able to broaden our reach, create deeper relationships and have many avenues to share our voice. With this explosion of technology and new forms of media expression, we have become accustomed to communicating in 140 characters on Twitter, sending a quick IM or using much abbreviated texting that sometimes leaves the message open for interpretation, or worse, needing a few dictionaries or phoning a friend to decipher the code message.­

While texting may be an efficient means to deliver a quick message, allow multi-tasking, and is less of an intrusion when there really isn’t time for a phone call, it can leave you scratching your head, wondering what the sender is saying.  This type of tech shorthand is expedient but studies have shown it has negatively changed our levels of personal communications, interactions and writing skills for some. Educators from the Janus project “worry that heavy use of electronic communications such as email, social networking, texting, instant messaging and networked video games has diminished kids’ and adults’ social skills.” Texting is an instant convenient form of communication but has the possibility to weaken our social and written skills, if we allow it to happen.

Debra Vargulish, is a training administrator at the Latrobe-based global tooling company and college recruiter for Kennametal Inc reported that the students she meets are often inarticulate and shy, “They seem to be way better at using technology than older people. It’s actually the content that is missing.  A lot of them don’t know what to say at all, and that’s not good.”  Influence on Texting on Communication Skills.

The potential impact of texting:

  1. Reduce the in-depth conversations
  2. Dumb down spelling and grammar
  3. Distract people from being fully present

According to a Wall Street Journal article, people are becoming lazier about their grammar and spelling due to texting, instant messaging and social media.

Young students have turned in papers using text shorthand and emoticons.

The US Job Bank reports that many employers have expressed complaints and dissatisfaction with received employment applications that are written in text language. They noted that many applicants have a propensity to speak more informally and use abbreviated text messaging as though they are writing to a close friend.

There is now an online dictionary to explain the most used terminology.

You have just a few seconds to make a valued impression and if you aren’t clear, use proper spelling and grammar, this may present you in an unintended manner.

“Good grammar is credibility, especially on the internet. In blog posts, on Facebook statuses, in e-mails, and on company websites, your words are all you have. They are a projection of you in your physical absence. And, for better or worse, people judge you if you can’t tell the difference between their, there, and they’re. Kyle Wiens.

While texting, shorthand “lingo” or social media communications may not directly impact you, it has influenced our communications and written word. Know when it is appropriate, who is your audience, become familiar with the common grammar mistakes, use spell-check but don’t depend on it 100%, proofread your documents, blog posts and emails two or three times and add in the email “To” field after you have taken the time to reread your message.

Your communications are a representation of you and your company. Make sure they are free of errors.

Image credit: Might Red Pen

Save Time | Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

Save Time | Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

Save time and enhance productivity with keyboard shortcuts

Save time and enhance productivity with keyboard shortcuts

If you are like most entrepreneurs or solo-business owners you are always looking for ways to save time and learning a few keyboard shortcuts could be one of your time management tools.  Reducing the amount of keystrokes and mouse clicks can add up to enhance your productivity and the are also easier than using your mouse especially when you are at the computer for extended hours. You may be surprised at how much time you lose because you are not using keyboard shortcuts.  There are shortcuts for almost every action or application, even in GMail you can shave time. As a Virtual Assistant who lives on the computer in the digital world, saving time or creating time is essential for my productivity.

“Studies have found that moving your hand back and forth from the mouse to the keyboard is not only time consuming, it interrupts your typing rhythm – making you far less efficient, and leading to frustration (and mistakes!) when you have to constantly readjust hand placement.” Shortcut Library

Think about the multitude of actions it takes to highlight and copy text:

  • Interrupt your typing workflow to grab the mouse
  • Position your cursor
  • Highlight
  • Click copy
  • Reposition
  • Click again

Wouldn’t Ctrl + C and then V be so much simpler? One of my personal favorites is Alt + Tab to move between open windows. Here are just a few of the keyboard shortcuts (from Small Business Trends) we have compiled and there are many. If you would like the full PDF version, please email: info at aceconcierge dot net.

Keyboard Shortcuts | Productivity Enhancers

ESC – Current main function is to interrupt or cancel current process and/or program. (pressing Esc on websites that use jQuery to display photos is quicker than trying to click on the little ‘x’ in the top right hand corner.)

TAB – used to tab across the screen to the next tab stop. Provides a uniform/neat indentation.

SHIFT – shifts other keys into another mode. e.g. make letters capitals, use symbols above numbers

CTRL – performs special operations in conjunction with other keys.

Ctrl+A = Selects ALL texts/objects

Ctrl+B = Highlights all text in bold

Ctrl+C = Copies selected text/other object

Ctrl+V = Pastes text/image that has been copied

Ctrl+S = Saves document/file

Ctrl+Z = Undo previous action

Ctrl+Y = Redo any “Ctrl+Z” action

ALT – a modifier, this key alternates the functions of other pressed keys

Alt+F = Opens ‘file’ menu in an open program

Alt+F4 = Closes the open program

Alt+Spacebar = Opens the window menu of an opened program

Alt+Tab = Switches between open programs, from L to R

Alt+Shift+Tab = Will reverse the order of switching programs

Interacting with Text

Select text >> Press Shift+Right Arrow, Left Arrow, Up Arrow, or Down Arrow to highlight text

Ctrl+Shift+Arrow Keys do the same thing but more quickly, since the cursor is moving per new word now instead of per character

Shift+End to select the end of the line

Ctrl+C to copy selected text to the ‘clipboard’

Ctrl+X to cut selected text

Ctrl+V to paste copied text from the ‘clipboard’

Ctrl+Z to undo an action

Ctrl+Y to redo an action

Ctrl+Right Arrow (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word)

Ctrl+Left Arrow (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word)

Ctrl+Down Arrow (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph)

Ctrl+Up Arrow (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph)

Ctrl+A (Select all)

Ctrl+Delete (Delete the rest of the word, or entire word if cursor is placed at beginning)

Keep in mind that this is just the shortlist of keyboard shortcuts! How many have you mastered?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ace Concierge | Giving Back Time

Ace has been busy assisting our client base with a variety of tasks and projects, helping to create more time for them to focus ON their business rather than IN it. While we have some consistent daily activities like social media management, many of the projects we complete for our clients are a variety of administrative or concierge type duties. The possibilities are limitless.

Our Virtual Assistant services encompass a wide range of solutions to help support our clients in their business activities.  It is not merely WHAT we do for you in terms of tasks and projects, but it is more about what you gain by outsourcing your To Do list to Ace Concierge.

Delegation is a low cost, high impact solution enabling you to focus on what is important, rather than on what needs to be done.  If you are tied up working on tedious administrative details, then you are not able to focus on building your business, providing customer service, using your core genius, or otherwise, doing what only YOU can do.  Use your skills and talents to do what you do best and outsource the rest. Your time is too valuable to become engrossed in the “small stuff” when you should be dedicating your expertise to your company.

Here is a small sampling how we have helped our clients:

  1. Appointment scheduling
  2. Blog posts
  3. Calendaring
  4. Data compilation
  5. Document creation
  6. Editing/proofing
  7. Email management
  8. E-newsletters
  9. Internet research
  10. LinkedIn groups
  11. Mailings
  12. PowerPoint presentations
  13. Re-purposing content
  14. Social Media management: Twitter/Facebook
  15. Transcription

What is on your To Do list this week that you really don’t need to do, don’t want to do, don’t have time to do or don’t like to do?  Think about what you can effectively delegate to help increase your productivity levels, time management and essentially, your bottom line.

Just think: if you outsourced 4 hours per week, you would gain 16 hours a month. Can you imagine what you could do with 16 more hours??

Our Ace solutions are only limited by your requests. How can we best serve you?

“A VA’s role is to help the business owner be more profitable by absorbing the tasks, responsibilities and roles that don’t allow the business owner to play to her/his strength.” Olalah Njenga