How do you handle large sections when studying?

[Joe Laing]

Here's a question or series of questions for anyone...

 

Currently, I am preaching through the Gospel of John and in chapter 8. I know that John uses the term "abide" (meno) in different ways.

 

So, I am doing a "word study" on "abide"...have BDAG, NIDNTT, and some other sources.

 

In NIDNTT the article is quite lengthy and I prefer to read lengthy articles on paper vs. the computer screen. So, I have been doing the old "copy" and "paste", putting into DevonThink (as an RTF and to keep sorted), and reading later after I have collected my material. Also, after just purchasing the Theological Journals, which have some great articles, I do the same.

 

But, here is my question...if I do not want to read articles on the screen, then I am missing something when I copy and paste?

 

I would love to be able to select a section (or article) with a click vs. scrolling through the whole article (then copying and pasting). Is there an easier way to do this? Scrolling through large sections (when copying) takes awhile.

 

Any suggestions and help would be appreciated!

 

Joseph

 

 

 

 

[Darryl]

Yes, you can use the "Show Text As" Options. You can find this menu by clicking the gear icon in the Tool window pane (to the right of the font size icons).

 

In the drop down menu select the "Show Text As" option and select "Articles". Now only the hit article will show. Simply use cmd-a to select and and then copy and paste.

 

Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut, cmd-; to cycle through the view options.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Darryl

[Joe Laing]

Thanks Darryl,

 

I will give it a try. Just turned off Accordance and headed to the hospital to visit a member!

 

God bless!

 

Joseph

[Steve King]

If you happen to have a kindle you can 'print' the article as a pdf then copy it to the kindle to read. You need to 'print' it as US Letter and pick a font size that is readable (I find font size 21 OK).

[Joe Laing]

Steve,

 

Thanks for your reply!

 

I have an iPad and a Kindle app...however, if I have the article or info in Accordance, I still would have to copy and paste. Also have the Kindle Reading app on both macs. I only use if there is not a corresponding Accordance resource.

[Timothy Jenney]

Hi, Joseph!

 

I have been reading on a computer screen so long it feels odd to hold a book! I've become accustomed to it, though I have heard others have not.

 

Some of my friends have retina Macs. They claim the reading experience on them is excellent. I don't know if that would be a good solution for you or not, but I can't imagine printing our every lengthy article I want to read. My office would be littered with paper!

[Joe Laing]

Hey Dr. J...I have profited immensely from your podcasts! However, I am upset with you...I used to say that if I ever went on to earn a doctorate, the main reason would be for the title...Dr J.

 

Actually, I think I am dating myself...lol.

 

Yes, I know that I am a little old-fashioned, but do some reading from the printed page. This way I can write comments, underline, etc. I know it can be done electronically, but still like to use the pen.

 

I just bought a second monitor (for my macbook). So, my monitor and at the church office are both 1900x1080.

 

Blessings back!

 

Joseph

 

p.s. My office is littered with paper...just in very organized stacks (lol...I also have a bridge for sale).

[Timothy Jenney]

Hah!

 

Thanks, Joseph—though I think the world has room for more than one "Dr. J."

 

My wife, daughter, and I had a long discussion around the dinner table tonight about this very thing. They both like reading paper. I prefer reading electronically—but I will admit it was a wrenching transition. I was forced into it by having to read from my Palm in 1999-2000 during a year long trip overseas (no English books available), by a wife who really disliked me reading paperbacks in bed with the light on, and by [finally] having to move so many boxes of books when we last moved. I forced myself to adapt and I am happy I did.

 

Anyway, I can understand being committed to paper, but if you decide you must change I am told that the latest generation of devices makes it much less painful. My 17" MBP isn't that good (1920x1200 as well), but I am told the retina Macs are also much better. I've got a large external monitor too, and it is terrible to read on.The Kindle PaperWhite is a joy to read on, compared to the original Kindle (or even the Fire). I think it is actually easier to read text on it than paper. I know my iPhone 5 is better than the 4S I had. Anyway, I don't think it is about the number of pixels so much as the size of the pixels themselves, the quality of the monitor. (Someone here may be better able to explain the difference than I.)

 

As for my office, let's just say that everything out of view of the podcast camera is pretty littered already. I'm sure there isn't room for stacks of paper.

[Unix]

Actually I understand the concern about reading.
I've noticed that some older people prefer a computer monitor while many younger people such as myself still find printed matter better for the eyes and have some/many books as printed matter + Bible study software.

Btw, related to this issue, I today ordered a book as printed matter even though Logos (Vyrso, which is for more simple books and novels and with automatized tagging) offered the previous Edition of it for free. I will rarely do like that.

I don't download many free books. I just don't find it worthwhile to clutter my digital library, nor the extra organization required, so fewer books can be better. Free isn't always complete free. I also think about not causing the servers more download requests than necessary, and I don't pay for any internet and most probably won't for quite a while. (It wouldn't be all that simple to get internet, the contract would have to be in someone else's name, as over here You have to pay a TV-license (which goes for public service TV and radio) if You have anything that looks like a computer or a smartphone or internet (even without a computer) or a TV. I hide my laptops and the external monitor, and I have never had a TV in my own home and never will.)

 

I'm reluctant to get any Kindle or Android device, and I refuse to buy Kindle books from Amazon. I may sound like an ethically concerned person and maybe I am, I think about that for producing that kind of device a metal is needed for the touch monitor, so a rare earth mineral is consumed, and I guess that we will r out of that mineral at some point.

 

I just bought an external monitor two days ago for my smaller computer. I have two laptops, both with 1366*768 pixels. The old one (with SSD and 4 GB RAM) is 11.9" with external ergonomic keyboard www.trulyergonomic.com, the internal keyboard is almost broken (several keys don't work, due to that I used the computer outside the local library using Wifi this winter). The new one (which I'm considering upgrading to Windows 8 and 120 GB SSD) is 15.6", regular 2.5" harddrive and 7.6 GB RAM available.

 

I don't have a printer. If I would have I might be too tempted to start printing a lot at some point. But it would actually be good to have. As I write this I'm getting tempted to buy that - but I surely can't afford this month. It would be difficult to hide it, I could only take it out from the store in the middle of the night. Organizing papers wouldn't be all that much of a problem. Unfortunately I often prioritize papers and books over other household duties.

 

I try to think whether I want a book as printed matter or in Bible study software. I shall think about that even more in the future, and not always buy in Bible study software just because it often happens to be cheaper. Sometimes I even duplicate, although seldom so far. Logos, in which I have many hundred books and a whole bunch under evaluation often sells books in collections (not exactly the same thing as collections in Accordance), i.e. bundled, so I have sometimes ended up buying just the desired volume(s) as printed matter.