IntroductionWelcome to Buzzword, the first real word processor for the web. Buzzword makes it easy for you to create a document from any computer on the Web, share it with colleagues, and review and revise it as a team. Buzzword works on any PC or Macintosh that is connected to the Internet and running Adobe's Flash Player. Buzzword runs from Virtual Ubiquity's secure servers, and your documents are stored there, so they are ... well, ubiquitous: always available on the Web. And always securely private, except from the people you invite to share them. You'll soon find that Buzzword offers a distinct alternative to traditional word processors. For one thing, you do not have to install the product. For another, you'll be able to use Buzzword on any computer that is connected to the Internet and have your word processor and your files at your fingertips. A third difference is that you'll find it easy and convenient to share documents with friends and colleagues without having to use email attachments. Because we store your documents on our secure servers, all you need to do is invite someone to share your document and you'll both have access. Buzzword runs on any computer with Flash Player 9 that is running IE 6 or 7, Safari 2, Safari 3 (Macintosh only), or Firefox. This means that you can use Macintosh or Windows computers interchangeably. For example, you could start an essay at home on your iBook, go to the school library and work on it using a Windows machine, and then share it with a friend who uses either platform. You'll have the same file and the same product regardless of the platform you choose. Note on Buzzword Preview DocumentationThis Help is a preliminary form of our documentation. It will be refined and enhanced periodically to accommodate feedback from users, as well as to reflect new Buzzword capabilities. We welcome any feedback from you at feedback@buzzword.com. MenusBuzzword MenuThe Buzzword menu contains the following commands:
About BuzzwordThe About Buzzword dialog box lists credits for the team that created the product. It also includes a version number and copyright notices for the spelling technology used in Buzzword. Settings & PreferencesThe Settings & Preferences dialog box allows you to manage account settings and set preferences. You can change the way your name appears, your email address, or your password. You can add an image to accompany your name on the Collaboration bar at the bottom of the screen and in the heading of lists by author. You can also choose which unit of measurement to use and whether to have misspelled words flagged as you type.
Privacy PolicyThis option takes you to the Privacy Policy on the Buzzword Web site, which describes how information that is collected about you is used and safeguarded. Terms of ServiceThis option takes you to the Terms of Service on the Buzzword Web site, which outline the conditions for using Buzzword, such as age requirement and legal responsibilities. Sign OutThe Sign Out menu option signs you out of Buzzword, and returns you to the Sign In screen. Document MenuWhen you have a document open, the Document menu contains the following commands:
When you view a listing of your documents in the Document Organizer, other commands are available. NewYou can start a new document while you are still working on an open document. Click New and another window or tab opens, with a blank document. Open...You can open a document while you are still editing another document. Open... displays the Document Organizer in a new window or a new tab, where you can select another document, have both documents open at the same time, and move between them. CloseWhen you are finished working on a document, click Close to go to the Document Organizer.
SaveYou can use the Save command to explicitly save your document on the Buzzword server. Buzzword automatically saves changes to an active document at intervals based on time and level of activity, but the Save command allows you to save your document without waiting.
Save As...The Save As command creates a new instance of the current document with a new name; it also lets you export documents to Microsoft Word (.doc), Microsoft Word 2003 XML (.xml), Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx), Rich Text Format (.rtf), HTML zipped into a compressed file (.zip), or plain text (.txt) files. To save a Buzzword document with a new name:
Notes:
To export a Buzzword document: Note: Your browser may allow you to specify a particular location for saving all downloads or it may always open a dialog box that asks you whether to open the document or save it. It may also specify an application for opening the document.
Note: The file will have the same name as in Buzzword, except that spaces will be replaced with underscores. For example, “Notes for Thesis” would be saved as “Notes_for_Thesis.” Fonts that Buzzword uses are mapped as follows:
Note: In the Preview release, exported images that float with center or right alignment and an offset do not retain the offset in the resulting document, so if you have used these layout options, the exported document's layout may be different from the layout in Buzzword. Share...The Share dialog box lets you share a document by sending an email invitation. For people who already have Buzzword accounts, you can just assign the new collaborator a role: Co-Author, Reviewer, or Reader For more details about sharing, see Sharing Documents. Page Setup...The Page Setup dialog box allows you to specify margins and paper size. The units of measurement (inches, centimeters, or points) are set in Settings & Preferences, on the Buzzword menu. Page Setup also allows you to specify a different header and/or footer on the first page of the document. Page Setup values are set only for the document you are working on. There is currently no way to save different default settings that you can apply to all your documents. Print...The Print command sends your document to the printer exactly as it's laid out on the screen, except for comments, which appear at the end of the printed document, beginning on a new page. After choosing Document Print, you see a print dialog box that lets you specify paper size and orientation; select which pages to print; and turn printing comments on or off. Once you click OK, you see your usual operating system print dialog box where you can select the destination printer. When the document prints, any comments appear at the end of the document, following the endnotes, if any. Comments are listed in the same order as they appear in the document itself, numbered to match the boxed reference numbers that appear in the right margin of the printed document, next to the text to which the comment applies. Identifying information — commenter's name, date and time of comment — follows each comment. Note: For Macintosh users, when you print in Buzzword, an additional dialog box appears, as shown below. Edit MenuThe Edit menu contains familiar commands, including the following:
UndoYou can reverse any editing action by selecting the Undo command from the Edit menu. Buzzword keeps track of the last 100 changes you’ve made to the document, so you can invoke the Undo command as many times as you need to return to just about any point in your editing session. You can invoke the Undo command from the Edit menu, or by pressing Ctrl-Z
( RedoIf you have used Undo, but change your mind and want to reverse the Undo action, select the Redo command from the Edit menu. Redo works exactly the same as Undo except that it goes forward through your edits instead of backward. You can invoke the Redo command from the Edit menu, or by pressing Ctrl-Y
( Cut / Copy / PasteThe Cut, Copy, and Paste commands function as with any word processor. Inside Buzzword they work with all text, tables, or images, or all three in one selection. However, when you paste something that you have copied from outside Buzzword, although you can copy and paste text or tables from any document, you can copy and paste images only from Web sites. You cannot copy images from desktop applications, such as Microsoft Word or PDF files, and paste them into Buzzword documents. Also, always check for copyright restrictions when you copy from Web sites. Note: Depending on the security settings at the Web site, you may be prevented from copying an image. You can invoke these commands from the Edit menu, or you can use the following keyboard shortcuts:
When you copy an image from a Web site, highlight the image to select it, then use the keyboard command to copy it. Then use the keyboard command to paste the image into the Buzzword document. Note: When you copy and paste images using Edit commands, you can copy many images at a time and paste them all into the document. Buzzword gives you a progress report on how many images have been pasted. If Buzzword cannot paste all the images, Buzzword indicates how many images have successfully pasted. If you cancel a paste operation partway through it, or the connection is dropped, Buzzword only counts the images pasted before the cancellation, and indicates how many in that sequence were not pasted for some other reason. DeleteDelete removes the current selection, which can include text, images, tables, or all three kinds of entries. Find & ReplaceTo use the Find & Replace commands, open the Find toolbar by selecting
Find from the Edit menu or by using the shortcut Ctrl-F ( The Find command searches the document body, including any endnotes, but does not search comments, headers, or footers. You cannot use Find to look for special characters such as:
Other Find SettingsYou can refine your search by clicking the menu button
For example, if you want to search for every instance of “cat” regardless of whether it is capitalized or not, leave Match Case unchecked. If you only want to find “Cat” but not “cat” specify “Cat” in the Find box and check Match Case. Whole word only is useful if you want to find all occurrences of “cat” but do not want to find “cat” in “caterpillar.” Find searches from where you start to the end or to the beginning of the document, depending on whether you click Next or Previous. When there are no more occurrences to be found in that direction, a message appears under the Find box: “Buzzword has reached the end of the document.” or “Buzzword has reached the beginning of the document.” To continue the search at this point, click Next or Previous again. Buzzword continues the search from the beginning (or end) of the document. If there is no exact match to your search criteria, a similar message appears below the Find box: “Buzzword has reached the end of the document.” The Replace box replaces the found words with the word specified in the Replace box. You can replace words one at a time, or use Replace All to do it all at once. When you use the Replace All option, a message tells you how many replacements occurred. Check SpellingNote: Check Spelling is available only to authors and co-authors of a document. As you type, Buzzword checks your spelling. Words that are not recognized
are marked with a dotted red underline. ![]() If you notice a flagged word as you go through the document, you can
move your mouse over the word and click on the red underline to display
a list of choices.
If none of these options is appropriate, you can correct the actual text yourself. All instances of the spelling you have just selected will be accepted throughout the document. If you specify that your original spelling is correct, the word is also added to your custom word list and accepted in every document you create from then on. If you specify that the word is acceptable only in this document, the underline will be removed and the word will be accepted only in that document. In both cases, in this document the spelling will be accepted as correct no matter who opens it, you or a co-author. When you correct a flagged word after you have clicked on it, the word will be highlighted when you finish; however, if you select Check Spelling from the Edit menu, you automatically move to the next flagged word. (If you want to stop checking spelling before the entire document is reviewed, just click anywhere in the document.) When you first open a shared document, there may be a brief delay in removing the underline from words that have been accepted. When another user has control of the document (each collaborator has control of the document when actually editing it), newly accepted words cannot be checked. Spell checking ignores the following kinds of words:
Spell checking checks the following kinds of capitalization:
Spell checking does not check headers, footers, or comments. Note: In the Preview release, spell checking uses only the rules of U.S. English. In upcoming releases, this feature will be expanded to include other languages. Select AllTo select the entire document, use Select All from the Edit menu, or
Ctrl-A ( Insert MenuInsert TableTo insert a table into a document, select Table from the Insert menu. (You can also use the toolbar.) Buzzword inserts a table with two rows and two columns. For more information on creating tables, go to Table Toolbar. Insert Image...To insert an image into a document, select the Insert Image command. (You can also use the toolbar.) For more information on working with images, go to Image Toolbar. Insert EndnoteYou can annotate your text with references, such as attributions, citations, and detailed discussions not suitable for inclusion in the text itself. Because these supplementary notes appear at the end of the document, Buzzword refers to them as “endnotes”; you may be more accustomed to seeing them as footnotes at the bottom of a page. To insert an endnote, place your cursor at the point in the document where you want the reference to the endnote to appear; that is, at the end of the passage further identified in the endnote. Choose the Insert Endnote command. (If you select text and insert an endnote, the selected text will be replaced. It will not be underlined, as it is when you add a comment about selected text.) A bracketed number, the reference mark, appears in your text and at the end of the document; your document immediately scrolls to this point, where you enter the text for the note. The endnotes themselves appear beginning on the last page of the text of the document. If you would like them to appear starting on a new page, insert a page break at the end of your document. As you continue to create endnotes, reference numbers are automatically numbered according to the order in which they appear in the document. This means that you can enter an endnote at the beginning of the document and all the reference numbers and corresponding numbers in the endnotes that follow are automatically incremented by one. Similarly, when you delete an endnote, all the endnotes that follow it are renumbered. Note: Do not delete the reference number in the text; this will delete the entire endnote. You can copy an endnote by copying the reference mark and inserting it at the relevant points in the text. The reference numbers will update automatically, and a new endnote will appear in the appropriate place in the list of endnotes at the end of the document. If there are differences among the endnotes, such as references to specific page numbers in the work you are citing, you can edit each endnote. You can navigate from the text to the endnote that annotates it and from the endnote to the text. As you move your mouse over a reference mark, the mark is highlighted. Click on the reference mark to go to the linked endnote or text. If you are navigating from an endnote to its linked text, the cursor will appear right before the reference mark in the text. Insert CommentTo insert a comment about the currently selected document text, choose
the Insert Comment command. You can also insert a comment by clicking
in the new comment bubble Insert Link...You can enrich your Buzzword documents by creating a variety of links: links to other Web sites, mail-to links to email addresses, links to FTP sites. Note: You can also create useful connections between Buzzword documents by inserting a link from one — or more — documents in another. You can email a link to a Buzzword document, or send it in an instant message, or post it in a blog or on your own Web site. You must share any document you link to with your readers. When the reader clicks the link to a Buzzword document, he or she is asked to sign in before opening the document. See Sharing Documents for details. To create a link in a Buzzword document, follow these simple steps:
The link will now appear in your document, and clicking on it will open the page or document you linked to. To edit a link, move your mouse cursor over it. A tooltip will appear telling you how to edit the link text or the URL. Insert Header/Insert Footer...Use Insert Header and Insert Footer to create and specify headers and footers. When you select Insert Header or Insert Footer, the Insert Header or Insert Footer dialog box opens. Use the options to specify the header or footer information. Alternatively, you can double-click on the top margin of the page to open the header dialog box, or on the bottom margin to open the footer dialog. If no header or footer exists, the appropriate dialog box opens. If a header or footer already exists, you can edit the header or footer directly. Headers and footers automatically set a left-aligned region, a center tab stop, and a right tab stop so that text appears at the margins and centered on the page. If you change the page dimensions, you may need to adjust these tab settings. When you first open the header dialog box, a header is supplied; similarly, the footer dialog box already contains a default footer. Both use fields that are available from the Insert menu. The Insert Header dialog box automatically supplies the page number as the center segment; Insert Footer supplies Date Last Saved in the center. For information about the fields that are available for headers and footers, see Insert Field. Note: If you create a header or footer and then delete all the text, Buzzword retains an empty header or footer. To add text to an empty header or footer, just click in the area and type. Any change you make to a header or footer is reflected in the header or footer for all pages in the document. The only exception is that the first page header or footer can be different from the ones on the following pages. To make a first page header or footer unique, click the check box next to “Insert a different header (footer) on the first page of the document” in the Header/Footer dialog box. Text in a header or footer can be formatted, just like any other text in the document. Insert Page BreakTo insert a page break, choose the Insert Page Break command. This command forces a page break and places the next character at the beginning of the next page. Ctrl-Enter is the shortcut. Insert Line BreakTo move text at the cursor, or insertion point, down one line while keeping it part of the current paragraph, choose the Insert Line Break command. This command forces a line break and places the character following the line break at the beginning of the next line. Shift-Enter is the shortcut. Insert Special Characters...Characters that are not on most keyboards are available through this command, such as:
When you select Special Characters... from the Insert menu, the Special Characters dialog box appears: ![]() At the top of the box is a drop-down menu of fonts, showing the font that you are using. You can change to a different font if the special character you want is not in your current font, or if you want the character to appear in a different font. On the next line is a row of boxes, each representing a different category of special character:
To insert a special character:
Notice that you can move the Special Characters dialog box wherever you want, so that you can see the result of your insertion. You can leave the Special Characters dialog open during your entire editing session; this is convenient when you are using special characters throughout a document. Insert FieldFields are a way to insert “computed” text into a document. A field automatically updates its value without you having to change it explicitly. For the Preview release, Buzzword includes the following fields:
Page Number and Number of Pages fields can only be inserted in headers and footers — the others can be placed anywhere in your document. Note: You can combine two fields in a header or footer. For example, you can combine text and fields to produce a footer that reads “Page 7 of 9.” To do this, you insert Page Number, then click in the header or footer where you have inserted it, type the word “of,” then select Number of Pages from the Insert Field dialog box. ToolbarsAt the top of the Buzzword screen, below the top level menu, is a panel that contains several toolbars. These stacked panels slide horizontally, revealing a series of commands that are grouped by functional area:
Note: Moving the mouse over any icon causes the icon to slide horizontally, revealing its label. Clicking on the label opens that panel completely. A small drop-down tab provides further information on a particular icon or menu choice. It automatically appears as you move your mouse over the toolbar area. Font ToolbarThe Font toolbar lets you change the font and its characteristics: size, styles such as bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, and color. You can also highlight text. To make any change to the text, highlight the text you want to change or position the cursor where you want the change to appear, then click the appropriate icon. If a drop-down menu appears, click your choice. To toggle bold, italic or underline you can also use the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl-B, Ctrl-I or Ctrl-U. For the Preview release, Buzzword provides seven fonts: Adobe Garamond Pro, Courier Std, Cronos Pro, Minion Pro (the default font), Myriad Pro, News Gothic Std, and Tekton Pro. When you click drop-down list next to the Font icon, a sample of each font appears. Note: Because Buzzword is a web-based
application, it includes its own fonts. When you share a document with
someone, you can be sure that they see exactly the same document on their
screen as you see on yours. Sizes run from 8 points to 72, with the default set at 12 points. You can format text as bold, italic, underline, or strikethrough — or any combination of the four. To specify a color for the text, click the Text Color icon to display the palette. To specify a color for highlighting, click the Background Color icon.
The Background Color palette has an additional choice: “none,” which makes it easy to get rid of highlighting on selected text. Paragraph ToolbarThe Paragraph toolbar lets you change paragraph alignment, line spacing, spacing above and below the paragraph, and indents. Place your cursor anywhere in the paragraph, then click the appropriate icon. This will change the alignment, line spacing, and indents. However, to select a different amount of space above or below a paragraph, you must enter the number, then press the Enter key. List ToolbarClicking the List icon reveals icons for creating bulleted, numbered, or check box paragraphs. Once you create a list, further icons appear: for setting bullet or number style; specifying outline level; “un-listing” or skipping one or more items inside a list; joining two lists; or splitting a list into two lists. Creating and Ending a ListClick the Bulleted, Numbered, or Check icon to begin a bulleted, numbered, or check list. To apply numbering, bullets, or check boxes to existing paragraphs, highlight the text, then click the Numbered, Bulleted, or Check icon. Note: You don't have to print a Buzzword document to check off an item in a list: anyone who can edit the document can click in a check box to update, for example, a shared list of tasks. To end a list and return to unlabeled text with no additional indent, create a blank line, then click the appropriate List type icon, which is highlighted and acts as a toggle. To undo an entire list, select the entire list and click the List type icon. To turn the first or last item in the list into a paragraph that is part of the text, either put the cursor anywhere in the item and click the appropriate List type icon, or move the cursor to the beginning of the item and press Backspace (Windows) or Delete (Macintosh). You can convert a range of list paragraphs to normal paragraphs if the range includes the first or last paragraph in the list. Simply select that range and click the highlighted List type icon. Formatting a ListThe Level arrows promote or demote a paragraph within a list. Buzzword follows the normal outlining conventions. As you promote or demote an item, it takes on the appropriate numbering and indent settings. When you work with bulleted lists, the Style icon provides a drop-down list of bullet styles. When you work with numbers, the Style icon provides a drop-down list of number styles. If the number styles don’t provide the style you need, you can customize the numbering by selecting Custom... the last choice on the drop-down list. Using this command, you can specify text to place before and after the number. You can also specify the starting value for the list. A preview pane shows you the result. Changing a Numbered, Bulleted, or Check Item to an Unlabeled ParagraphYou can create a list that includes items that are not numbered, bulleted, or preceded by a check box, but that have the same indent as the list items. With your cursor in the item that you want to change, click the Skip icon. To restore a bullet, number or check box to an unlabeled paragraph in a bulleted, numbered, or check list, place the cursor in that paragraph and click the Skip icon again. Each click of the Skip icon toggles between skipped and restored labeling. The Skip icon indicates whether the current item in the list is included in the sequence:
Merging or Dividing ListsThe Continue List and New List icons allow you to join two lists into a single list, or to break a single list into two separate lists.
Note: The Continue List and New List icons effectively cancel each other. When you click the New List icon within a numbered or bulleted list, Buzzword treats the current paragraph as the first entry in a new list. From this position, clicking the Continue List icon joins the current list to the previous list. Mixing Numbers, Bullets, and Checks in a ListBuzzword provides flexibility in building lists with both numbers and bullets. Every entry at the same level of a list must share the same bullet, number, or check style, but in a list with more than one level you can use bullets at one level, numbers at another, and checks at a third. Image ToolbarWhen you first insert an image or select one, clicking the Image icon opens the Image formatting options. Use the Image icons to define the placement of the graphic image. Inserting an Image
Image TypesBuzzword imports GIF, PNG, and JPEG images. AnchorsAn anchor ties an image to its place in the text. In the image below, the image's anchor appears just to the right of the image, in front of the first word in the text, “While.” The anchor is normally invisible. It only appears when you have an image selected. Use the anchor to mark the position of your image within the text. Once an image is anchored to the text, Buzzword determines its placement as specified in Modifying Image Placement below. Resizing an ImageTo change the size of an image, first select the image by clicking on it. A small handle appears at each corner of the image. Click and hold the handle, and then drag the corner. When the image is the size you want, release the mouse button. Note: Resizing an image may affect its position on the page. For the most predictable results, we recommend using the handle on the lower right corner of the image for resizing. Modifying Image PlacementYou can modify the placement of an image on the page by simply clicking on the image, then dragging and dropping it to a new location. Note that the position of the anchor determines the placement of the image. Controls on the Image toolbar help you determine how the image is positioned within a paragraph. To modify the placement of an image inside a paragraph, click on the image to select it. In the Image toolbar, choose one of the five options.
Offsetting an Image from the Margin
If you specify an offset that is too large for the available space, Buzzword pushes the image as far as possible but does not push it off the page. For example, if the page has 6” available, but you specify 10”, Buzzword sets the image at 6” but remembers the 10” setting so that if you change paper size to 14”, the offset uses the entire 10” space. Hint: Aligning ImagesTo align a number of images it may sometimes be easier to place them inside a table. Table Toolbar
Moving Within a TableYou can move within a table with your mouse and cursor or tab keys. Tab moves forward one cell at a time. Shift-Tab moves backward one cell at a time. Modifying a TableTo select an entire table, click on its upper left corner. When you select one or more cells in Buzzword, a context menu button
appears
Adding Columns or RowsThere are several ways to add columns or rows to the table. When the
table is active, there are 4 plus sign buttons on it To add more than one column or row at a time, select where you want
to insert the new columns or rows, click the context menu button Modifying a Column or RowClicking on the context menu button Similar choices appear when a row is highlighted and you select this menu. To resize a column, locate the cursor on a column edge, then press and hold down the left mouse button. A resizer indicates the width of the column. As you drag the column edge, the resizer shows the changing column width. Sizing rows works in the same way. Note: When resizing rows, you are specifying a minimum row height. The height will grow to accommodate the contents of the cells. If you select more than one column or row, and then resize, all the columns or rows in the selection take on the new size. Applying Color to a TableYou can apply background color to one cell, a range of cells or to an entire table. First select the cells, then on the Table toolbar, click the Cell color icon to reveal the color palette, then select a color from the palette. Notice the number that appears in the left column when you hover over a particular color. If you will want to match this color, make a note of the name of the row and the number of the color. To remove color, select the cells, click the Cell color icon, and select “none” from the palette. Table Gridlines and ColorsIn addition to changing the color of the cells, the Table toolbar has a control for changing the color of the gridlines. If you do not want gridlines to appear, choose “none” from the palette. Indenting a TableTo change the indent of a table (i.e., move it horizontally), simply click and hold on the leftmost edge of the table and drag it to the position you want. Using a Table to Add Captions to ImagesBuzzword does not yet have a feature for adding captions to images, but you can use a table to get the same effect. Create a two-row table for your image or images and captions. Insert your images into the cell(s) in the upper row, and use the table cell below each picture for the caption. You may want to turn off the display of table gridlines for this procedure. Comment ToolbarThe Comment toolbar provides controls for displaying and adding comments. Click Show Comments to turn comment display on or off for screen display or printing. When Show Comments is on, all comments appear and the comment bubble floats in the right margin in line with the cursor. Clicking on the comment bubble inserts a comment. When Show Comments is off, comments are not visible and the new comment bubble does not appear in the right margin. To insert a comment in this situation, use the Add Comment control on the toolbar. After you insert a comment, Show Comments is set to on. Docs ToolbarClicking the Docs icon takes you to the Document Organizer. When you do this, your current document is automatically saved and closed. If you accidentally click the Docs icon, don't worry; your changes have been saved, and you can return to the document simply by opening it again. Additional ToolsThese additional tools in the document window help you to work with your documents.
RulerYou can use the ruler to set tab stops and modify the indentation of a paragraph. When the ruler is visible, it extends from the left margin to the right margin of the document. You can change the units of measurement from inches to centimeters or points by selecting Settings & Preferences from the Buzzword menu. Showing and Hiding the Ruler
Note: You can re-hide the ruler by clicking on the “x” at either end of it. Setting Tab StopsUse the ruler to set and modify tab stops. By default, tab stops are set to every half-inch. Tab stop settings apply to paragraphs, so if you are setting or modifying tab stops in an existing document, the tab stops only apply to those paragraphs you have selected. Tab stop settings are applied to the new paragraph that is created when you press Enter. This means that when you set tab stops in a new document, they apply to all successive paragraphs unless you change them. To set a tab stop, select the paragraph or paragraphs to which the tabs apply. Click on the ruler at the point you want a tab. This inserts a new tab stop and deletes any default tab stops to the left. To move the tab stop, drag it to the new location on the ruler. The moved tab stop applies to all selected paragraphs. To change a tab stop to a different type — for example, changing a left tab stop to a center tab stop — click on the tab stop to select it, then click again to display a drop-down list for selecting Left, Center, or Right tab. To remove a tab stop, click on the tab stop to select it, then click again to display a drop-down list, which includes the Remove command. Another way to remove a tab stop is to drag it off the ruler. Note that removing a tab stop may restore some default tab stops. Indenting ParagraphsIndent controls affect the current paragraph or the paragraphs you have selected. The ruler lets you set the following kinds of indents:
When the first line indent and the paragraph indent controls are at the same spot, they dock together and you can move them as a unit. Indents in TablesThe ruler indent controls work in table cells the same way they work in paragraphs. Collaboration BarThe Collaboration bar, in the lower left area of the window, lets you share your document with other Buzzword users and gives you information about your collaborators. If you are the author (or co-author) of a document, clicking the Share button lets you specify both the people with whom you want to share your document and how much control each person has. See Sharing Documents for details. Note: You can invite someone who does not have a Buzzword account. To the right of the Share button is a gallery of everyone who is sharing the document, with each person's icon, name, role and and a status icon indicating their activity with the document.
The status icon tells you if the person is currently viewing or editing the document or what version of the document, if any, have they opened. By moving the mouse over any person in the gallery, you can get more details regarding their activity. ![]() For users you are sharing with for the first time and who haven't yet opened the document, an additional line appears, letting you send a reminder. ![]() Click “Invite again”; a link to the document is put on your Clipboard so that you can paste it into the body of an email message or IM. As an author or co-author, in addition to adding a collaborator, you
can change the role of any other collaborator, or end someone's access
to the document. Move the mouse over a collaborator and click the context
menu button Choose the role for that person or choose Remove if you no longer want to share the document with them. You can also remove a document from your list if you are no longer interested in it. If someone has shared a document with you, but you no longer want to see it, click the context menu button next to your own name and choose Remove. Note: The Collaboration bar is also available in the Document Organizer — just click the icon next to a document's name, and the Collaboration bar will show who is sharing it. Zoom Control
Hint: To easily reset the zoom level to 100%, double-click on the current Zoom value. Scroll Bar
History BarUnlike most word processors, Buzzword not only saves the document as you work, it also retains almost all your recent versions, and many older ones. You can access previous versions by clicking the History icon in the lower right corner of the screen. A time line of the versions appears, with the current version selected at the far left. As you move your mouse over each version in the time line, you'll see who created it and when. Click on a dot to view a particular version of the document. Note: Adding a comment to a document does not generate a new version. Versions only reflect changes to the text of the document itself. Even though many people may have added comments, there may be only one version of a document. Roles determine what changes a participant can make to previous versions.
Note: A version does not last forever. As you create more and more versions of a document, Buzzword automatically prunes previous versions using a formula that takes into account a number of factors, including the age of the version, the amount of time that elapsed between two versions, and the versions’ authors. Spell Check CounterA running count of misspelled words (or words that Buzzword has not yet learned) appears in the lower right corner as you type. At the same time, misspelled words are flagged with a red underline. ![]() Note: When you first open Buzzword, a question mark (?) may appear instead of a number. This means that Buzzword is loading the dictionary and has not yet spell checked your document. You can correct the spelling of an entire document by clicking on the counter, which will take you to each flagged word in turn. When you click the Spell Check Counter, Buzzword checks from your cursor's position; if you have selected text, it begins the check after the selection. Spell Check goes to the end of the document, then back to the beginning. (If you want to stop checking spelling, just click anywhere in the document.) At each flagged word, a list of choices appears.
If none of these options is appropriate, you can correct the actual text yourself. You will have to click the Spell Check Counter again to resume checking. All instances of the spelling you have just selected will be accepted throughout the document. If you specify that your original spelling is correct, the word is also added to your custom word list and accepted in every document you create from then on. If you select "word is OK in this document," the underline will be removed and the word will be accepted only in that document. In both cases, in this document the spelling will be accepted no matter who opens it, you or a co-author. Spelling-checking does not cover headers, footers, or comments. Notes: When you first open a shared document, there may be a brief delay in removing the underline from words that have been accepted. When another user has control of the document (each collaborator has control of the document when actually editing it), newly accepted words cannot be checked. In the Preview release, spell checking works only with documents in English. This feature will be expanded to include other languages in upcoming releases. Word CounterAs you create a document, Buzzword keeps track of the number of words. The word counter appears in the lower right corner of the working area. This count is always up-to-date, increasing and decreasing as you add and delete text. When you move your mouse pointer over the number, the word “words” appears to make it clear what the number refers to. ![]() Note: Only the body of the document and the endnotes are included in the word count; comments, headers, and footers are not. SynchronatorThe Synchronator, located in the lower right corner of the window, indicates whether changes to your document have been saved to the server.
You can save your changes by clicking the Synchronator, or you can let the autosave feature do it for you. The Synchronator also lets you know whether or not you are currently connected to the Buzzword server. Please see Monitoring Connection to the Network for more details. Note: The Synchronator is also available in the Document Organizer. Working with CommentsYou can make comments on your own document, or on documents that others share with you. This section describes how to add, edit, print, and manage comments in a document. Adding a CommentTo add a comment, highlight the text you want to comment, then click on the bubble in the right margin. As you move your mouse over the icon, it expands and displays “Click to add a new comment here.” Clicking in the new comment area opens a Comment box. Note that when your cursor is in a Comment box, the main document dims and a highlight appears on the text to which the comment applies. Notice also that your comments are in a particular color. Each commenter is assigned a unique color. The color appears not only in the Comment box, but also as an underline indicating the text in the document to which the comment refers. In addition, each comment displays its author and the date and time it was created. Note: You can also add a comment via the Insert Menu, or via the Add Comment icon on the Comment Toolbar. Editing and Deleting CommentsThe document's author and co-author can change or delete any comment in a document. Reviewers can edit or delete only their own comments. Readers can view but not add or edit comments. For more on collaboration, see Sharing Documents. To edit a comment, click on the comment you want to change. To edit, type in the Comment box. Comments are like documents: you can insert graphics or tables in comments just as you insert them in the body of the document. To delete a comment, click the trash can icon in its lower right corner. If the trash can icon is not visible, you do not have author or co-author privileges for that comment. Comments appear and print in the order in which they appear in the document, not in the chronological order in which they were entered. Showing and Hiding CommentsBy default, comments are visible in a document when you open it. You can hide them (and later show them) by going to the Comment Toolbar, and toggling the Show Comment icon. Printing CommentsTo print comments, choose Print from the Document menu. Be sure to check "Print comments" in the Print dialog box. The format of printed comments is different from their format on the screen. Instead of each comment appearing on the same line as the text to which it applies, a boxed reference number appears in the right margin at the line where the comment was entered. All the comments appear at the end of the document, each beginning with the boxed reference number that identifies the text to which it applies and complete with graphics, tables, author's name, date, and time the comment was created. Note: You can print only the comments by specifying a range of pages that begins on the page after the last page of the document. For example, if you want to print only the comments for a 30-page document, specify from 31 to 99. You can check the number of pages by looking at the bottom number on the page scroll bar on the right. The Document OrganizerThe Document Organizer is a view of all the documents to which you have access, regardless of your role for these documents. Documents that other authors share with you automatically appear in your Organizer. When Buzzword opens, the Document Organizer appears unless you launch Buzzword from an emailed invitation, which takes you directly to the document.
The Document Organizer has its own Document menu, with commands for working on a document as a whole. The commands on this Document menu are:
Use New to create a new document and Open File... to import a Microsoft Word, Microsoft Word 2003 XML, Microsoft Word 2007, RTF or plain text document. All the other commands are available from a context menu that appears when you select a document. For information on these commands, see Document Context Menu. Notice that there is also a New Document icon in the toolbar area. Selecting and Opening DocumentsTo select a document, single-click the document icon to the left of the document name, or move the cursor to the item, then right, until the down arrow appears. Click in the area between the name and the down arrow. To open a document, single-click on the name or double-click the icon. In the image above, the document named “Buzz's Notes on Beta” is selected. Importing DocumentsYou can import any Microsoft Word (.doc), Microsoft Word 2003 XML, Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx), Rich Text Format (.rtf) or plain text (.txt) document into Buzzword. To import:
Notes on how documents are converted. There are a number of limitations on any conversion from one document format to another. This list covers some of the most significant limitations in the Preview release.
Document Context MenuClick the menu button
Displaying Info about a Document
Listing DocumentsThere are several ways to list your documents in the Document Organizer.
Document Organizer remembers the order you selected. Sharing DocumentsIf you are the author or co-author of a document, you can share it with others for feedback. To initiate sharing from the Document Organizer, select the document, then click the Share button on the left side of the Collaboration bar at the bottom of the screen. Your own name, role, and image (if you have selected one) already appear. Alternatively, you can choose Share from the document title's context menu or from the Document menu at the top of the window. If you have the document open, all you need to do is click the Share button or choose Share... from the Document menu. Note: You must invite a person to share a specific document; you cannot set up a list of collaborators independently of sending them an invitation to share a document. A dialog box appears where you specify information about the person with whom you are sharing the document:
Once you share a document — whether by sharing your document with someone or accepting an invitation to share someone else's — you can see at a glance when a document has been edited or commented on. A red ribbon and seal appear across the middle of the document's icon in your Document Organizer listing. For example, in the illustration in the Document Organizer section, the document "Buzzword Preview Primer" has been changed since the last time Tad Staley, whose Document Organizer this is, looked at it. Documents that other authors share with you appear automatically in your Document Organizer. Because sending an email is optional, a document may appear in your Organizer without advance notice. All new documents are marked with a red ribbon and seal, just like changed documents. For more details on the information that appears about each collaborator on the Collaboration bar and the actions you can take, such as changing the role you have assigned to a collaborator, see Collaboration Bar. You can also remove documents that you are no longer interested in by moving the mouse over your own image on the Collaboration bar and clicking Remove. Monitoring Connection to the NetworkBuzzword stores your documents on a server and relies on your being connected to the Internet. It has facilities for protecting your work in the event that you lose your network connection. A small icon in the lower right corner, called the Synchronator, shows you the current status of your connection. If you position your mouse over the Synchronator, a small flag indicates whether you’re connected.
Note: The Synchronator also spins when Buzzword is communicating with the server. How Do IFontsChange FontClick the Font icon, select font. Change Text ColorClick the Font icon, click the Text Color icon, choose color from the palette. Make a note of the row and number so that you can match this color. Highlight TextClick the Font icon, click the Background Color icon, choose color from the palette. Make a note of the row and number so that you can match this color. To remove highlighting, choose “none” from the palette. Use Special CharactersFrom the Insert menu, choose Special Characters..., click the category of special character, click the character. ParagraphsDisplay the RulerClick the small tab that appears at the top left of the document. The ruler slides right when you move your mouse over it, then slides all the way across the top of the document when you click on it. Change Line SpacingClick the Paragraph icon, click the Single, One and a Half, or Double Spacing icon. Change Spacing Before or After a ParagraphClick the Paragraph icon, enter a number in the Spacing Above or Spacing Below box, click the Up or Down arrow. Indent a ParagraphClick the Paragraph icon, click the Increase/Decrease Indent icon or use the ruler. Drag the left margin indicators so that they dock together, then move them as a single indicator. Create a Hanging Indent, or Indent the First Line of a ParagraphUsing the ruler, drag the upper half of the margin indicator left or right to the location you want. Set Tab StopsClick on the ruler, then click on the appropriate tab stop or stops. ListsCreate a ListClick the List icon, click the Bullet, Number, or Check icon. To change existing text into a list, highlight the text, click the List icon, click the appropriate List type icon. End a ListTo end a list, create a blank line, then click the appropriate List type icon (Bulleted, Numbered, or Check), which is highlighted and acts as a toggle. Undo a ListTo change a list back to a series of paragraphs, select the entire list, then click the appropriate List type icon (Bulleted, Numbered, or Check), which is highlighted and acts as a toggle. Change a List Item to a Paragraph Within the ListMove to the item that you want to format as a paragraph without a bullet, number, or check box, click the Skip icon. To label a paragraph in a list with a bullet, number, or check box, move to the paragraph, click the Skip icon. Indent a List Within a ListMove to the place where you want to begin a sub-list, click the List icon, click the right Level arrow. To reformat an item as part of the higher-level list, click the right arrow. Change Bullet or Number StyleClick the List icon, click the Style icon, select a bullet or numbering style from the drop-down list. Join Two ListsMove to the second list, click the List icon, click the Continue List icon. Divide a ListMove to the item you want to begin the new list, click the List icon, click the New List icon. ImagesInsert an ImageClick the Image icon, click the Insert Image icon, select a file; or
copy an image from a Web site using the keyboard command (Ctrl-C for Windows,
Resize an ImageClick on the image, click on and drag any corner. Position an ImageClick on and drag the image. TablesCreate a TableClick the Table icon, click the Insert Table icon. Add a Column or RowSelect a column or row, click on the “+” sign. To add more than one column or row, click on the table, click the context menu button at the top to insert columns or at the side to insert rows, then specify a number and position. Apply Background Color to a TableSelect the cells, click the Cell color icon, choose a color. Change Color or Hide GridlinesSelect the cells, click the Gridlines color icon, choose a color. To hide gridlines, choose “none.” Resize a Column or RowClick on and drag a column or row border. To resize several columns or rows, highlight them and drag a border. Select an Entire TableClick on the square at the top left corner of the table. Indent a TableClick on and drag the leftmost border of the table. Insert a Table Inside a TableClick in a table cell, click the Table icon, click the Insert Table icon. DocumentsCreate a DocumentClick the Docs icon, click the New Document icon; from inside another document, click the Document menu, click New. Open a DocumentIn the Document Organizer, click on the title of the document; in an open document, click the Document menu, click Open. Save a DocumentClick the Synchronator, or click the Document menu, click Save. Close a DocumentClick the Document menu and click Close, or click the Docs icon to return to the Document Organizer. Your document is saved automatically. Import a DocumentIn the Document Organizer, choose Document, Open File... and navigate to the document you want. Export a Document or Copy a Document to Your DesktopChoose Document, Save As..., select the type of document, name it, click OK, click Save, select the location. Share or Send a DocumentSelect or open a document, click the Share button in the lower left corner of the screen, fill in the fields in the Share Document box. The people you specify will receive email invitations. People who do not have Buzzword accounts already will automatically be asked to sign up. Remind Someone to Open a Shared DocumentOn the Collaboration bar, move your mouse over the collaborator's icon until the “Invite again” line appears, click it, then compose an email and paste the link into it. See Whether Someone is Editing a Shared DocumentLook in the Collaboration bar to see whether the grid next to anyone's name is red. See Who Has Read a Shared Document and WhenLook in the Collaboration bar to see what kind of grid appears next to each name: solid white outline indicates that the person has read the current document; dotted white outline indicates having read an older version; an envelope indicates that an invitation has been sent but that your new collaborator has not yet opened the document. Moving your mouse over the person's icon shows the date and time. A green or red box indicates that a person has the document open or is editing it. See Whether Someone Is Sharing a Document with YouIn the Document Organizer, new or changed documents appear with a red ribbon and seal across the middle of the document icon. Check Whether a Document Has Been UpdatedIn the Document Organizer, a document that has been commented on or changed appears with a red ribbon across it. Change Access to a Shared DocumentClick the person's icon on the Collaboration bar, click the context menu button, select a role, or select Remove. Remove a Document That Someone Has SharedClick on the context menu button next to your name on the Collaboration bar, choose Remove from the drop-down menu. You can remove yourself from any document, even if you are not an author or co-author. Create a Link to a Buzzword DocumentOpen a document, copy the URL in the address box. You can then paste the URL into another Buzzword document, an email message, instant message, or to a blog or Web site. Note that only people that you have explicitly shared the document with will be able to access the document. Insert a Link into a DocumentFrom the Web site, copy the URL using Ctrl-C (Windows) or Edit or Remove a LinkHold the Ctrl key (Windows) or Annotate a DocumentPlace your cursor where you want the reference number to go, click the Insert menu, select Endnote, enter the text of the endnote. Go Directly to an EndnoteClick the reference mark in the text. To go from an endnote back to the text, click the reference mark next to the endnote. Check SpellingClick the Spell Check Counter in the lower right corner, click each flagged word, click the down arrow at the end of the red underscore, choose the correct spelling. Check Word CountLook at the Word Counter in the lower right corner; when you move your mouse over it, the number will be followed by “words,” so that you can be sure what the number refers to. ![]() Add Page NumbersIf there is no header or footer, just double-click on the top or bottom margin, select Page Number from the header or footer dialog. If there is a header or footer, click the Insert menu, move to the Field option, select Page Number. Rename a DocumentSelect a document, click the context menu button Delete a DocumentSelect a document, click the context menu button CommentsInsert a CommentClick on the bubble in the right margin and enter your comment. Find the Text a Comment Refers toClick the comment; the document is dimmed except for the relevant text, which is underlined in a color that matches the border of the comment. Keyboard CommandsThere is a table for each operating system: Windows
Macintosh
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