Re: Standards: Open or Proprietary?

["Erick Andrews" <eandrews@star.net>]

  On Mon, 17 Nov 1997 23:36:00 -0500 (EST), dski@cameonet.cameo.com.tw wrote:
  
  <snip>
  
  >..I won't be picky, since I should have said that those byte values are
  >verboten in *text* (including HTML text on Web pages) transmitted over the
  >Internet. Everyone makes mistakes.
  >
  >Actually, I am *overjoyed* to see so many misspellings on the Internet.
  >Don't most of the people connected to the Internet have Microsoft Word?
  >And doesn't Word have automatic as-you-type spelling correction? Why,
  >then, aren't all these people using Word for e-mail and sending out fully
  >corrected text? Could it be because Word, as anyone who knows word
  >processing can see, is designed to screw up plain text of the kind we use
  >on the Internet? Because it can't work seamlessly with browsers and e-mail
  >programs the way Joe, Pico, Vi, etc., work seamlessly with Lynx, Elm,
  >Pine, etc.? You say you started integrating Internet-related technology
  >into your "operating system" WHEN, Mr. Neukom?
  >
  >Dan Strychalski
  >dski@cameonet.cameo.com.tw
  >
  
  Helloooo...
  
  Dan...Word?  Is that like the oxymoron 'Microsoft Works'?
  
  As one who has used MS Word in the past, I like to pride myself, just
  a little, that I know how to use the OED...and some other lexicographic
  books if need be...just enough to know that Microsoft Word's grammar 
  and spelling sucks.  Well, not really bad, but pedestrian for the cost of it.
  
  I have seen, and sometimes use, many other electronic writing tools 
  to have come to the conclusion that most shareware and freeware
  out there now is better...better for me at least.  Although not among
  them, WordPerfect, AmiPro, WordPro and Describe have better font
  management than Word.  Unless you're into 'copy' and 'publishing',
  you may not need any of them.  It's not my purpose here to list all the 
  better values.
  
  Although I am not into VI or EMACS any more, they are very good 
  and I will go back to them if need be.  I use OS/2 stuff these days 
  only because I believe in the total OO paradigm [god, I hate that word].
  
  Mostly, I just use PMMail (OS/2 shareware) and carve out my own 
  dictionary with it.  It's quite sufficient, and cheap, for eMail at least.  
  It is simple and, *I*, easily tell it what to do.
  
  What I really want to make is the point that people getting
  into electronic-computer-whatever these days, *can* find other 
  CHOICES beyond...and instead of...the party line.  Oh, I know, 
  that's simpler said than done.  I even tell a lot of folks that they 
  should consider a Mac.  Good machine, and I hope Jobs hasn't 
  come back to Apple to screw it up.
  
  On the PC side, however, one of the more heinous things that 
  Windoze95 did to newcomers is make it difficult and almost 
  impossible for them to get to a DOS prompt.  [After all, it is 
  still DOS, right?].  "My Computer", "My Briefcase"...gimme 
  a break!  Is this a purposeful wedge that M$ is driving to prevent 
  knowledgeable friends, family, and lovers from helping out?   
  Unless these 'newbies' to computing can get some rudimentary 
  idea of "EDIT", even, they'll never be able to take simple control 
  over their machine.  This, I think, is a clear 'social' example of 
  how personal computing is less than state-of-the-art for first 
  time buyers.  What a waste.  Even the computer "illiterate", what
  ever that means, deserve better.
  
  Yeah, some people tell me I'm a moron because I drive a stick
  shift car!
  
  I know you know that stuff, though.
  
  Erick Andrews