Re: 'Death to Word'

  • From: Myron Gochnauer <goch@xxxxxx>
  • To: xywrite@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:53:09 -0300

I'm just plain stubborn about this. I always send word processor files in RTF 
format. It may not have all the bells and whistles of some formats, but it 
handles ordinary (non-mathematical) writing quite well. If someone claims s/he 
cannot open such a file, it was corrupted during transmission or the person 
hasn't tried to open it with almost any modern word-processing program.  
Indeed, my experience has been that Word for the Mac has the best RTF 
translation routines I have run across.

If they really want text written specifically for formal publication, they 
should be using TeX or LaTeX rather than Word.

Every year I tell my students that they should use RTF rather than DOC or DOCX 
when they email files to someone whose operating system and preferences are 
unknown.  And every year they submit papers in DOC or DOCX format. 

Myron

On 2012-04-12, at 2:05 PM, Paul Breeze wrote:

> Dear Lynn
> 
> I'm in the same position as you.  I have to convert to Word before 
> submitting.  That appears to be all anybody understands these days, even if 
> other formats might be simpler.
> 
> Paul Breeze
> 
> On 12/04/2012 16:50, Lynn Brenner wrote:
>> List members may be interested in this piece, which spells out every
>> reason to hate MS Word.
>> 
>> http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2012/04/microsoft_word_is_cumbersome_inefficient_and_obsolete_it_s_time_for_it_to_die_.html
>> 
>> 
>> I've long despised Word, but this article spells out reasons for hating
>> it that had never occurred to me.
>> 
>> I still write everything in Xywrite, but for years I've converted my
>> copy to Word before filing it because my various print and online
>> editors don't use Xywrite -- indeed, most of them have never even heard
>> of it -- but all know Word.
>> 
>> After reading this article, I wonder whether Xywrite wouldn't make text
>> easier for them to move from one publishing platform to another.  Does
>> anyone on the list file copy to be published online in Xywrite?
>> 
>> Lynn Brenner
> 


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