Re: Word Processors

[Rebecca Ore <rebecca ore op net>]

Todd Graham Lewis writes:
 > On Wed, 16 Sep 1998, Rebecca Ore wrote:
 > 
 > >  I'm thinking of setting up a web page so we can have a central
 > > repository of idea, screenshots of interesting stuff, and a separate
 > > archive of this discussion.  Thanks to Pathetic Writer, I can htmlize
 > > my text without code.
 > 
 > LyX lets you htmlize and do lots more to your docs, fwiw.

And it doesn't double-space between words without editing something,
so I whacked it.  I think it's mature and wonderful and all that,
but I'll probably download the rest of Commnicator and before I'll use 
Lyx for web pages.  I've got a whole lot of XEmacs functionality I
haven't used yet, either.


 > I don't really see how the ability to save a doc in PDF makes the program
 > more difficult to use for the $2/hr crowd...

We couldn't get our users to remember to save in a commonly readable
format in a Word/WP/Lotus shop, but as I said, we're probably not
going to have to worry about those users any time soon.


 > 
 > Eh?  You would hide this functionality behind the big "experts-only"
 > button, but it would still be useful.  It'd even be useful for non-
 > experts.  Think about making the WP accessible to blind or visually-
 > impaired people, e.g.

This is a free software project.  What is the most common problem with 
freesoftware projects according to a Debian maintainer of my
acquaintence?  Well, he didn't say project sprawl exactly.  He said
that people drift off.


 > 
 > It doesn't require scripting, but scripting in no way interferes with one's
 > ability to do this sort of template.  Simple templates are still easy, but
 > more complex, or rather, more user-interactive templates are also possible.
 > 
 > I was thinking of stuff like:
 > 
 > 	Please enter the name of the recipient of your letter:
 > 	(radio button for Mr., Ms., etc.)

The **worst** feature of Word 97, after talking paperclips.  Also, why 
I don't like Lyx (second reason).  Trust that people know how to lay
out the letters as they want to.  Templates for letterhead and date
are different.  Mail merge is different (there you do want fields, but 
I suspect that we might want to take a bye on that feature for now).

What I found useful in terms of templates was something like Memo
headers, letterhead (so you didn't have to fish the letterhead out of
the cabinet and load a single sheet into the printer.  Manuscripts are
double spaced with headers in the upper right hand corner; letters are
single spaced with letterhead on the first page and headers on
subsequent pages.  Tabs are five space from the margin.

What most typists have been trained in is proper business forms.  They
need to be spoonfed computer-related stuff, not that, though of
course, if the talking paperclip wps are used to teach touch typing
and used in buisness courses, that may become a thing of the past.

And if that's the case, they're probably going to buy a cut and paste
CD of proper letter forms anyhow.  We can do something similar, too.


 > > 
 > >  Gee, thanks, and I've got an October 15th book deadline.
 > 
 > I think that most of us have real jobs in addition to our GNOME work,
 > except for those slackers at RHAD.  8^)

And I'm working for an ISP that wants me to learn Perl before they'll
move me off the midnight to 9 a.m. shift weekends (I also pick up
during the evenings when needed).  (I assume the Camel and Llama books 
are left on top of the Sun monitors for a reason).

(How does one get a job at RHAD?)

-- 
Rebecca Ore