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The Elements of Computing Style

200+ Tips for Busy Knowledge Workers

Diomidis Spinellis

“Nowadays everybody knows how to use a computer. Smart people learn how to use it with style: effectively, efficiently, and, yes, enjoyably. Become one of them.”

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About

About

About the Book

The Elements of Computing Style deals with the effective use of computing technology: a work style that can readily increase your productivity. Bookstore shelves are full of beginners’ guides and software-specific manuals. These, occasionally useful, books won't help you if you're already comfortable with computer technology but use it in a suboptimal way, wasting your valuable time performing repetitive tasks or struggling with easily avoidable problems. Computing style is what distinguishes a computer expert from a user who just gets by. Although following a few tips won't make you a computing guru, you can readily bridge a large part of the productivity gap between you and an expert by following this book’s advice. The 200+ tips included in the book can provide 80% of an expert’s effectiveness.

The text covers all aspects of computing use: computer-related work habits; use of generative AI; web searching and surfing; email handling and etiquette; working with documents, spreadsheets, and presentations; essential advice on typography, data management, security, privacy, and digital preservation; traveling; IT equipment; system administration; ergonomics; entertainment. Most professionals, even seasoned computer users, fail to use computing technology in its full potential. This short book provides specific advice that delivers immediate improvements in effectiveness and job performance.

Through this book's 200+ tips you will learn things like the following.

  • How can I finish a lengthy report on time?
  • Which routine tasks can I outsource to ChatGPT?
  • How can I automate the handling of my email?
  • Why are email's blind carbon copies an invitation to a disaster?
  • Which keyboard shortcuts can I use to speed-up my work?
  • How can I simplify my spreadsheets?
  • What makes an effective presentation?
  • How can I ensure I’ll be able to access my files in twenty years?
  • What should I pack before a trip?

The Elements of Computing Style is also available as a printed book at CreateSpace.

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Author

About the Author

Diomidis Spinellis

Diomidis Spinellis is a Professor in the Department of Management Science and Technology at the Athens University of Economics and Business, Greece and a Professor of Software Analytics in the Department of Software Technology of the Delft University of Technology. In 2013 he worked as a site reliability engineering senior software engineer for Google, while from 2009 to 2011 he instituted and delivered a demanding turnaround process serving as the Secretary General for Information Systems at the Greek Ministry of Finance.He holds an MEng in Software Engineering and a PhD in Computer Science both from Imperial College London.

Spinellis has published two books in Addison-Wesley’s “Effective Programming Series”:  Code Reading: the Open Source Perspective, which received a Software Development Productivity Award in 2004 and has been translated into six other languages, and Code Quality: the Open Source Perspective, which also received a Software Development Productivity Award.  Spinellis has published more than 350 technical papers in journals and refereed conference proceedings, which have received more than 11000 citations.  His article on the Greek wiretapping case made the front page of the IEEE flagship publication Spectrum.  His work has also appeared in other flagship magazines, like the Communications of the ACM and IEEE Computer.  He has also contributed a chapter to the bestselling book Beautiful Code: Leading Programmers Explain How They Think (O’Reilly, 2007). He served for a decade as a member of the IEEE Software editorial board, authoring the regular Tools of the Trade column, and as the magazine's Editor-in-Chief. Spinellis is the author of many open-source software packages, libraries, and tools.  His implementation of the Unix sed stream editor ships with Apple’s macOS and all BSD Unix distributions. He is a senior member of the ACM and the IEEE, and a member of the Usenix association. He has served as an elected member of the IEEE Computer Society Board of Governors. He is a member of the crew listed in the Usenix Association 1993 Lifetime Achievement Award and, embarrassingly, also a four times winner of the International Obfuscated C Code Contest.

Contents

Table of Contents

Preface

1.General

  1. 1.1If it doesn’t work, try it again
  2. 1.2If it doesn’t work, try it in a different way
  3. 1.3Search for the least common term
  4. 1.4ChatGPT, GIYF, RTFM,

2.Work Habits

  1. 2.1Finish one task before proceeding to the next
  2. 2.2Leave work unfinished
  3. 2.3Keep multiple work queues
  4. 2.4Avoid distractions
  5. 2.5Plan, measure, and report your work
  6. 2.6Don’t leave it for the last minute
  7. 2.7Comment your work
  8. 2.8Keep note files with your work
  9. 2.9Version before big changes
  10. 2.10“Save As” before modifying
  11. 2.11Automate
  12. 2.12Spell check
  13. 2.13Correct on paper
  14. 2.14Learn those correction symbols
  15. 2.15Mind map
  16. 2.16Use each program for what it does best

3.Working with AI

  1. 3.1Find answers with AI
  2. 3.2Get guidance from AI
  3. 3.3Research with AI
  4. 3.4Draft texts with AI
  5. 3.5Analyze data with AI
  6. 3.6Brainstorm with AI
  7. 3.7Draft images with AI
  8. 3.8Create videos with AI
  9. 3.9Learn with AI
  10. 3.10Code with AI
  11. 3.11Improve AI responses with prompt engineering
  12. 3.12Improve AI responses with custom instructions
  13. 3.13Get access to a premium AI service
  14. 3.14Beware of AI errors and hallucinations

4.Searching the Web

  1. 4.1Start your search with Wikipedia
  2. 4.2Find it next time
  3. 4.3Use phrase searches
  4. 4.4Search sites through Google
  5. 4.5Search using an image
  6. 4.6Let the web vote
  7. 4.7Ask StackExchange
  8. 4.8Cast wide nets to locate an email address

5.Web Tips and Tricks

  1. 5.1The internet never forgets
  2. 5.2Judge your online sources
  3. 5.3URLs are your friends
  4. 5.4Locate orphan pages through link queries
  5. 5.5Bookmark sparingly
  6. 5.6Make your bookmarks accessible
  7. 5.7Save web links with your other files
  8. 5.8Shorten your links
  9. 5.9Let your group vote

6.Handling Email

  1. 6.1Read email once a day
  2. 6.2Turn-off email alerts
  3. 6.3File incoming email
  4. 6.4File incoming email as you read it
  5. 6.5Don’t file all incoming email
  6. 6.6Don’t file outgoing email
  7. 6.7Create subfolders
  8. 6.8Create shortcut-accessible folders
  9. 6.9File to multiple folders
  10. 6.10Link folders with placeholder messages
  11. 6.11Automate filing
  12. 6.12Don’t read spam
  13. 6.13Don’t fall for hoaxes
  14. 6.14Send reminders to yourself
  15. 6.15Reply to mail you sent
  16. 6.16Read the recipient lists
  17. 6.17Detach attachments
  18. 6.18Don’t email during holidays
  19. 6.19Use multiple mail search strategies

7.Email Smarts and Etiquette

  1. 7.1Use meaningful Subject lines
  2. 7.2Don’t begin a new subject by replying to an old email
  3. 7.3Quote appropriately when replying
  4. 7.4Check your quoted text when adding recipients
  5. 7.5Don’t mix private and public distribution lists
  6. 7.6Don’t Bcc
  7. 7.7Arrange for replies to go where they should
  8. 7.8Don’t put in an email what you don’t want to see in public
  9. 7.9Flames belong to the cooler
  10. 7.10Sandwich critique within praise
  11. 7.11Reread before pressing send
  12. 7.12Write short messages as a Subject line
  13. 7.13Save time with VSRE
  14. 7.14Save effort by replying with delegation
  15. 7.15Send mass email through a Bcc
  16. 7.16Retire people from a discussion with a Bcc
  17. 7.17Use read receipts with care
  18. 7.18Avoid gratuitous attachments
  19. 7.19Share large files using cloud-based services
  20. 7.20Don’t edit documents over email
  21. 7.21Don’t plan meetings over email
  22. 7.22Introduce people
  23. 7.23DON’T YELL

8.Working with Documents

  1. 8.1Bookmark with undo
  2. 8.2Outline
  3. 8.3Beware of the changes you track
  4. 8.4Don’t align with whitespace
  5. 8.5Paragraph breaks aren’t for vertical spacing
  6. 8.6Break pages declaratively
  7. 8.7Employ styles
  8. 8.8Utilize references
  9. 8.9Use the thesaurus
  10. 8.10Automate the table of contents generation
  11. 8.11Automatically convert between upper and lowercase
  12. 8.12Paste as unformatted text
  13. 8.13Search and replace formatting
  14. 8.14Search all word forms
  15. 8.15Search with wildcards
  16. 8.16Search for special elements
  17. 8.17Track changes
  18. 8.18Avoid embedded elements and links
  19. 8.19Useful shortcuts

9.Working with Spreadsheets

  1. 9.1Replace your calculator with the spreadsheet
  2. 9.2Use multiple worksheets
  3. 9.3Structure your spreadsheet for calculations
  4. 9.4Name your data
  5. 9.5Keep an extra row
  6. 9.6Organize your data with Excel’s tables
  7. 9.7Vlookup isn’t rocket science
  8. 9.8Don’t show numbers with meaningless precision
  9. 9.9Apply formatting to whole rows and columns
  10. 9.10Auto-complete your labels
  11. 9.11Average by selecting
  12. 9.12Have others fill-in your spreadsheets

10.Preparing and Delivering Presentations

  1. 10.1Plan two minutes per slide
  2. 10.2Skip slides when in a hurry
  3. 10.3Avoid running text
  4. 10.4Use charts
  5. 10.5Add graphics
  6. 10.6Use full-screen images
  7. 10.7Use appropriate fonts
  8. 10.8Avoid fancy layouts and effects
  9. 10.9Use a master style
  10. 10.10Don’t read your slides
  11. 10.11Use both screens
  12. 10.12No live demos
  13. 10.13Arrange for backup equipment
  14. 10.14Verify your setup
  15. 10.15Setup accessible backups

11.Icing the Cake: Typography

  1. 11.1Use fonts wisely
  2. 11.2Avoid table rules
  3. 11.3Know your symbols
  4. 11.4Prefer charts over tables over text
  5. 11.5Prefer scalable formats
  6. 11.6Avoid underlined text
  7. 11.7Avoid uppercase sequences
  8. 11.8Don’t be too clever
  9. 11.9Use professional-designed styles

12.Data Management

  1. 12.1Use meaningful file and folder names
  2. 12.2Organize your files
  3. 12.3Sort files by date
  4. 12.4Link files with shortcuts

13.Security

  1. 13.1Beware of attachments
  2. 13.2Don’t reply to spam and malware senders
  3. 13.3Cleanup your replies to misclassified spam
  4. 13.4Beware of phishers
  5. 13.5No one will give you millions by email
  6. 13.6Don’t click on all hyperlinks
  7. 13.7Select unguessable passwords
  8. 13.8Don’t reuse passwords
  9. 13.9Apply security fixes

14.Privacy

  1. 14.1Get over it
  2. 14.2Think before you post
  3. 14.3Browse privately
  4. 14.4Encrypt sensitive data
  5. 14.5Use strong encryption
  6. 14.6Beware of cloud services
  7. 14.7Arrange for plausible deniability
  8. 14.8Don’t encrypt more than you need
  9. 14.9Consider your trails
  10. 14.10Don’t throw away your personal data
  11. 14.11Don’t include your full name in your smartphone’s name

15.Digital Preservation

  1. 15.1Backup your data
  2. 15.2Store backups off-site
  3. 15.3Keep multiple backup copies
  4. 15.4Backups are backups
  5. 15.5Online backups are also backups
  6. 15.6Backup your smart devices
  7. 15.7Keep your data together
  8. 15.8Test your backups
  9. 15.9Take care of those pictures
  10. 15.10Choose long-lasting file formats
  11. 15.11Test your data when changing equipment
  12. 15.12Separate personal from work data
  13. 15.13Consider the data of your reports
  14. 15.14Consider the data of your family

16.Business Travel

  1. 16.1Packing list
  2. 16.2Carry a USB stick on you
  3. 16.3Backup before you travel
  4. 16.4Phone through Skype
  5. 16.5Don’t rely on network access
  6. 16.6Arrange for network access before you leave
  7. 16.7Ask your hotel for a power brick

17.Dealing with IT Equipment

  1. 17.1Don’t buy more than you need
  2. 17.2Consider noise, space, and weight
  3. 17.3Make your phone a Wi-Fi hotspot
  4. 17.4First unplug the mains plug
  5. 17.5Don’t leave stuff around your laptop’s keyboard
  6. 17.6Desk phone on your right, coffee on your left
  7. 17.7Sleep, stand by, hibernate
  8. 17.8Don’t rely on obsolete equipment
  9. 17.9Use a second monitor
  10. 17.10Invest in a broadband connection
  11. 17.11Wire your house
  12. 17.12Reduce clutter through hubs
  13. 17.13Consider a printer’s cost per page
  14. 17.14Choose appropriate service and extended warranties
  15. 17.15Remove batteries after swimming

18.System Administration

  1. 18.1Log your changes
  2. 18.2Keep these installation disks
  3. 18.3Upgrade before the EOL
  4. 18.4Save money and hassle with open source software
  5. 18.5Avoid installing and using software that comes bundled with hardware devices

19.Ergonomics

  1. 19.1Beware of laptops
  2. 19.2Build a docking station
  3. 19.3Remove your chair’s handles
  4. 19.4Use keyboard shortcuts
  5. 19.5Create your own keyboard shortcuts
  6. 19.6Keyboard smarts
  7. 19.7Windows shortcuts
  8. 19.8Mac shortcuts
  9. 19.9Tile your windows
  10. 19.10Phone, email, chat
  11. 19.11Use a headset

20.Computers in our Life

  1. 20.1Exercise
  2. 20.2Contribute to online communities
  3. 20.3Avoid addictive endeavors
  4. 20.4Rip your CDs
  5. 20.5Centralize your media content
  6. 20.6Digitize your kids’ art

Epilogue

Acknowledgements

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