Masters Lesson Series: Choosing Software, Part 1

Which software program is the best for your projects?

What software should you use to build your newsletter?  Is one software program better than another?  These are important questions and the answers to them are not as easy as you may think!  The sheer volume of software available is mind boggling.  This post will help you sort through the mess and make a few decisions.

The decision regarding what software to use to create your newsletter, whether you plan on creating a print newsletter or an email newsletter, is often loaded with emotion.  Computer use is a very polarizing topic.  Will you choose a PC or a Mac?  If you chose a PC, will you choose Microsoft Office, Google Suite, Libre Office, or OpenOffice?  If you chose a Mac will you choose the iWork Suite, Google Suite, Open Office, or Libre Office?  Trust me when I say that these are just a few examples of software productivity suites that you can choose from in either PC or Mac.

Nowhere else in the newsletter decision making process will opinions come into play that will cause a spike in blood pressure and arguments to erupt the way that choosing software will.  The choice of software is deeply personal.  Just like Mac users and PC users are immovable and will argue their computer choices passionately, the software that we use is equally mired in controversy. 

The very thought of having to change from our regular routines cause stress and panic in many of us.  In an age where choices abound and something new will be invented every 7 seconds, it is surprising that we become mired in repetition and routine.  The field of Psychology tells us that when we perform the same activities day after day and follow the same routines week in and week out, we begin to prefer to operate our lives in consistent, repetitive, and predictable ways.

The human brain, however, is not hardwired to perform repetitive tasks and follow the same routines for very long.  Crowder and Friess, in their extensive 2013 research on human performance and change, tell us that “people are good at change in order to master or improve their world or environment.  When people are agile they are better at being agile.”  The human brain, when allowed to rest and remain unchallenged, begins to prefer doing nothing and wants to remain unchanged and unchallenged.  This is known as Inertia.

When it comes to our software our choices may have been made for us without our knowledge.  Our education plays a large role in our choice of software preference.  What software we used as students often plays a significant role in how we use software later in life.  The same goes for our places of employment.  When schools and employers pay large sums of money to purchase computer systems and software we then, as Crowder and Friess has stated, begin to master our environment (software) through repetitive use of a single tool.  Once mastered, our brains then begin to rest and process daily activities unchallenged.  Inertia takes hold.

The decision to choose software may have already been made for you.  If your company, school, church, or organization has already purchased software then you may have to begin the process of mastering new software.  The good news is that there is no one single software program that is “the best” for creating newsletters.  There is benefit to choosing a program with which you are familiar.  Microsoft Publisher will be much easier to learn if you are already familiar with the Microsoft Suite of Programs. Luckily newsletters can be created on just about any word processing software with little trouble.  If you have had the opportunity to "test drive" different software, you will no doubt notice that most of them have similar features.  

If you have the option of choosing your software, then you are lucky.  But if the software decision is up to you, what questions do you ask to help you decide?  To begin making an informed decision for choosing your own software, here is are a few questions that will help you sort through the options:

1. Do you have productivity software installed on your computer already?  Is the version you own older or do you need to upgrade to a newer version?  Is the software cloud based?

• If you have Microsoft Office 365 you already have Publisher.  If you have an older version of Microsoft Office or the non-subscription version of Microsoft Office you may already have a copy of Publisher or you can purchase a standalone copy of Publisher.
• If you aren't interested in a Microsoft product there are several very good alternatives.  I have recently been playing around with an open source product called Scribus.  In the second half of this post I will be comparing several products including Publisher and Scribus.

2. Will you and your writers/contributors be using the same type of software or will you need software that is compatible with many types of programs?  Will the application software need to work with or function in the cloud?

• If you are going to use Microsoft Publisher to build your newsletter, you will need to make sure that all contributors have the option to export/save their materials in a Microsoft format.

3.  Will you need special training to utilize the productivity software or have you used a specific platform in the past (or currently) and will only need a refresher?

• Mainstream productivity software packages have hundreds of free training videos and step-by-step guides for you to slog through trouble spots or learn a new program.  Software that has been around for a while and is used by many people or companies is better equipped to help you use the software through free or inexpensive training options.

4. Does the productivity software have PDF capabilities?

• The end result of every newsletter typically results in making your newsletter into a PDF for several reasons.  This is actually an important feature of productivity software.

The answers to these questions will go a long way to helping you determine the software to use.  However, the best way to find good, user friendly software with all of the bells and whistles that you need/want is to talk to someone that uses these programs.  For example, if you are a church contemplating starting a newsletter why don't you ask some of the other area churches how they create their newsletters.  (BTW-many churches upload their newsletters right along with their weekly bulletins so give their websites a look and see if they have the product and skill that you are looking for.)  If you are a business, why not do a Google search for businesses with newsletters?  Give them a call and ask them for advice.  What's the worst that can happen?

In the next half of this post I will be comparing features and pros/cons of productivity software that can be used to build a high quality newsletter.  

Take Away

Choosing the type of software to use to build your newsletter is confusing.  But taking it step by step is the best way to begin.  Knowing what you have available and how much training you will need is a great way to begin looking at the options.  Know what you have.  Know what you want to build.  Know your budget.

Try This!

1.     Begin by making a list of the productivity software on your computer or licensed through your organization.  Know the software version and year.  Find out if the software needs updates from its manufacturer. Most importantly, know if they software comes with support from the manufacturer.

2.     Once you have a list of available software to use for your newsletter, do a Google search for training videos for your software.  It is very important to have instant answers for how to utilize your software without have to wait to ask an expert or go to the library for a training book.  YouTube has millions of videos.  If your software has been around awhile, chances are that plenty of how-to videos are out there.  Most are free!

3.     Ask an expert.  Do you have a tech-guy at work?  Is there a local church or non-profit that publishes newsletters on a regular basis?  There are always people to ask and for the most part people like to be asked their opinion.  Just remember:  Everyone has an opinion and you have to figure out which one makes the most sense for your situation.

Resources

Crowder, J.A. and S.A. Friess.  Systems Engineering Agile Design Methodologies.  2013, IX, 78p.