Microsoft Minutes

One of the stranger things about this whole system (especially Microsoft's part) is that the User Interface will change to some difficult new arrangement—then change back again. A couple of days ago the Outlook icon wasn't showing up in the Apps "Waffle." Finding it required a second-click search. Then it came back again. Other changes stay put, only to be completely revised with a new arrangement in three weeks or so. I'm not sure why all these changes happen. They rarely reflect any true change in function—just cosmetic. What they do mean, though, is that when you open a page and things do not look as you remembered, do not panic. Just engage your Sherlock Holmes Detective side and go looking for the thing you need. Shameless Plug: LibreOffice is a really good free word processor with a UI that doesn't change. It downloads to your computer and stays put. I've used it for a long time and love it. Here is the download link .

Now we have a new look for BlackBoard. The colors are different, and the left sidebar menu is now on the right, but everything seems to still be there and in the same order. In the instructor's view, the little ⊕ for adding material has moved from the center of that horizontal rule to the left edge (but you probably could have figured that out for yourself). I don't remember the previous version having the down caret ∨ for expanding a menu, but maybe I'm forgetful. Anyhow, it's a convenience. The real message is "just cosmetic changes."

I have just rewritten and posted the latest MS Word instructions. (The previous version lasted three weeks.) The most important changes are in the way you get into the program in the first place and where they have stored the MLA template. Here is the link to the newest MS Word How-To .

Microsoft 365 saves everything online in a place called "Documents" (which is not the same as the Documents file on your own computer). One feature which was added recently is the ability to delete things—previously everything you saved stayed there forever (or at least the filename did, even after you deleted the document). Here's how to get rid of something: From the nine-dot "waffle" in the upper left, choose "OneDrive." (It has a picture of a cloud.) Choose "My Files" in the list on the left. This is not the same as "My Content" on the opening page! You will notice that My Files does support file folders, but the rest of the MS 365 system is unaware of your folders. There is a blank area to the left of the icon for each item on the list. If you hover your cursor in that area, a circle with a checkmark appears. Click that to turn it into a dark blue circle with a white checkmark. When you did that, a new menu app...