Betty's Tips 2/14

Dear Readers,

I apologize if this column seems a bit rushed. I left my flash drive in my workout clothes and it went through the washer and was a lost cause. Unfortunately I didn’t have my laptop with me and my son had my tablet with him for a school project.

I wasn’t sure if I had saved the most current version in my email so I didn’t want to take the chance that I was using an old version of my current column and resave an old column over a newer version. How did I save the newest version of my work? So you can see why my head is up in the clouds. Which made me think . . .

I have been hearing a lot about this “Cloud” thing all over the traditional internet and I thought now would be a good time to investigate if using this “Cloud” thing would help me get organized. My first choice to help me learn about the “Cloud” was to Google “Cloud.” The first thing that popped up was a Wikipedia article on Cloud computing. I thought I had it made until I saw the banner warning that " Ok, I think I need to narrow my search parameters, let’s see, I hear a computer is useful for accessing the cloud. I think I’m getting closer. Let’s try one more qualifier, I’m a writer or author, so let me try cloud computing for writers. Wow look at all the results, I’m going to sign off for a bit so that I can investigate all of the tools listed and report back to you shortly.

Several months have passed and now I am able to report intelligently on some of the options on the “Cloud” that writers have at their disposal. I discovered tools to help me solve some of the logistical issues that I described above. GoogleDrive is a tool that allows anyone to access their files anywhere, from their desktop, laptop, tablet or smart phone. Furthermore, for those of us who are struggling financially while waiting for our literary works to be discovered, it's free! This means you don’t even have to pay for expensive word processing programs such as Microsoft Word, in addition to the usefulness of backing up my important files to avoid losing everything if my computer crashes.

Self-publishing author and advocate Joel Friedlander tells is about the Cloud, as does CBS News! In addition, Mary Warner tells us about all our options on the internet in her blog "Woo Woo Teacup." We can review and research anything to assist us in making our books as authentic as we possibly can. One good place to look is YouTube. I know, I know, it has a bad rap. But if you need to know how to do anything you can bet there is a video tutorial about nearly any subject matter. They even have one explaining the “Cloud.” It turns out, if we're on Facebook or Picasa or Pinterest, or other social media, we're already using it. Other examples include Dropbox, iCloud, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Amazon, LinkedIn, and Delicious.

But as no less than Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak will tell us, there are also disadvantages to using the Cloud--primary among them are issues of security and ownership of material. However, as long as you take basic precautions you too can surf the net and the Cloud to your heart's content.

See you in the Cloud!

Betty Wryte-Goode

Betty Wryte-Goode is a mother, writer, and wife who lives in the Lehigh Valley. Her passions include writing, reading, shopping, gardening, and exploring the internet. Betty is always looking for writing tips, so if you have any you'd like to share, please send them to her through our Submissions/Contacts page.