From: muts@compi.hobby.nl (Peter Mutsaers) Subject: Re: (was: Re: A Word Processor for Linux) Date: Sat, 7 Aug 1993 20:23:05 GMT
>> On 6 Aug 93 13:35:32 GMT, falk@unixg.ubc.ca (David Falk) said:
DF> functions of word processing out of the present Linux/TeX
DF> environment. It's got me running back to DOS like a scared
DF> rabbit. I don't really want to learn a programming language in
DF> order to write my next novel. TeX may be fine for programming
DF> wizards. That's fine. Heck, I've known people to have written
DF> complete books using vi. I don't really care if somebody uses
DF> TeX, emacs, pine, vi, or even edlin. However, I require a
DF> WYSIWYG word processor. It simply takes too much time to move
DF> in and out of programs to perform the various tasks. So, I
DF> think
Always again you see this argument that you need to be a programmer to
use TeX; it simply ISN'T TRUE!!!
My wife usually hates computers, has had no science education and is
definately not a programmer. However, when she had to start using a
computer to write some reports, I told her to use LaTeX and emacs,
showed here a few things and gave her a key reference card for emacs
and LaTeX. She uses it as happily as I do, and when she sees other
people at her work use WP she's as glad as I am that she knows better.
But once you are spoiled with this devious concept of a WYSIWYG (like)
thing you seem to be brainwashed and spoiled forever. If however you
see the light before that, wether you're a computer expert or a
computer hater, you're glad about it. Because you work quicker, make
nicer looking and more consistent documents, and you have to bother
only with the contents of your report; TeX takes care of the layout.
When you use WYSIWYG you have the unavoidable temptation to be busy
with formatting and changing the layout constantly and get distracted
from the real work: the contents of what you're writing.
-- _____________________________________________ Peter Mutsaers, Bunnik (Ut), the Netherlands.