I don’t use Word to write anymore, I use a website called Google Docs that lets me share my stories with my boss and counterparts so they can edit and see changes as I edit. I also can access the stories from any computer with Internet, so when my computer at work dies (any day now), I won’t lose any material. This doesn’t account for whatever disaster that could erase my stuff from the Internet, but anyway.
When I draft a story, I send the draft to various people for editing and approval. I tend to cut and paste the entire document into the body of the email. It just seems easier to me to read something in the email than to have to click on something else and wait while Microsoft Word opens. Sometimes it’s handy because you can track changes in Word, so I can see what edits have been made, but my email program (Outlook) makes my edits a different color when I reply to an email, so that works too.
I don’t mind when someone else takes the story, puts it in Word and then sends it back to me as an attachment, but I think it’s really weird when they ask me to send it again as a Word document. All I’m doing is cutting the text from the email I just sent and pasting it into Word. Can’t they do that themselves?
Today was a pretty typical Friday at my job. I have not spoken to or Instant Messaged a single coworker today. I just sent an email to my boss and that was the only work-related communication I have had. None of my officemates are in today.
I said “Thank you” to the woman at the dry cleaner next door who accepts UPS packages for us when our office is closed. I answered one phone call (for one of the absent coworkers). I spoke to the drive-thru people, the guy at the post office, and the jerk cashier at Fred Meyer who watched my 55-cent coupon get trapped under the conveyor belt and told me I shouldn’t have left it there. And then, unable to retrieve it, did not give me 55 cents off the Swiffer WetJet refill.
I exchanged emails with the dog trainer. Rob’s coworker emailed me inviting us bowling tonight (We accepted). Rob called. I replied to a comment someone left on my wall on Facebook.
Don’t get me wrong, though. I worked on a design project for the better part of the day. It wasn’t all Facebook and post office.
But that is all the communication/human interaction I have had as of 5 pm Friday. I feel all right about it.
Kari Neumeyer 