On 05/14/2014 02:12 PM, Bruce Byfield wrote:
On Wednesday 14 May 2014 05:29:45 PM Brian Barker wrote:
At 23:38 14/05/2014 +1000, Marina Tadiello wrote:
In general, and from a user's perspective, Styles are one example of
how common users are encouraged (or forced? :-) to think ("program")
and behave like computers.
Yes, manual formatting is available. But using it is kind of perverse, because
it means doing more work than necessary, and cutting yourself off from
important features.
Here's how I describe manual formatting in the introduction to the book I'm in
the middle of completing:
"Office suites are as old as the personal computer. Yet, after more than thirty
years, few of us have bothered to learn how to use them.
"Oh, we have learned how to get things done in them. Most of us can format a
document and print it out, after a fashion. But what we haven't learned is to
do these things efficiently, taking advantage of all the tools that are
available.
"It is as if we have learned enough about cars to go down hill in them and
coast across level ground, but never learned about the ignition. We get things
done, but with more effort and less efficiency that we should. Some tasks, like
going uphill, we don't imagine are even possible because of our limited view."
I, being an enemy of "styles," in general, explain myself thusly: I probably
never write anything more than three pages long. I am not writing a book.
I don't have chapters. I don't use bulletted lists, altho I might if
bullets were easier to use _without_ styles! I don't have "Front Pages" or
whatever chapter heads are called in fancy books. I don't have chapters
at all, so I don't need pages that end in the middle before going on with
my text. I don't even indent paragraphs, but if I wanted to, it would be
no big deal to push the tab key. (Actually, most word-processors have a
format command that would do that for me, if I wanted it.) And since I
don't write books, or edit them or publish them, i don't need a desktop
publisher, which is what _I_ think OO/LO are aiming to be.
On the other hand, if I needed a desktop publisher, and didn't want to
or could not afford to purchase a "professional" one, I would certainly
look at the possibility of learning and using OO/LO. From what I read
in these lists, that would be a real possibility. Someone who is willing to
spend the time to actually write a book can probably afford the time to
learn desktop publishing.
One more thing: I am not in any way trying to dissuade anyone from
learning OO/LO, if that's what they want. I am, however, pointing out
that it is hardly worth the effort for the average memo writer, letter
writer, or even article writer. It would be like a numismatist learning
metallurgy!
I rest my case.
--doug
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