OVER 2 YOU, 046 (06/09/01)

JUST A MINUTE

I am the General Secretary of a fairly large sporting organisation. One aspect of my job is the taking of minutes at our quarterly Regional Meetings. If I take an active part in the discussions I find that I sometimes miss making notes of important points of view and of decisions taken. If, on the other hand, I concentrate on taking notes I am unable to take any constructive part in the proceedings.

Does any one know of any software, which will enable me to learn either shorthand or some form of speedwriting? I have tried to get a volunteer (who knows shorthand) to act as "minute secretary" but cannot persuade anybody to do so.
Brian H Purnell, via email

I had the same problem with taking minutes of a meeting while taking part. My solution was to purchase a small dictating machine. Mine is a Sony, bought from Dixons, and has 3 modes, for small meetings, larger ones and lectures. The only downside is that you get all of the asides and jokes and it takes longer to type out, and if you cannot recognise the voices easily, you need a good memory! I write a few notes as a back-up, mainly names of Proposers, etc.
Yvonne Silver,

Do not even think of learning shorthand or speedwriting with or without computer assistance! You will find you have recorded far too much detail and spend ages distilling minutes to manageable length. If you’re an executive officer needing to participate in the debates you shouldn’t have to keep minutes: demand a minute secretary. Failing that further tips: general rule is record decisions, not debates (magic phrase: “After much discussion …”) Recording “important” points of view (to whom? Do they really need recording if the debate produced a decision?) practice summarising by “key-wording” (e.g.: “Fred: too expensive; “Ken: ladies anti”) and DO THE MINUTES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER THE MEETING. The key words will refresh your memory. Finally on recording decisions, which are often meandered towards rather than incisively stated, don’t be afraid to ask the Chairman: “What decision should I record?” If he’s any good he will say what he wants recorded!

Then give the Chairman draft minutes and let him worry about whether Fred Bloggs should have his two-half-penny-worth recorded for posterity and your word processor will cope with any changes he makes!

Tim Godfrey,

I have done a lot of minute taking & also frequently been the take-ee. The solution is to recognise that minute taking is a specialised job requiring 100 per cent concentration as, I am sure, is being a General Secretary. Get someone from your organisation (NOT a secretary or typist - speed isn't what counts) who doesn't usually attend meetings but who has a good all-round knowledge of what's happening in the organisation (they need to UNDERSTAND the discussion to produce good minutes)
Alternative - rig up a tape recorder & microphones to record the proceedings and produce minutes at your leisure. Alternative - the old Civil Service trick - write the minutes BEFORE the meeting then steer the meeting to reach the desired conclusions.
John Dean, Headington, Oxford

FLOWER FINDER

Does anyone know of a website or CD-ROM, where I can search for plants and flowers using certain key words, such as shade, wet, flowering, perennial. Preferably I'd like to get a list returned of plants that fit my search criteria along with a photo and short description.

Paul Wright, via email

I use the Geoff Hamilton's CD-ROM, it's excellent, you can plan your garden, see what it looks like certain parts of the day and there is a database with all plants & photos. This CD is available from PC World or any good garden centre. I have seen it at Willington garden centre at Willington near Bedford.
Robert Knights

The BBC has a very good search facility called Plant Finder that allows you to search for soil types and exposure. You will find it at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/
Charlotte O'Kane,

I can recommend 'Garden Encyclopaedia' by FastTrak software publishing. It has all the requirements that he might require for plant and flower selection, backed up with detail and pictures of the appropriate plant. He might also try the web site of The Royal Horticultural Society. www.rhs.org.uk This I think will be of use as well.

Simon Welburn,

I think my (British!) software will do what you want it to. If you need more info, just email, but the web site should answer all you questions:

www.plantsforwindows.web.com

Chris Rundle,

MEDICAL INNOVATION

I have recently spent many months designing a medical product, which I now am in a position to turn into a computerised system. I wonder whether there are sites that explain how to gain copyright, and where one can meet a business partner/expert with sufficient expertise to take this project on.
David Hall, via email

Working in product innovation I know of a website that has the necessary information to protect and exploit the value of the new idea, which David Hall has been working on. Sphere of Innovation work in product innovation and on their website there's advice on dealing with new ideas (www.sphereofinnovation.com/idea.htm).

I also strongly advise that Mr Hall contact a specialist at the company (dave@sphereofinnovation.com) who will be able to offer full support and coaching in this field, from protecting the idea through to dealing with businesses and people who may take on the idea. In a dog-eat-dog business world it's important that Mr Hall seeks up-to-the-minute advice and not sell-out too cheaply. Advice from this company has already helped me in my efforts!

Wil Corker,

From my experience there are four main concerns:

1. Protection of the idea; I highly recommend you seek legal advice from a Patents Attorney. Discuss and gain information on copyright and/or intellectual property protection.  Also for more Copyright details on write to the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers, Stationers Hall, Ave Maria Lane, London, EC4M 7DD they maintain a register of all registered copyright material.

2. Gaining Funding and developing the idea into something which is of commercial benefit: Discuss the principle of the idea with a Business Enterprise Centre or University Technology centre to determine product development and funding.

3. The writing of software: this may need specialist skills. Be sure you are, at all times, the owner of the software. Once again, take legal advice.You have invested a considerable amount of time and effort to get where you are.

4. Most of all don't get carried away with the idea that money will soon flow into your hands, it is unlikely - however good the product. It could take several years. Keep a very tight rein on your costs.

Peter Wilford,
 

David Hall needs to exercise some caution - the world is full of crooks and that's just the lawyers! The first thing to do is to mail to himself proof of his invention by registered mail. This is good proof of ownership. Secondly, he should not pay any monies 'up-front' to anyone offering any form of assistance. Thirdly, if he cares to e-mail me I can head him in the right direction with regard to sourcing a partner - free of charge!

Alan Ford,

FUN RUN

I organise our annual village fun run which now attracts over 500 runners. I record the runner's number and details on an Excel spreadsheet. Does anybody know of a way of capturing the time each runner takes by entering the runner's number as they cross the finish line and then producing a results table for
different ages/genders?
Steve Spillane, via email

I took part in a village run in Belgium last year and all competitors were issued with a numbered toggle which had to be laced (at the base!) into a running shoe, this tripped a sensor at both the start and finish of the course. I'm not sure how much the kit is or if it could be hired but the results were posted fairly promptly, I can pass on the organisers name if Mr Spillane would get in touch.

James Bate,

My limited experience is much like Ralph Tingle's (Over 2 You 23rd August): that computers are a "no-no" in real time. If three or four entrants cross the line more or less simultaneously it is physically impossible to enter numbers and click times fast enough. A wrong key pressed in the heat of the moment can ruin the whole record. Then, in sunshine it is impossible to read the screen, and in the rain inkjet printers smudge. Better by far is a competent assistant backed by a tape recorder, with the hard arithmetic done in the cool.
Ian C Macpherson,

MAC WAR GAMES

Does anyone know of any decent World War 2 Games for use with my iMac computer with OS 8.5.1? All of the ones I have seen are all for the PC.

Garrick Bowyer, via email

There are over 15,000 native Mac programs, with typically over 150 new or updated programs released each week. There are more games available for the Mac than for all the dedicated gaming consoles put together. Most of the following games can be purchased online and several can be downloaded directly:

Combat Mission - Beyond Overlord:
http://www.battlefront.com/products/worldwar/cm/index.html
The "ultimate" 3D simulation of squad level WWII combat.

Close Combat - A Bridge Too Far:
http://www.microsoft.com/games/closecombat/cc2/default.htm
Real-time, "historically accurate" strategy game puts you in command of either the Allied or Axis forces during the epic Operation Market Garden
battle in German controlled Holland.

Bomber III:
http://www.deadlygames.com/html/bomber.html
"Authentic" simulation of allied bombing raids over Europe.

Drumbeat :
http://www.deadlygames.com/html/drumbeat.html
"Authentic" real time simulation of U-Boat off the US coast.

M4:
http://www.deadlygames.com/html/m4.html
30 days in the fields fighting your way across five countries.

Battle of Britain:
http://www.deadlygames.com/html/bob.html
"Historically accurate" recreation of the great air battle.

War Birds III (online; requires 85MB download):
http://www.iencentral.com/warbirds/
WarBirds is an award-winning, megaplayer simulation of World War II
aerial combat.

'Total War!':
http://www.ssgus.com/totalwar.html
A collection of 11 best selling Mac war games, including Carriers of War
I & II, Panzer Battles and Rommel in North Africa.

TacOps 3.0 (not specifically WW II):
http://www.battlefront.com/products/modern/tacops/
Full featured wargame also used by the US Marine Corps, New Zealand Army
and Canadian Army for tactical training.

The recently released World War II Online requires a G4 Mac.
http://www.wwiionline.com/

There are also WW II maps and plugins for Myth II. These are best found by doing a search at:
http://www.macgamefiles.com
also see the Mac Game Database:
http://www.gamedb.com
and MacGamer:
http://www.macgamer.com/
Jeff Ross, Stockport

CAN YOU HELP?

I love "spoofs" and want to produce Newspaper Items that I can Email to my pals.  The finished result needs to look as if part of a page has been scanned from a National, and this will contain the "spoof" item looking for all the world as if it has actually appeared in print. How can I do this? 

Geoff Thomas, via email

I have scoured the web without success for a source of historical weather data for individual towns and cities. Just some basic averages like temperature, sunshine hours and rainfall as you get in any holiday brochure. I thought this would be standard information in house buying for instance to compare Macclesfield with Maidstone for instance. Can anyone point me the right direction.
John Yates, via email

Both my wife and her friend would like learn to draw and paint and are looking for a website or CD-ROM which would help them.

Mike Ward, via email

I have a number of documents locked up on 5.25 inch disks created on a BBC computer. I should like to transfer them as text to a PC, and have a PC with disk drive to suit. Is there a PC program, which will read these disks?
Archie Dickson via email