Rocket Science

Yes, you read that correctly…it’s possible to enter “alt” text for images in PowerPoint, if you’re using a Windows version. This feature is not supported in the Mac version–which, yes, is just really dumb.

Why would you want to use alt text? For accessibility of course.

Alt Text for PowerPoint 2003 and Prior

Right‐click on an image then choose Format Picture, then select the Web tab. Enter text that describes the purpose and appearance of the image. Click OK.

Alt Text for PowerPoint 2007

Right‐click on an image then choose Size and Position, then select the Alt‐Text tab. Enter text that describes the purpose and appearance of the image. Click OK.

Photo Credit: kvitsh

Free Shampoo

Actually, for most people, this is probably a good idea. Hey, I’ve done it myself. I started accumulating soap, shampoo and the nifty personal hygiene items from the “nice” hotels that I stayed in. I put them in the guest bathroom of my house. But remember, I travel a lot. Pretty soon I was accumulating too many of them and I had to stop. (Here’s an article on CNN about taking hotel amenities.)

You may be wondering, why don’t I use them myself? Well, there’s a reason.

Have I said that I travel a lot? One of the things I’ve decided to do is to take along my own bar soap and shampoo to try and retain some semblance of normalcy when I travel. It’s a small thing, but being able to use the same items helps all those hotel rooms feel a little more like home. And, while I haven’t done it yet, I have thought about taking a pillow case with me too for the same reason.

So for me, “I say no! to free shampoo.”

(And for Tom, yes this is another one of my travel tips.)

This is a followup to my post on Kathy Sierra’s keynote at NMC 2009.

NMC posted the video, I’ve linked to their video and embedded it below.

I’m behind in what I need to write for work, so I’m not going to have time to write up more as promised in my previous teaser post.

I did figure out a way of doing this, I think relatively easily (without building my own web crawl index), but it’ll cost money to do it (probably a lot).

I’ve used OvernightPrints.com for business cards and promotional postcards over the last couple years. Recently, the significantly ratcheted up their email trying to drum up business. Frankly, it comes across as desperate.

Since June 1, I’ve received 10 email messages, that works out to about one message every two days. In May and April I received like 9 email messages or one every 3-4 days. I’m sorry at that level it’s just spam. These are up 30% per month from even January and February. Yes, email is free to send, but you’ve reached the threshold where I think you’re just bugging me.

So, because they send coupons, I’ve just configured my email program to send the messages directly to trash. My email trash automatically deletes itself every 30 days, so I can still go back and find a coupon, but I don’t see them overwhelming my inbox. Their loss.