e-Tip #72 - December 2007 - Text-Only Version


<> Will Wilcox -- Unglobal versus Timed Auto-Backup

In the very first e-Tip back in June of 2001, Keith described how to use the Timed Auto-Backup option to add an extra layer of protection for jobs that you are editing.  Of course, Eclipse keeps very little in volatile memory.  That’s why it does not ask you to save your work; it’s always saving it for you. Each time you move out of a paragraph, the changes that you have made are automatically stored.

You’ll find “Timed Auto-Backup” as an option in the “Edit” section of User Settings.  By setting that option to something other than zero, you are telling Eclipse to create a SECOND copy of your job at regular intervals.  If you set it to 10, then every ten minutes your text will be stored in both the ECL file and in a BAK file.  

The BAK file is really helpful if you do something like accidentally highlight “the” and global it as a space.  It’s not like you could find every space and replace it with “the,” but you could immediately close your messed-up job and Revert to the BAK file.  You’d lose a few minutes of editing, but it would be worth it.  To revert to the BAK file, you only need to go to the File Manager (Ctrl F), select the file you were editing, and then use the “Revert” button.  Of course, you can’t revert unless a BAK file exists, which is why e-Tip #1 put such stress on Timed Auto-Backup.

“Unglobal” was added in Total Eclipse 4.1, and you can think of it as a more subtle kind of “Revert.”  It does not depend on a BAK file, but you do need to know a few things in order to use it properly.

While you are editing a job, Eclipse keeps track of each of your steno-based globals so that they will be available for unglobaling, until you close the file.  When you close the file, it clears out the list of items that you can unglobal.

Let’s say you highlight the steno for “the” and global it as a space.  You get a long phone call and only then do you realize your mistake.  Maybe it’s too late to Revert to your Timed Auto-Backup file.  Do NOT close the file.  Instead, “Unglobal.”

So where do you find “Unglobal”?  It’s an item in the “Edit” menu column.  Here’s an easy way to remember its speedkey.  Ctrl G is for Global, but Shift Ctrl G is for Unglobal.

When the “Unglobal” dialogue appears, your most recent steno-based global is always at the top of the list. Pick any item on the list and press OK.  

Eclipse will reverse the global for you, and it will also undo any dictionary entry that was created in the process.  It’s powerful and easy to use.  

You can “Unglobal” even if you are not using Timed Auto-Backup, but go ahead and let Eclipse create a BAK file for you every 10 or 15 minutes.  Don’t give up that extra protection.

One last note.  If you want to “Unglobal,” you must NOT close the file that you’ve been editing.  In contrast, when you want to Revert to the BAK file, you must first close the file that you’ve been editing.

As usual, there are Visualizer movies that explain how these features work.  In the Visualizer Topics, Section 5 is devoted to “Mostly Globaling,” and that’s where you’ll find “J - Unglobal.”  Section 9 is devoted to File Management, and that’s where you’ll find “R - BAK Files (Timed Auto-Backup.)”


<> Keith Vincent -- Traveler's Alert:  Protect Yourself!

Going to Madrid?  Watch out for pickpockets, especially in the subway system.  When I was preparing for a recent trip to Spain, I often saw that warning.  Indeed, I was careful, especially after my traveling companion had his pocket picked within an hour of our arrival in the country.  That should have been our bad luck for the trip; but then one week later my notebook computer was stolen while we were going from the train station to the airport to leave the country.  

Now, I’m a guy that tends to see the glass half full rather than half empty. So three thoughts came to mind:  First, at least this didn’t happen at the end of a week of arbitration, when I would have lost several days of sound files and jobs that had not been completely transcribed.  Having to retranslate and re-edit jobs, THAT would have been a devastating blow.  Second, I liked my old computer, but I wasn’t going to mind shopping for a new one.  Third, I now had a good topic for this month’s e-Tip:  “Protect Yourself.”

Here are some ideas for how to protect yourself, whether you’re traveling overseas or across the country or just across town.  

1.  If you’ve set up your computer for realtime transcription, then be sure to back up a few files BEFORE you turn off your computer at the end of the job.  You can use a USB flash drive or memory stick or SD card as your backup device, and it won’t take very long at all.  Back up your main dictionary and any job dictionaries that were used in translating your steno into text.  Also back up the files that contain the steno, text, and audio for the job(s) you’ve just taken.  It would also be a good idea to back up your user settings file.  For Eclipse users, these types of files would have the extensions DIX, NOT, ECL, WAV, and INI.

2.  Once you’ve backed up these important files, you can turn off your computer.  You could store the backup device in your steno case.  If your computer case is lost or stolen, you won’t have lost your backup.  Thus, do NOT store the USB flash drive or memory stick or SD card in the same case as your computer.    

3.  These two simple bits of advice are sufficient if you’re just traveling across town.  However, for longer trips, give yourself extra protection.  In addition to backing up to a USB flash drive, memory stick, or SD card, use an online storage service.  I’ve been using MyDocsOnline for several years now, but it’s certainly not the only option.  In e-Tip #71, Wil Wilcox mentioned that Norton 360’s backup features includes the option of automatically backing up to an online service.  Of course, online storage means you need access to the Internet, but high-speed service is easily available in today’s hotels and is often free.  If you’ve used online storage to back up your important files, then even if your computer were stolen and even if the airline lost your steno case, you’d still be able to finish transcribing and then have a well-deserved meltdown.

Did I mention insurance?  Let’s not forget that.  Homeowners insurance may cover a lost computer, but NCRA offers excellent coverage for your professional equipment.  It’s worth asking how it works, what are the deductibles and, if necessary, will it also cover the cost of replacing your lost or stolen software.  
 
Computers don’t offer alarms that scream, “Step away from the laptop.” If only I had known about LoJack for Laptops.  3 Years for just $99.  www.lojackforlaptops.com