Two technology questions: a facebook chatting invisibility Q and a Word formatting Q

[Pergamum]

Hello;

Two questions:


FIRST: I need to stay un-distracted. Most times I just don't have time to chat on facebook and especially now I need to limit my time there.

How can I become invisible so that people don't try to chat me up while I am on facebook. If I am trying to write something, that little popping noise breaks my concentration.



SECOND: I am writing an article and the formatting requirements are for Microsoft Word. I am using Open Office however. My formatting does not seem to be matching up. I either need Word or I need some sort of comparative table of how to format OPen Office the same as Word. Any suggestions? Can I download Word through the internet without paying an arm and a leg?

 

[Scottish Lass]

FB: Open the chat list at the bottom. Click "Options," then click "Go offline". It will make you appear to be offline to others.
ODF: How are you saving the work? Are you starting with a Word doc that you're modifying or are you starting from scratch? I can't duplicate your problem on my end. What version of Word are you trying to match?

 

[Pergamum]

I started the document in Word, and am now using Open Office to revise it. The formatting involves page numbers, margins and spacing that I cannot seem to replicate in Open Office. I usually use Word 97.

 

[Edward]

What sort of formatting problem are you having? Some of the fonts are not going to precisely match up (but I have seen the same problem with Word docs going back and forth between different machines.) Other than that, I've not had any formatting problems going between the two word processors.

edit - I see that you've answered the question that I had. Let me work on it. I think I have both on this machine.

 

[CovenantalBaptist]

If you're still registered in a seminary taking courses, I'm not sure if this applies to you but it's the cheapest way to get MS Office ($80): Microsoft Office Professional Academic 2010

 

[Scottish Lass]

When you save it, does it ask if you want to keep the format in ODF? If so, choose no. I go back and forth between the two with my students who mostly have newer versions (and I have 97-2003). I only have problems with the Excel version if I tell it to save it in the default/Open Office format rather than Word.

 

[Edward]

I have Word 2000, not 97 on this computer. But the only difference that I saw when I opened the document in Word was that the Word default top margin is larger. That can be adjusted either at the OO end or the MS end to get a match. Other than that, I can't seem to replicate the problem going either direction. The page numbering seemed to display the same in both the header and the footer. You might check, as Anna suggested, that you are saving in Word 97 and not the default OO format.