qondio.com/dnnr

Low Ratings on Articles

By Rosemary Bell

I've written a couple of short articles recently with computer tips and they have both received low ratings which I don't understand. Yes, the pieces are short but they both offer quick information that is helpful.

Now maybe these articles were screened by readers who are quite computer savvy, already know these tips and don't find the article useful. It's not about what you find useful, it's whether this short piece of information is helpful to someone reading it who is not as computer savvy as you.

These aren't tips that I just pull out of a hat, these are tips that I use every day whether typing documents or browsing the Internet.

I have been working with computers for over 30 years and have had to train plenty of staff during that time and they were always amazed at how I knew these little tricks. I need to mention here that this was in the 80's when there weren't a lot of personal computers around and before Windows 95 and all the others.

Does anyone remember and know MS-DOS and then Windows 3.0 and 3.1?

When you're working and extremely busy, every keystroke counts when entering data and when you have a daily deadline to meet, you don't go home until you've met it.

I have helped a lot of novice computer users over the years and when I show them tips like this they are so thankful. The other people showing them how to use the computer kept telling them to use the mouse, meanwhile their hands are sitting on the keyboard typing away. Most of their work is typing documents so having to go to the mouse all the time to do a file save instead of hitting CTRL S just doesn't make sense. Yes I know most Word programs autosave, but not if you're using NotePad or WordPad and some other text programs. Remember the blackout of 2003 on the eastern seaboard?

On many sites there is no need to click the submit button with the mouse, just hitting enter on your keyboard works. Ok, sometimes this doesn't work and you do have to click, or here is another tip - hit the tab button and this usually lands on the submit button and then hit enter.

Yes I know that I could put all of these neat little shortcuts and tips into a longer article but by doing it this way, the novice, and sometimes occasional, computer users get one or two tips to try out and see how they work for them.

They will remember them better if they get to use them for a few days, instead of being inundated with a huge long list. If they wanted that, they could visit Microsoft or some other huge site, get frustrated and won't learn a thing. Believe me, I know about novice and occasional computer users.

I wish that the readers who gave it such a low rating would have given me some feedback.

So I am asking for it now, I would just like to know what is wrong with the articles.

Please comment on the following two articles.

Easy Way to Reading Articles Online
Article Reading Tip

p.s. I don't hold grudges :)

PLEASE VISIT THE CONTRIBUTOR'S WEBSITE

Things in life I find annoying
My little place to blow off some steam
whatsbuggingmetoday.wordpress.com

I appreciate your keyboad tips, Rosemary and I hope that you will continue to share your knowledge.
Being a senior, it takes time to digest all of this knowledge, and your short lessons fit fine.
I'll be looking for your future intels.
Thanks for the history on windows.
Best to you.
Frederick

Thanks Frederick, I'm glad somebody is and you've let me know this before. I'm not a senior yet but I've been around for a while.

I sometimes wonder what people would do if one day their mouse died. They would probably say they can't use their computer and run out and buy another one. Too bad they don't know the keyboard shortcuts to research them on the Internet.

Keep those tips coming I could never figure something like ether one of those tip out on my own. My son does all those fast things on the computer but he never passes it on to anyone. I have been using the enlarging tip ever sense and love it because I don't have to use my glasses anymore. And by the way I rated you high.

Thanks Rocky, I'm glad it's helped you. I guess you've helped me with the rating, that article is now at 3 1/2 stars - up from 2 1/2. Thanks

I see this one has been low balled as well. I cannot for the life of me understand how people are rating intels. It is a sorry state of affairs. I know mine are being low balled by all the SEO sharketers because I am giving actual advice not just marketing speak. yet I still feel that it is a waste of time especially when there is so little conversation.

Time to add value or maybe I should move on to a place where comment is forthcoming.

My feelings exactly. I know my writing is not the best and sometimes ramble with disjointed thoughts but I feel that I am writing intel pieces that provide interesting and useful information.

Isn't that what Qondio (and the original Qassia) is supposed to be about?

I didn't remember the name, so I looked it up at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DR-DOS

Realized that's probably what I worked with since my first computers both at home and at the office in the 80's were PC clones.

p.s. This article is now 3 1/2. My thanks to the members who are now reading it.

MS Dos and DRDos were competitors in the eighties. IBM chose MS and the rest is history.

Digital Research DOS or DRDOS was actually more powerful but was installed on very few PC's. I had it installed on one PC that we used for testing.

MS-DOS is what I remember. My IT guy taught me how to use the computer and one time I picked up an old manual on MS-DOS and realized that I already knew a lot of it.

Started adding MS-DOS to my list of qualifications.

I haven't taken a computer course in my life, but I'm known to family and friends as somewhat of an expert - but I'm far from it - even though I do know a lot about them. I like reading and learning. Keep those videos away from me!

Rosemary, just keep those tips coming. I am an IT professional since the MS-DOS days too. All may seem obvious, but there will be some things that I can pick up. I am sure of that. So, just continue writing. Have followed you, so will be reading your tips soon. Cheers

Thanks Joey. Looks like there's quite a few of us who have memories of MS-DOS. You'll have to let me know if you actually pick up something from one of my tips.

Ah Dos... looks dreamily into the distance... my first computer was a Commodore 64, that's 64K kiddies, and that's all the memory it had. No hard disc, just a tape drive, and Basic. Writing bat files was a joy since it was so simple but did amazing things; the power!
Keep up with the short tips, we can all learn something new, but rarely if it's wrapped in lengthy articles, bite sized is best!

Peter,

Wise, witty, imaginative - thanks for the nice comment.

My first computer with a hard drive was 20 MB.

I will try and keep them bite sized.
Rosemary

The copyright for this content entitled "Low Ratings on Articles" has been specified by the contributor as:

This content may not be copied, distributed or adapted by anyone under any circumstances.