How To Use Every Computer Program Ever Made

That headline really sounds like quite a boast, but it’s quite true. You can learn how to use any computer software by understanding how they work. All computer programs, no matter what they propose to do, work by using the same patterned sequence. Simple as 1, 2, 3.

1. You select What you want to work on. WHAT

2. You choose the Action that you want the software to take. ACTION

3. You tell the software Where to put the result. WHERE

Just in case that 1,2,3 didn’t ring true for you, here is the list again using different words.

1. What. the Data. the Object. i.e. File…. Word. Paragraph. Picture.

2. Verb. the Process. the Operation…. “File, Save..” “Copy/Paste” “Cut” “Make Bold” “Make Italics”

3. Destination. OK, there aren’t very good words for where. This step is slightly confusing because sometimes the where is oblivion (when you delete). And sometimes the answer is “right here”, meaning the thing you selected in the first place.

EXAMPLES:

Print a file. The file is selected when you are viewing it. You add the verb “File, Print”. You pick which printer.

Click on a web link. You are selecting the document at that location and viewing it on your screen.

Bold Text. You select the part of the text that you want bold and then find the verb bold (usually Edit, Format, Font, Bold).

Feel free to add some examples!

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