RE: Word/Weird: inconsistency?

[Emru Townsend <etownsen -at- Softimage -dot- com>]

Seconded.  As I've mentioned before on this list, I've created docs up to
400+ pages with Word, including cross-references, graphics, tables,
captions, index entries, and so on.  I've had a couple of corrupt files, but
then the previous writer (inexplicably) had a thing for Fast Save.

I think people have a number of psychological problems with Word:

1) It's bloatware, and it sucks memory like no one's business.
2) That damned paperclip and his accomplices are annoying and cutesy.
3) It's a Microsoft product.
4) It's nothing like WordPerfect, FrameMaker, XYWrite, WordPro, or whatever.

All of these are accurate but completely beside the point.  Every program
has its problems, peculiarities, and requirements, but you adapt.

Yes, there are some things FrameMaker can do that Word can't -- conditional
text is a piece of cake in Frame.  But there are things that are easier to
do in Word, like being able to quickly select an entire sentence, or
automatic spell checking.

As in anything else, it's a matter of properly learning the tool.  Leave
your biases at the door, and it'll go much faster and easier.

Emru Townsend, Information Developer | etownsen -at- softimage -dot- com
Softimage, Inc.
Personal page: http://purpleplanetmedia.com
Recent musings: http://purpleplanetmedia.com/eye/film/u-571.html


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Win Day [mailto:winday -at- home -dot- com]
> 
> You know, I just don't get it.
> 
> I use Word because that's what my clients want me to use.  On 
> their behalf, 
> I regularly create and maintain very long documents -- 
> typically in the 
> 200-1000 page range.  Lots of cross-references, embedded and linked 
> graphics, tables, equations, captions, index entries, 
> footnotes -- the works.
> 
> [...]
> 
> Complaints abound for both applications.  Use the one you 
> prefer, or the 
> one you're mandated to use.  But don't say that long docs 
> can't be done in 
> Word, because they can.