> So--here's another one. One of our colleagues would like to, via e-mail
> in Netscape, send semi-personalized comments to his students concerning
> their exams. [John, Overall, you did a very good job on your recent
> mid-term. You might want to consider the following comments as you
> prepare for the next test ...]
> < short snip> It is his idea
> to write several comments for each of the parts of each question--one
> comment explaining that the student hit the mark, one suggesting more
> focus, etc. He would then like to be able to quickly plug these into the
> e-mail message to the student. He does not want to use the web as a
> document for these references. We have been talking about some sort of
> macro system where he could strike a few keys and place the selected
> comment into the e-mail.
>
> hummm--any ideas?
>
Here's a hardware solution: I bought a keyboard which has 17 programmable
keys in addition to the normal 101 standard setup. Each of them can be
paired with CONTROL, ALT, or SHIFT, in addition to the straight key. In
effect, that's 68 keys to play with. You can program in long strings of
boilerplate on each of these "extra" keys. You can store whole sets of
redefinitions on hard disk, floppy, or any other storage medium you choose,
and call any one of them up for use with a few keystrokes. (The keyboard
also gives the option of redefining any of the standard keys, too. You can
reconfigure to the Dvorak keyboard setup quickly and easily, for example.
Putting the CAPS LOCK and left CONTROL keys where God intended them to go,
instead of where IBM chose to misplace them, is child's play.) Best of all,
you can reprogram any key you wish on the fly: you hit the PROGRAM MACRO key,
the key you want to change, and whatever it is you want it to produce --
whether it's one letter or several paragraphs. Then you hit PROGRAM MACRO
again to end the redefinition.
As it happens, the word "anthropology", with its awkward o-p-o-l-o sequence,
is a bear to type. I never type it more than once at a sitting -- or
zoological, or any tough combinations. At one time I kept a whole pallette
of stock phrases on that keyboard: judicious recombination and a minimum of
new typing let me make detailed, individualized comments to a whole class.
All I had to do was print out a guide to those special keys.
That's the good news.
The bad news is that these things are no longer made. Keep an eye out for
them at computer shows and flea markets. (I can't tell you the brand name
from here: I'm using an NIU computer in the department office. I'll provide
it at your request when I get to my good, home computer.)
-- mike
salovesh
<salovesh@niu.edu>
anthropology
department PEACE
!!!