Hi Stacey, On 16 Jan 2005 at 11:39, Stacey Robinson spoke, thus:
> I noticed in the Keyword setup list in the keyword menu that there's an > option for having keyword create Ascii text files by defalt. Does anyone > use this option? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Yes, I use this option. Here's why. Advantages: universal (everyone can use and understand it), not bloated beyond belief, ripe for email attachments, inexpensive to transmit over pay-per-second or pay-per-meg lines (EG cellphone GSMData link), file size accurately reports content of file (if KeySoft tells you it's 5000 characters long, that is *exactly* how many written characters are in your file). Disadvantages: none. Okay, I was lying in the hopes you'd believe me about those disadvantages and make the switch. Here is the truth: there are a few kinds of ASCII text file, characters in the high range can be interpreted differently dependent on localisation of the reader (this is usually not an issue for Western Latin communication), formats differ (but are easy to deal with on the BrailleNote) between Microsoft and the rest of the world (surprise!), line formatting is pretty much down to the file's author (BrailleNote lets you choose how to format the document in the file's options), formatting does not exist in converted files (if you set bold, text has no way to represent it, though some effects can be emulated - indents with spaces and tabs, underlining with the underscore character, and so on, overstrike using backspace-repeats). Hopefully this has helped, but if you need more specific and less ranting help, let me know. In any case, I can't recommend enough that you go ahead and switch to ASCII on your BrailleNote for most cases. You're doing the world and yourself a big favour - the world can read what you send it, and you can store more of it on your disks. If you need formatting, then only use formatting in KeyWord or MSWord documents you will keep to yourself or maybe print, unless you are certain the person you are talking to can read those formats. Don't email MSWord or other attachments without checking first - not everyone in this big ol' world can read them at all or in part, me included, and will be most annoyed to receive them when they waited 20 minutes on a 9600 baud cellphone connection for something they can't read. Just switch to ASCII text and say no. <Grin> Cheers, Sabahattin -- If an email tells you to forward it to all your friends, please temporarily forget that I am your friend. Sabahattin Gucukoglu Phone: +44 20 88008915 Mobile: +44 7986 053399 http://www.sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/ Email/MSN: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Skype: SabahattinGucukoglu (requires authorisation, add me to your list first) SpeakFreely: sabahattin-gucukoglu.com (Please use CELP compression if your processor allows)
