It’s a beautiful thing. Our relationship took root in high school typing class. The typing lab had just received two or three computers but the teacher didn’t really know how to use them. I did. My mom was working on a computer science degree around this time so I was very familiar with the computer’s features and benefits…namely, the backspace or delete key! Do you know how much better your typing score gets when you can use the backspace key! For those too young to remember the time when IBM referred to a typewriter more than a huge corporation, typing time tests did not allow for corrections; errors in typing lowered your score. On the computer, however, there was no tracking errors, only final output. To me, this golden nugget felt like the key to the Teacher’s Lounge.
As my digital relationship grew and developed, a close relative to the backspace key emerged…the Undo command. No matter how far down that dark digital alley you travel, the Undo command is waiting to bail you out. Yes, there can be limitations in some programs but in most cases, the Undo command will respond to your digital 911 in less time than it takes your heart rate to accelerate.
The key to the Undo command is this: you loose the ability to use it when you close your file. So if you do something that produces scary results, don’t close your file in a panic. Instead, give the Undo command a go at the problem and see if it works.
On the PC, the Undo shortcut is Control+Z, Command+Z on the MAC.
_____________
“Tech Tuesday” is published every Tuesday. To reach Tracy with comments or questions, email her here.
