The previous post has a quick and dirty list of the applications I use most often in my writing business. Some apps may perplex you or you’d like to know more about how I use them. This provides the magnifying glass edition so you can decide if you’d like to look into them.

Browsers

I used to rely on just Firefox with the occasional use of Internet Explorer because some applications didn’t work right in Firefox. Now I use Google Chrome almost as much as Firefox. Sometimes I open Opera — I love its look, feel and speed. Firefox hangs and slows down often, but it has the best and most useful plug-ins. Jump to Firefox add-ons to see my faves.

Bookkeeping and Invoicing

QuickBooks: Had I started my business within the last couple of years, I might not be using QuickBooks. It’s the only software that almost beat me in the battle of gal vs. app; eventually I got the hang of it. It may be a good thing because I’ve used a popular web-based invoicing application from the client point of view. It would not let me pay the 50 percent payment due at the start of a project. Sure, the vendor could’ve sent me two invoices: one for the first payment and one for the final payment, but it didn’t make sense to do that as it’s all one project.

I appreciate keeping my finances and invoices on my computer rather than in the cloud (web-based). I can’t access the app if I’m away from my home. However, when I’m away — I don’t do invoicing. If I traveled frequently or for longer periods, then a web-based app makes sense.

Writing

Microsoft Office: No matter how you feel about Microsoft, Word has everything writers need. I’ve tried web-based apps, which made me feel constrained. Favorite features: Counts (word, character, etc.), Review (tracking), Comments and Thesaurus. Excel keeps track of data or create a spreadsheet of information for a project or client.

Notetab: Cleans content and frees it from the invisible and bloated code that apps like Word add to it. If you copy and paste Word content into a blog post, it often brings a lot of useless and wasteful code with it. Notetab sheds it all.

Communications

Gmail: Thanks to Gmail, I stopped micromanaging my inbox.

Thunderbird: Friendly, easy, smooth and simple. My Fave Thunderbird add-ons.

Google Talk: Instant messenger apps used to be a regular part of my toolbox, but then some people abused it to talk to me about nothing and it disrupted my work. However, I needed a way to stay in touch with family and Google Talk allows me to be invisible yet able to connect with my spouse. We also use it on our BlackBerrys instead of SMS. No offense if you’re one of the people I’ve chatted with IM. No one can see what I am doing, so no one is at fault.

Marketing and Connecting

Blogging: I have both Wordpress and MovableType installed. All of meryl.net uses Wordpress except for Bionic Ear, which uses MovableType. Writers don’t all need to have a blog. If you interact regularly on social networks and visit other people’s blogs while leaving meaningful comments, you’ll be fine without your own blog. It’s still important to have your own web site rather than relying on social network profile to be your web page. Visiting other people’s blogs takes precedence over writing in my own as I want to hear what they have to say and respond to that.

Social networks: This includes blogs, Twitter, Twitter Search, Facebook, LinkedIn and FriendFeed. I’ve set up my accounts to feed into each other so they stay fresh without requiring my visiting each site daily. You don’t have to do cold calling to make it as a full-time writer. I do zero cold calling and instead take the Quiet Marketing approach. Few Twitter notification apps have proven to remain consistent about sending you an email letting you know when someone mentions your name or brand. Twitter Search is the best option for accurate results.

Tweetchat: This one is my app of choice for joining Twitter chats. Video on how to use Tweetchat.

Tweetdeck: Organize and manage my Twitter accounts and groups. Has some non-intuitive features that I handle on Twitter.com instead.

Personal Information Manager aka Calendar, Contacts, Tasks and Memos

In the past, I needed to have my personal information manager (PIM) data with me and carried my Palm device everywhere along with my cell phone. When I upgraded to a BlackBerry, a superior phone to my previous, I decided it was time to let go of the Palm. Besides, I interact more with the PIM on my computer than I do on a handheld.

So the ability to update the PIM on a computer outweighed the need to update it on a device. That said, I needed to sync my data with the BlackBerry. I don’t like the BlackBerry’s PIM apps because they take too many steps and have too many features. It took me seconds to add a new item on the Palm yet minutes on the BlackBerry.

I still use Palm Desktop. It loads fast. It has just the right features without overkill — although it could stand a few more features. Originally, I synced the Palm with Outlook and let Outlook update the BlackBerry.

Now I’ve taken Outlook out of the equation thanks to CompanionLink’s Google Sync. It syncs all four Palm Desktop apps with Google. While its process for transferring memos isn’t elegant — it offers the best option. Google Sync then updates the BlackBerry. I update Calendar and Contacts in both apps and the rest in Palm Desktop. You can find more sync options.

Miscellaneous

Team work: Some clients and assignments involve working with a team. Each has its own web-based app for communicating. No one stands out or dominates. All apps have strong and weak areas.

Filezilla: Managing files on my web site’s server.

Bit.ly: Shorten URLs.

Dropbox: If I work on an article on both computers, I save it on Dropbox so I can access the file from anywhere. Once finished, I archive it on my PC as MyDropbox should be like an inbox — hold as little content as possible.

Online backup: I have an external hard drive for saving my work, but — G-d forbid, if something happens to my house, I’ve got my data online.

SnagIt: It’s amazing how often I use this screen capture software. It helps explain things or problems with few words. It loads faster than my photo editing software, so I use SnagIt to crop and tweak.

Adobe Acrobat Professional for saving work, invoices and other documents in its original format.

Firefox Add-ons

Links to all of these are in my Firefox Collection.

AI Roboform: Because Google Chrome doesn’t have add-ons, I turn to Firefox more often. For one, I prefer Roboform to Last Pass for managing my passwords. I tried Last Pass because of its compatibility with Google Chrome, but it requires extra steps. Roboform sometimes annoys me with its pop up box when I don’t need it.

Better Gmail 2: Gmail stays open in my browser all the time and receives equal — maybe more — attention as Thunderbird. Yes, the app can be worrisome as it goes down form time to time. But I can access email from anywhere, any computer. Better Gmail 2 enhances Gmail’s features by adding “sub-labels” (Gmail doesn’t have folders).

Download Status Bar: Instead of a pop up box, downloads appear in the status bar at the bottom of Firefox out of your way. Right click downloads to open, rename, delete or clear them. What could be easier?

Print/Print Preview: Don’t you hate it when you think you’re printing a short page only to see the first print out is blank and the contents show up a page or two later? Print/Print Preview puts the printer icon in your toolbar and lets you select Print Preview so you can control what you print without overdoing the tree killing.

Read it Later: Another reason I choose Firefox over Google Chrome. Click the checkmark in the URL box to save an article for later. I have yet to let my reading pile up. I tried a bookmarklet app in Google Chrome, but Read it Later works better.

Word Count Plus: As a writer, word count is important data. It can count anything you select.

Xmarks: Sync bookmarks across computers. I use a laptop often so I can work outside of my home office. I don’t have to do a thing to keep both computer’s browsers set up the same way.

What are your favorite apps? Why?

Everyone has their own preference for what apps make a difference in their work. Mine might work for you, or they might not. We all try, download and install many apps and add-ons. Bet  the Pareto Principle applies here: We use 20 percent of the applications we have 80 percent of the time.

Not all of these apps relate to the act of writing, but contribute to my career as a writer.

Browsers: Yes, more than one!

1. Firefox and Firefox add-ons (my favorite)

2. Google Chrome

3. Opera

4. Internet Explorer

Bookkeeping and Invoicing

5. QuickBooks

Writing

6. Microsoft Office

7. Notetab

Communications

8. Gmail

9. Thunderbird and Thunderbird add-ons.

10. Google Talk

Marketing and Connecting

11. Blogs: Wordpress, MovableType and other people’s blogs

12. Twitter and Twitter Search

13. Facebook

14. LinkedIn

15. FriendFeed

16. Tweetchat

17. Tweetdeck

Personal Information Management

18. Palm Desktop

19. CompanionLink

20. Google: Calendar, Contacts and Mobile Sync

Miscellaneous

21. Team apps: SocialCast, Basecamp and GroupSite

22. Filezilla

23. Bit.ly

24. Dropbox

25. Online backup

26. SnagIt

27. Adobe Acrobat

Not software, but must share. Love working with two monitors.

Next entry: The details behind these apps for those who wanna know.

What apps do you depend on for your writing business?

• What Happens to Your HARO Response: “HARO?” you ask. See helpareporter.com. I read every submission I get. I can’t respond to them all, but I do let those quoted know when the article is live.
• ScreenJelly and Jing: Capture up to three (five for Jing) minutes of screen action and share. Both are free apps.
• What Language Is This? 5 Online Tools to Identify Almost Every Unknown Language and 18 Great Sites to Learn a New Language: I recommend LiveMocha. Disclaimer: I helped them with some of their web content.
• Plagiarism Checkers: 5 Free Websites to Catch Copycats: When I received my first editing assignment with a publication, the writer was lousy. In fact, calling him a writer is an insult to writers. And it turned out he plagiarized all of his articles. How was I to know considering the poor quality of his articles? I hope I never run into that again.
• 10 Ways to Jump Start Your Social Media Thinking: Love that Jason suggested imaging audience is blind or deaf. I’ve gotten pitches with links to caption-less videos and audio. Not hard to find out why these don’t work for me.

And for fun because we’re allowed…

• Which Crazy Writer Are You? Me wolf. No, really. Me Tom Wolfe. Ah, the life of a wall flower. You get to hang out with the most interesting people – radio DJs, hot rodders, hippies, Hell’s Angels, Wall Street tycoons, frat boys – and are completely happy putting them into the spotlight. You’re completely happy hanging back with your martini and your little notebook, jotting down all your little observations, in sight but out of mind. [Link: Jane Friedman]
• Cute as Hell Pet Community: cute as heck pets. Here’s my doghter.
• Oddee has lots of fascinatingly odd posts especially misspelled tattoos (what a place to misspell words) and the 15 ugliest products ever, which looks accurate. Odd… lots of chairs made the list.
• 43 Weird Things Said in Job Interviews: Ouch. Wonder if any one of these actually got the job aside from the meth lab one?

My youngest, a kindergartener, had Mud Pie Day today (they do bubbles, throw footballs, play Frisbee, eat pudding, mess with sand and much more.

• 99 Essential Twitter Tools: Yikes! Sounds to me more like 99 ways to get sucked in twitter some more…
• 72 Stunning Business Cards That Will Blow You Away: Consider me blown.
• Alternative to expensive software: Don’t need to spend $$$ in Photoshop or need all of its power features? You can see a list of alternatives and filter them by license such as free, open source and commercial, by platform and by tag.
• 25 logos with hidden message: Cool stuff.

And for fun because we’re allowed…

• Amazing photographs from a high point of view
• You Can’t Please Everyone: One star Amazon reviews of movies, music and literature.
• Cards of Change: What people do to their business cards when they no longer work for the company on the card.
• Award winning stop motion: Do it again: Wow! Talk about patience!

Typed note: This is sad. People said my first speech-to-text software entry was funny and I wasn’t even trying to make jokes Seriously, I agree the software does funny translations of my speech.

First the script, then the translation.

Script
Official test number two. I’ve revised the script from the original. I usually write contractions, but decided not to use them while speaking. So I put them back in.

This post shows you what I said and what the software heard. Instead of striking out the software’s mistakes and put the correct version in brackets, I present you with this script followed by the software’s version. Here we go…

For those of you not familiar with speech to text software, you begin by training the software with your voice. I completed a long training program — broken down into shorter sessions over a two-week period — using a chapter from Dave Barry’s cyberspace book. My deaf accent needs more help than the average user.

A little background: I was born deaf and had 12 years of speech therapy. I took public speaking classes and even taught a few while I was in college.

I’m trying the speech recognition software. I’m hopeful it’ll catch what I say. So far, it’s not perfect. It looks like it needs more training. I’m itching to get back to writing articles.

I haven’t been able to write because of my hand surgery. The doctor says I need to lay off using my hand because of swelling. Plus, a pin had to stay in it for six weeks. The pin comes out of my hand today — it better!

So maybe I won’t need this. I’ve learned that I can’t speak my writing as well as I can type it. Writing by speech feels unnatural to me.

I’m ready to get back into my routine. However, I’ll need to attend physical therapy a few times a week for at least six weeks. I’ll know for sure after my doctor’s appointment. My hand feels stiff and achy, so it’ll be a while before it feels normal again.

I may still have to wear the current splint until I see the physical therapist. At least, typing won’t hurt as much without the pin around to stab the insides of my thumb. Trying to keep my hopes reserved, but I have loads of work to do for my clients.

The software works better when I speak one word at a time — that is, say a word and wait for the software to capture it instead of speaking in slow sentences. That’s what I’m doing in this paragraph. I originally used parenthesis, but it wouldn’t get it right or even brackets.

I wish everyone a happy and healthy 2009.

Translation courtesy Dragon Naturally-Speaking

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So maybe I want needless. I’ve gone that I can’t speak my blighting as well as back and type it. Writing by speech TOs unnatural golf Tilney.
Mulan (“new line” command)

I’m ready to get back into my routine. However, I’ll need to attend physical therapy a few times a week flippy six weeks. I’ll know for sure after my doctor appointment. My hand because Steffes and achy, but it at the end file and put the ocean Lamar again.

And they still have to well koans land until last it that this to a therapist. At least, I can want her as much without a pin around to stab the insides of my thumb. Trying to keep my thoughts Goudreau, but loads of work to do from my clients.

The software looks better when I speak run road at a time — that is, say a road and leaked for the software to capture it instead of speaking in Schroer (Typed note: when I said “sentences” the software thought I said “center this” and formatted as such.).

That’s what I do when and as you not laugh. I originally used to(, but it wouldn’t get it right well even practice (Typed note: oh sure, this time it got the parenthesis after “used to”.).

I wish every one a happy and healthy 2009.

Last links of 2008!

• Running an Effective Code Review: Exhaustive guide to software reviews.
• Ultimate 80s Movie Quote Quiz
• New Sidewalk Art photos: You’ve probably seen these before. New set plus the steps in creating one [Link: ThirdHyphen].
• Listropolis: All your lists are belong to us.
• Factory Balls: Addicting game where you create balls to match the ball on display.
• Snowflakes as you’ve never seen them before
• People who died in 2008
• The End

This post will show you what I said and what this stuff where code [Line spoken should be, "the software heard"]. I strike out the software’s mistakes and picked [put] the correct version in practice [brackets]. Here we go…

For those of you not familiar with beast to pick up where [speech to text software], you begin by planting the stuff where [training the software] with your voice [for]. I completed a puce shim at this Nilan my guess asked them to wood made the top then the average user. [I completed a few sessions of this knowing my deaf accent would need more help than the average user].

Victim … err… product is Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 Preferred. I opted to go with v9 instead of 10 to save cash and not worry about crashing problems it supposedly has.

Needless to say, I’m not to let that [I'm off to a bad start].

I’m trying the speech recognition software. Unhorsed for get a pass when I say [I'm hopeful it'll catch what I say]. Starla far [so far] it’s not perfect. It looks like it needs blood twanging [more training]. IM into this to write auto close [I'm anxious to write articles].

I have not been able to write because to [of] have my hand touchingly [surgery]. I have t will [it typed "two," so I said "backspace backspace" and "o"] may [lay] off use and [using] my hand because of Salonika [swelling].

Let’s go back to planning [training].

(Conducted more training… another attempt…)

Comeau nutcake [communicate]

I talk to my clients regularly and ensure they are happy with my luck [work]. I’ve gone [learned] from mistakes and client platform things [preferences]. I aim for high quality and provide personal sofas [service].

Bill pays not to worry [Build A Lot 3 review (awesome game, by the way)]

Linked [I couldn't wait] to play this game. The previous two games Laden [captivated] me. I could not imagine it could get better. That [but] it did.

We talked a to Gravenhurst and you [Return to Ravenhearst review (another superb game)].

To blame for is it that it’s week he is as gay yeah [Return to Ravenhearst is the best Mystery Case Files game yet]. If you compare at the first list week he file game to the latest [the first game to the latest...]

That’s still the see at clout a.m. it [cursing here. No translation as this is a family friendly blog].

MP3 of the above script (opens in new window so you can follow script). I talked slower than usual for the software’s stake.

This quirky problem has happened often enough that it warrants a post of its own. The problem doesn’t happen on my desktop running Microsoft Windows XP with Office 2003. It occurs only on the laptop running Microsoft Vista with Office 2007.

I can’t tell you if it’s a Vista problem, an Office problem, or both. If your mouse works everywhere except Microsoft Word and possibly other Microsoft products, here’s an easy fix worth saving. After it happened twice, I figured I needed to save the fix information so I don’t chase it down every time.

It just happened again. I can’t use the mouse to highlight anything or move the cursor. Yet, I can still close Word and click menu items. When the problem happens, I closed Word and receive a pop up asking if I want to search for a solution or restart. Neither, but I restart it.

Tim Anderson’s ITWriting has the solution:

1. Close Word and Outlook (ignore the pop up message by clicking X)
2. Start / Run and type regedit
3. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Word\Data
4. Rename this key (I call it “baddata”).
5. Restart Word.

All is right with the Word again. For how long? Who knows.

How many times did you complete a form only to push the “Clear” button instead of “Submit”? What about “OK” vs. “Cancel” on a popup window? (Raises both hands — one for each.)

Why does this happen? Do we expect one button on the left and the other on the right? Are they too close together?

Jakob Nielsen reports that Windows applications put OK first, Cancel second while Apple places OK last. In this case, he advises developers to design OK/Cancel based on the platform they design for. The above screen shot comes from Thunderbird in Windows. The below image comes from Microsoft Word.

For Web forms, I suggest using one button. Of course, circumstances may prevent that. For example, you’re completing an order and you’re on the last page. Ecommerce sites certainly don’t want to give you another button to cancel the order, but users need assurance that they’ve canceled the order by pressing “Cancel Order” rather than just closing the window.

From my experience, I tend to read popup windows and zip through Web-based forms. I always assume software developers don’t create their popup windows the same way. But online forms — that’s another story. Silly, isn’t it? We shouldn’t expect Web designers to create forms the same way either.

Here, Nielsen gives two guidelines that make sense:

• Name a button based on what it does. Instead of “OK,” consider “Yes” when the dialog box asks if you want to do something.
• Highlight the most often used button except in cases where the action is drastic (of course, I can’t think of an example at the moment).

I think one more guideline would help especially where Web-based forms come in:

• Avoid putting the buttons close together: This forces us to pay attention and lowers the incident of “mouse slippage” that causes us to accidentally select the wrong button.

Many of us hit “Enter” when we finish a form or to begin searching (after entering keywords). Take care to prevent the application from executing something big when someone presses “Enter.”

You have to give Microsoft credit for its Windows XP shut down dialog box as shown below. Three options appear (Stand By, Turn Off, Restart) and each in a different color (yellow, red, green respectively) plus a Cancel button in gray and away from the others.

As users, we should look closely these windows and form buttons. In our fast-paced and overloaded world, we forget. Hence, keeping buttons at a reasonable distance from each other can give us the visual cue to look at the buttons.

What works for you? What doesn’t work?

In all these years, I don’t think I’ve ever posted anything about starting a blog. Someone emailed me asking how to get a blog and start blogging. So here you go.

There’s an easy way and there’s a hard way.

The Easy Way

Here you just fill out a form, make a few choices, and you’re in business. This solution uses a developer-hosted solution. That means the company or developer of the blog application hosts the software and blogs. These require no installation and minimal set up (after all, your blog needs a name or something). My first blog took the easy way approach using blogger.com.

Advantages

• Easy.
• Fast.
• Painless.
• No tech knowledge needed.
• Free or cheap.

Disadvantages

• At the mercy of the host’s server, which hosts thousands of other blogs.
• No personal domain name. Sure, you can pick a name. But instead of www.meryl.net, you get meryl.bloggingservice.com.
• Risk business reputation. Businesses without their own domain name communicate they’re cheap and not serious about building the business.

Easy Way Blogs (known as developer-hosted)

• Blogger.com: URL is in the form of yourname.blogspot.com. My first blog used Blogger.com.
• WordPress.com: URL appears as yourname.wordpress.com. This blog runs on WordPress. Offers paid upgrades.
• TypePad: From SixApart, the folks behind MovableType. URL is yourname.typepad.com.
• Other developer-hosted blogs.

The Hard Way

This takes more work and may require hiring a pro to help you through the whole process of…

1. Registering a domain.
2. Creating a design (or creating a template from your site’s design to work with the blogging application). Sure, you could use the free templates for starters, but many spam-like blogs use these templates and they may turn away visitors at first glance. Plus, you lose out on branding opportunities when using a template.
3. Installing the blogging application.
4. Adding plug-ins to make it easier for you to manage.
5. Helping you get started, if needed.

I run this blog on WordPress and Bionic Ear Blog on MovableType.  They both have strengths and weaknesses.

Advantages

• Branding.
• Easy to remember domain name.
• Builds credibility.
• Less blog downtime than a hosted blog solution — depends on your web site’s host.

Disadvantages

• Not free. Factor in the costs of buying a domain name, signing up with a host provider, and creating a design (if you don’t use templates).
• Not easy.
• Not fast UNLESS you already have a domain and a Web site. Then you just need to install the app with your current design.
• More work in maintaining: Software upgrades, plug-in updates, etc.

Hard Way Blog Apps (known as user-hosted)

• Movable Type
• WordPress.org
• Drupal
• Other user-hosted blog software.

Of course, businesses need a valid reasons for starting a blog and determine its purpose before running with it. Is a Blog Right for Your Business? Part I and Part II.