More and more editors and proofreaders are realising the huge potential of macros tools – and the macros are free! However, not everyone seems able to benefit from them, so what are the barriers, and are there any solutions?
Confidence barriers
‘It’s too complicated’, ‘I’m not technically minded’, ‘I tried before and simply couldn’t make sense of it.’
Technical barriers
There are computer technicalities to work through, and many people do find that they need support to get things going in the first place.
Conceptual barriers
Unfortunately, to gain the greatest benefit from these tools you will need to learn (some) new ways of working, but that’s true of most new-fangled techno-tools.
Solutions – professional
Ideally, our professional bodies would set up training courses,1 but sadly, while the macros are free, courses aren’t: it takes time and money to develop and set up the courses, and then you have to shell out money to then take the course(s).
Solutions – self-help – and free!
The two most important barriers to overcome are (a) getting started with macros in the first place and then, once you’re up and running, (b) getting started with FRedit – ‘Find and Replace edit’ – the single most powerful macro, and this does involve grasping some new concepts.
In theory both can be achieved by: ‘Just download these free instructions and follow them:’
(a) Getting started with macros – Macros from Square One
(b) Getting started with FRedit – FRedit from Square One
Links to both are here.
But, being realistic, most people could really do with some help. Our view, however, is that your own colleagues could help you get through to the next stage – even if they themselves have only recently broken through.
Jennifer and I feel strongly about the huge potential, so please consider working alongside colleagues to help them move forward into this new area.
Practical suggestion
For either of the ‘Square One’ documents, please feel free to contact Paul and arrange a ‘safety net’ Zoom session. The idea is that you sit down and have a go at the relevant Square One, knowing that when (if) you come unstuck you only have to wait until the Zoom session, and Paul will help you through. (Having arranged a date/time with one person, Paul would then advertise it so that others could join in on the day.)
Better still, arrange a time with a colleague to work through the Square One, again perhaps with Paul’s Zoom as a longstop.
Together we can do this!
Paul Beverley, paul@archivepub.co.uk
Jennifer Yankopolus
30 October 2024
[1] EFA in the States offers Macros from A to Z: six weekly sessions run by the top world macro-trainer, Jennifer Yankopolus. For news of the next course, see Jennifer’s training page: https://macroofthemonth.substack.com/p/training