Re: 'Death to Word'

[Myron Gochnauer goch@xxxxxxxx]

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