Peeking Inside the Techie Folder

by Cathy Miller | May 30, 2012

If you’re a techie by trade or just gifted, I envy you.

For me, techie stuff is like math – I can do it, but I have to work at it. That’s why I always appreciate discovering a good set of instructions.

The best ~

Provide step-by-step instructions
Share screen shots
Keep it simple (my favorite word)

While video works for some techie issues, I prefer the written word.

You can print it
You can use it as your roadmap
You can pull it out any time

Printed copy is not very eco-friendly, but some of us with Boomer brain, read better offline.

The Techie Folder

I had a nasty habit of printing instructions and recycling them.

Yes, the recycling is a good process – the lesser of two evils – but then I’d run into the same problem.

That’s when I started my Techie folder. It’s both paper and stored on my hard drive.

I printed the instructions I use frequently
I have pdf versions on my hard drive
My online backup system keeps them for posterity

Here are a few of my favorites. Be warned – they are very basic for the non-techies or quasi-techies.

You can classify yourself.

WordPress

I don’t remember when I first discovered Martin Malden’s Wealthy Dragon blog, but I find his how-to posts simple to follow.

I use several of his WordPress instructions. It helps that Martin has the same hosting provider I do – Hostgator.

Here are a few examples.

If you are a Thesis user, Martin has several helpful posts on working with that WordPress theme.

Nofollow Tags

I never quite understood the nofollow tags – why you use them and how you create them.

This About.com filled in the blanks nicely – How to Use Nofollow Tags and Why You Need Them.

New to Blogging

If you are a newbie to blogging and want a simple, nuts and bolts guide, Sharon Hurley Hall’s e-book, Getting Started in Blogging is a jewel.

WordPress Blog

I just discovered Make Use Of and plan on exploring more.

Speaking of nuts and bolts, their Set Up Your Blog With WordPress: The Ultimate Guide, has it all.

Share the Simple

These are a few of the instructions in my Techie folder.

None of those listed are affiliates
I simply enjoy their simplicity

What great resources do you have in your Techie folder?

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6 Comments

Sharon Hurley Hall on May 30, 2012 at 12:34 pm

Thanks for sharing these resources, Cathy, and for including my ebook. Anything that makes things simpler is useful. This is one to keep.
Reply
Cathy on May 30, 2012 at 1:17 pm

Thanks, Sharon. Your ebook was one of the 1st (and best) I read for getting started. 🙂
Reply
Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A. on May 30, 2012 at 4:51 pm

Great share for newbies and non-techies….

This reminds me of my first “personal computer” (1981), which arrived with a 1245 page manual. Of course, only I read it from cover to cover 🙂
Reply
Cathy on May 30, 2012 at 4:57 pm

You had me spraying the screen in laughter, Roy. 🙂 I can just see you reading that manual from cover to cover and then adding your 2 cents (worth much more, of course). 😉
Reply
Sharpeshots Photography on June 10, 2012 at 12:55 am

I’m the same as you – I prefer written instructions over video.

I have one piece of software that I’m the owner of, and they provide all of their instructions in video form, and they’re all over the place because the software has been added to and expanded so many times.

So I’ve basically created my own pdf’s for the software that I can refer back to if I haven’t used it for a while – much easier that trying to go back to the videos
Reply
Cathy on June 10, 2012 at 6:59 am

Sounds like if your photography doesn’t work for you, you could fall back on writing software how-tos. 😀

Thanks for stopping by and sharing your view.
Reply