Someone asked, "What is red-lining, Catherine?"
Well, this is an old term Microsoft used in their first few version of Word. In more recent Word applications, Microsoft calls it "Track Changes."
If you have ever edited someone else's material and not used this feature, you're going to love it. In Word 2007 version, it's found under the "Review" tab.
What it does is crosses out the change with a "red-line." Thus, the original name "red-lining."
For example: If you were editing a sentence and you want to change a word, sentence, or even paragraph. First, you need to make sure the feature is turned on. Then you select what you want to change, click the delete key (no, it doesn't delete it) and it crosses it out in red. Then you go ahead and type the replacement text.
There are other features under "review" that help with editing. It depends on the Word version you use.
Maybe you already know about this!
Here's an idea on how to use this that you probably haven't thought of.
Use it to keep track of your different editing versions.
Let's say you are writing an article.
First draft is written the day before and you've allowed it to rest.
You return, turn on the "track changes" feature, and edit.
The next day you can return and read what you changed and if you still want to change them. Then use the feature to approve each change or even continue editing. This way you know where you began and where you are now.
When you think you're done, and if you want to keep the original along with all the editing changes, you save the document using "save as" under a new name. In my case, I also move the article from the folder "draft articles" to "final articles." Of course, these are subfolders under a main folder I call, "articles."
If you don't want to keep the original and changes, use the track change feature to go through each change one at a time, or all at once, to write the document in final view with all the changes.
I love this feature and have since my first use of MS Word so many years ago now.
Thanks for asking!
Catherine
P.S. Microsoft has a video available on this feature you definitely want to watch. Here's the link to jump to the video: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word/HA102520671033.aspx
