Tell me Reader, do you know anyone who doesn’t use the Copy-Paste command?
I can’t think of anyone who uses a computer and doesn’t use it.
Copy-Paste command is: Ctrl+C, followed by Ctrl+V
In case of Mac OS, it is Cmd+C, Cmd+V
So, it is quite ubiquitous as we know.
Whether you’re a beginner or a pro at using a computer, almost everyone uses these commands in the same manner.
Same sequence.
And many times, hit the same problems.
I want to share an extension with you. Which will forever change the way you use Copy-Paste method.
But before that, I want to share one pain point that this extension has permanently solved for me.
Losing info during Copy-Paste
Sometimes, I lose (actually overwrite) previously copied information.
For example, while creating a fresh account on some websites (say Gmail), I generate a strong password. So it is not easily memorable. I intend to retain that password in the computer’s memory for a few minutes before I complete the account setup process. But by the time I set up the account, I would have overwritten the password by copying some other information in the computer’s memory.
It becomes extremely difficult to recover the newly set password unless Google has saved it in its memory.
That’s why Clipboard History Pro
Don’t worry, this extension is not premium. You can use it without upgrading it to Pro.
In essence, what this extension does is: it creates a log every time you hit Ctrl+C or Cmd+C. And you can see everything you have copied later on.
How to use it
Step-1: Install the extension by going to the Chrome Webstore
Step-2: Pin the extension to your Chrome Toolbar
Step-3: Copy a piece of text anywhere: either in your browser or your PC explorer. For our purpose, let me copy this sentence that I just typed. Done.
Step-4: Click on the green clipboard history icon. For example, here it shows it has a list of 287 copied items right now.
Step-5: After you click, you can see your full history. See some of the latest text I have copied.
Step-6: Whichever entry you want to use, just click on it. It will get copied to the computer’s memory.
Step-7: Hit Ctrl+V to paste wherever you want.
That’s it! You’ve made it!
Innovative use cases
Other than its utility in preventing the loss of copied data, I have used this extension in many different ways, sharing one use case here.
Copy First, Paste Later
A few months back, I had to sieve through a badly structured PDF for some data points. If I had gone old school, I would have had to switch between the PDF and Notepad with copy-paste commands.
Thanks to this extension, I went through the whole PDF by selecting and hitting the Copy command. I knew the extension was collecting all the copied data.
In the end, it took me less than 30 seconds to transfer all copied data to a Notepad.
What other use cases can you think of?
Hit Reply and tell me. If it is worth everyone’s read, I will include it in the next week’s newsletter. Fair?
Reads of the week:
I’m currently 2 hours into this podcast. Forget about the title, it is a sheer pleasure hearing these two gentlemen just talk about different aspects of life and work.
“Free people are not equal, and equal people are not free.”
I see the repercussions of the disgusting equality mandates in all tiny aspects of academia, science, and work almost every day. If you have read George Orwell or Ayn Rand, you’d know what I’m talking about.
The monoculture of equality of outcome not only irks me, but it strives to establish the victimhood mindset in the best of times that we live in.
In any case, I liked this piece by Lawrence Reed, I hope you too find it enjoyable.