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Title: Undefined (you choose the title based on the theme of the article)
ARTICLE BEGIN
What is that you ask?????
Well, when your buy a new computer, you get the CDs for the software. Windows CD, programs CD, printer, etc. Then you buy a digital camera.Then a scanner; or a USB external hard drive, router, PDA, iPod, and on and on and on.. Then comes the time you're OS crashes; or you just want to clean it and start from scratch and reinstall windows. Mabey its full of spy ware/adware, a virus, malware, foistware, a trojan, malicious softwre, or you beleive that making the system like it was when you bought it would help with iot some sort of problem.
Or, you want to upgrade and sell the old one, or give it away, or use it as a test machimne, or something else.....
This is when you wish you had a "gut box".Put all your system CDs in ONE box, labell it, and treat it like their crown jewels.And this includes burned CDs of any software
and any programs you bought and downloaded from the inter net.Emergency disks, A/V programs, your backup or image CD .
If you give someone you old printer,m give them the CD that came with it, and put the new printer CD in the box, and only keep what you have for the system in that boxes.
Then, if you have to reinstall anything, you know right where to go get the CD, or system manual, or OS disc..
I also recommend using a felttip pin to write any key codes, and dates you bought/installed the software right on the CD.\That way, the software box might be up in the atic, but the code needed to reinstall the software is right on the CD in the gut box .
It doesn't have to be a big box, a shoe box could do, or one the size of standard letter paper, 8x11"-5x4.I have one, and make sure everyone at work has one at they're desk,they do that at home now too.
The words I heard the most, where I am a host on a forum, is "I can't find my CD". Don't be one of those, make a "gnut box"!!!!
ARTICLE END
Contest Rules
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!
- All submissions are due Monday, December 5th, 2005.
- To edit the article, copy and paste this page into a word processor or text editor and modify it like you would any other document.
- To submit the article: use our web form (link here) and paste your modified article into the comments box.
Don't forget to include the TITLE of the article!
http://www.infopackets.com/contact.htm?subject=editorial_contest_submission
- Do *not* include these instructions as part of your submission, or you will be disqualified from the contest.
Hints on Editing the Article
What to correct:
- Spelling: This is self-explanatory. By the way, grammar is
spelt with an "A" and not an "E"! ;-) A few of
you did not make this distinction when emailing me this weekend (but
I still appreciate your offer)!
- Grammar: Including (but not limited to) poorly formed or incomplete sentences and
paragraphs.
- Consistency: Use consistent spacing between the end and the start of a new
sentence (hint: there should be at minimum 1 space [but not more than 2
spaces] separating sentences).
- Undefined Acronyms: Assume the reader
understands *nothing* prior to reading your editorial! If you decide to
use an acronym, always cite it using brackets immediately following the
expanded version of the acronym. For example: What you see is what you
get ("WYSIWYG"); Graphical user interface ("GUI"), etc.
- Punctuation: Pay extra attention to comma splices, incorrect usage of semi-colons, and excessive use of punctuation.
Remember: a sentence is a complete thought consisting of one or more
clauses (typically a subject and a
predicate). A paragraph is a group of related thoughts put together in a logical
"block" of information. To refresh your memory on proper sentence
structure, refer to this page:
http://www.sil.org/linguistics/GlossaryOfLinguisticTerms/WhatIsASentence.htm
Going "above and beyond" the call of simple editing:
- Be creative: Make it interesting! If the introductory paragraph doesn't capture the reader's interest within the first few lines, everything will be in vain! You have permission to add "fluff" to the writings whenever necessary (especially if it helps to lead into another thought, or finalize an existing one) -- but never add "fluff" that isn't true!
- *** USE TRANSITIVE DEVICES *** to keep the ideas flowing from one sentence / paragraph to the next. Without transition, the read can be *extremely* dry and boring (especially if the discussion is technical).
This is a *must*! Can I stress this enough?
- Remove redundant words or phrases whenever possible. For example: change an over-used phrase with another, similar (less-used) phrase. This breaks up ambiguity and makes the read more appealing.
- If applicable, change a redundant phrase into an acronym (but only if it is a well known acronym -- and always cite its meaning, first). For example: What you see is what you get ("WYSIWYG"); Graphical user interface ("GUI"), etc.
- Keep it as concise as possible: Ideally, a paragraph shouldn't be any more than 5 sentences; any longer than that and
a non-technical reader tends to get turned off by too much "information overload." The more white space seen as a "whole" between paragraphs = "the easier to read."
- Break it down: If there is a lot of technical detail, be sure to break it down for the reader. Furthermore: if you ever come across something you don't understand, there's a good chance that the reader won't, either! In that case, use
Google to do your research and then
come back to the editorial and break down the ambiguity into a simpler meaning.
- Remove all ambiguity: If you haven't already noticed, the introductory line in the sample article is very ambiguous (especially if the title has not been defined)! Depending on what you choose for the title of this sample, be creative and form a new introduction (paragraph or sentence) to catch the interest of the reader. Also be sure to correct any "undefined acronyms"
that may be listed throughout the article by citing their meaning as
described above.
Thanks for applying and Good Luck!
- Dennis
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