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Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Beware of Automatic Letter Generator Software By Shaun Fawcett

If you've spent any time online looking for letter writing help you have no doubt come across software programs that "automatically generate" various types of letters.

There are two typical ways in which these software letter generators work:

1. Basic Letter Generators

The most basic type of letter generator presents you with a list of letters that you can choose from. Once you choose the item that comes closest to your need, you are then presented with a short unformatted "bare-bones" generic letter template with a bunch of blank fields that you must fill in such as: [name], [date], [company], etc. After you've filled in the blanks you're supposed to cut and paste that resulting text into your word processing program as your final letter.

2. Phrase-Based Letter Generators

The second letter generator model is a bit more sophisticated but still has some problems. These software programs present you with a series of "generic phrases" for each type of letter. You then select and paste the most appropriate phrase choices into your unformatted draft letter template. What you typically end up with is a bunch of unrelated generic phrases loosely strung together. The result is an unformatted rough draft that will definitely require a serious editing job before you can use it.

All I can say about these products is BUYER BEWARE! Although it might have seemed like a good idea at the time, these "software letter generators" are only slightly better than the typical fill-in-the-bank templates.

Here are the problems with the typical automatic letter-generator software:

- For each letter, you get to choose from a half-dozen or so, completely out of context, independent/unconnected pre-written, one-liner phrases that you have to plug into your letter as separate sentences.

- The final software-generated-letter is a disjointed collection of weakly-linked sentences and/or paragraphs that actually needs a professional editing job just to make it presentable before sending it out.

- You do not get "in-context" mental stimulation and visual cues to help you visualize the final finished product, as you do with a real-life template.

- The final letters come entirely unformatted so that you then have to completely set-up and format the letter from scratch before it can be sent.

In addition, software letter generators provide little or no guidance in the way of tips, pointers and information on the best ways to approach writing the different types of letters. (Trust me, not all letters are equal! There are some specific things you need to know about writing some of the more complex letters).

How do I know all of the above?

I've done my research and purchased and tested the most highly advertised software letter generators on the market. In fact, actually using these products and seeing the resulting "letters" was a major incentive for me to continue developing the downloadable fully-formatted "real-life templates" that go into all of my writing kits.

As I said, software letter generators might seem like a good idea in theory, but in my opinion they just don't do the job of a real-life template.

Bottom Line: Use software-based automatic letter generators at your own risk.

For an alternative to software letter generators that involves fully-formatted real-life templates that you can download into your word processor, check out the link below my name.

Copyright © Shaun R. Fawcett. All rights reserved.

Shaun Fawcett is Webmaster of two of the most visited writing-help Web sites on the Net. He is the author of numerous "how-to" books on everyday practical writing help. He also writes about how to create and publish books and ebooks. His main "writing tools" site is: http://writinghelptools.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shaun_Fawcett

Why Do People Get Computer Viruses By Willie Stanford

No one likes to find out that they have picked up one of the common computer viruses from being online. Yet so many people are unaware of the things that are online that can cause damage to your system. If you have come to the internet in hopes of finding out what you can do to prevent damaging your computer while you are online; then you have come to the right place.

You may be wondering why do people get computer viruses? Well in my opinion the only reason that people infect their system; is because they have no idea what the common viruses are.

If you have ever heard of someone saying "do not open up emails from unknown senders" well the only reason they are saying this is because this is how some people have caught viruses on their systems. So if you ever receive an email from someone that you have no idea who sent it to you; it is best that you just delete it without opening it. You may want to know who sent it; but I would highly recommend that you do not.

Yes you system can become infected by a virus and unfortunately if it is infected; then it can become useless. There is basically nothing you can do with a computer that has been infected and the worst part is that it will be difficult to access all the information on your present computer.

Clean your system out on a regular basis and stay away from emails that unknown senders mail to you; and you should be okay. Yes sometimes we run into viruses that we can not avoid and if you do; and that is one of the main reasons that you want to make sure that your system is well protected. So what are some of the common computer viruses are?

Well the worm is one of the viruses that can affect your system. You can easily get this virus through a file on the internet or a file that someone sends you. If you do have a worm; then you have to know that you can not spread it from computer to computer. You may have heard about some of the viruses that have been floating around online. Or maybe you had an email from a friend telling you that if you get an email from so and so then you should avoid opening it up. The reason is that the viruses are started by people who want to cause damage to people's computers.

Even though there are certain things that you can catch online; it does not mean that surfing the internet is dangerous. I will however take common sense to make sure that you do not open up something that can infect your computer and then you will have to spend the money to get another one.

If you found this article helpful; visit our site below. In just two minutes you can scan your PC to ensure that it is running smoothly and has not been infected by anything that can damage it.

Avoid Your Computer From Getting Infected With Viruses Do You Know What Is Infecting Your System? Prevent Your Computer From Experiencing PC Errors, Constant Crashes And General System Slowdowns

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Willie_Stanford

How Important Are Data Backup Reporting Tools? By Jack M Patterson

People often don't realize the importance of data backup reporting tools until it is too late and they have lost loads of information that even the most savvy tech minds in the company can't retrieve. Businesses both small and large seem to think they are exempt from a data disaster, but the truth is that it is far more common than one might think.

Unless data is backed up properly, there is a risk that it could be lost for good. No one is immune to this and everyone should find a way to backup all of his or her important data.

Today, many Internet companies are able to take care of all of your backup needs when it comes to software. They even provide data backup reporting tools that help you or your IT professionals streamline all of your business processes.

These companies can also increase the overall security and of your business's computer system. By letting a highly qualified company that specializes in backup and storage take care of your backup needs, you can focus on the other aspects of running your business. You don't have to worry about losing important information, and you have the peace of mind that a professional team is working on your side.

When you choose the online company that will be helping and serving you, make certain you know everything that the company offers in terms of data backup reporting tools. This includes just how easy it is for you and your IT staff to view these reports.

One of the most respected and talked about companies on the Internet that provides data backup service is APTARE. To find out more information about them, try out their online demo, and start backing up your data, visit APTARE.com.

APTARE is a leading software provider that strives to ensure maximum data protection and ease of data backup reporting. For more information on the products APTARE provides, visit http://www.APTARE.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_M_Patterson

How to Protect the Computer From Computer Virus Worm? - Virus Worm Remover Review By Donald Chambers

Do you wish to learn how to protect the computer from computer virus worm? There is an increasing virus and spyware risk on the internet as it expands daily. The number of malicious files that are spread on the web are also increasing, making the risk of virus infection greater than ever. If your PC system is infected by viruses or spyware and you want to get rid of them fast, read on to find out how to do this easily.

1. What Is A Computer Virus Worm?

Its main objective is to destroy the entire hard disk by removing system files. It is able to install itself into the PC without alerting the user of its presence.

2. What Are The PC Symptoms Of A Computer Virus Worm Infection?

The most common ones include irritating popup advertisements and slowdown in PC processing speed. In more serious cases, users may find that their documents and applications become damaged and unable to open as the viruses start deleting their components and render them useless.

3. How To Protect The Computer From Computer Virus Worm?

To do this, it is highly recommended that you download a virus and spyware protection tool to fully scan your system first and remove any malicious files that it finds. It should also be set to conduct frequent scans. I have personally used a great computer virus / spyware software to deal with all the spyware and viruses on my PC before in just 5 minutes. You can find out more about it at the website link below.

4. What Are The Reasons Why The PC Gets Infected With A Computer Virus Worm?

Most virus infections occur when users download applications like MP3 files from unknown sources, when they open email attachments or when they visit malicious websites.

Are you looking to Protect your Computer from Computer Virus Worm? Don't do it yet, because the author has found many bad spyware and virus cleaning software on the web. Read the author's review of the Top 5 Spyware & Virus Removal Software on the market now at http://www.review-best.com/spyware-virus-removal-software.htm first!

Learn to completely get rid of all the spyware and viruses on your computer in less than 5 minutes with a FREE PC Scan!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Donald_Chambers

Free Online HTML Editor - Do They Exist? By Matt Murren

If you are working on a lab computer, or have limited space available on your hard drive, a Free Online HTML Editor certainly appeals to you. Many of these new innovative web applications have just as much power and as many features as an old desktop based HTML editor, but can be done from your web browser. There is a Free Online HTML Editor available for your needs whether you are looking for a traditional text based application or a "What You See Is What You Get" (WYSIWYG) application. If you are looking for a text based free online HTML Editor, among the options available to you is the SquareFree Real-Time HTML editor.

This simple web page allows you to see what your finished HTML code will look like in a box below your code in real time. If you still would like the ability to "get under the hood" of the HTML but would like a little bit more added features you have the "HTML Generator" offered by HyperGurl which will fill in some of the HTML coding for you and is ideal for simple pages. WYSIWYG is where the Free Online HTML Editor concept really shines though. Among the options available to you in this category include Online HTML Editor, WysiwygPro, Editlet, Ephox, eWebEditor, and more. All of these programs have their own requirements, browser compatibilities, and of course unique features.

However, it should be noted that sadly not all of those are entirely free; which, of course, is what you are here for. They were included merely so that you see what your options are. You can use free demos of all of these programs before you are required to buy. One web based WYSIWYG editor in the list that is free though is Online HTML Editor. Online HTML Editor was developed in Germany but offers an English version. The menu bears a strong resemblance to classic word processors and is simple for anyone to use who is familiar with office or HTML software. When you are finished with a file your simply click "Save file now" and download your finished file from the Online HTML Editor server.

This list is definitely not exhaustive, it would have to be much longer (and more boring to read) if it were. You can find other Free Online HTML Editor programs on the net, but before you go looking I strongly suggest you try one of the move products. Good luck with your HTML editing.

Matt D Murren owns and operates http://www.html-editor-advice.com - Html Editor

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matt_Murren