LyX Document Processor, General Public License (free [as in, "no money"]) - Writers Forum

zedusk · 09-07-2007, 02:18 PM

Maybe it's just because I hate my creative juices being strained by Microsoft's disgusting word processor I was forced to adapt to as a child in school, (what better hold do you have on a market when you train them to rely on your product at childhood?) but I wanted something different for my writing. Every time I opened that fucking (expressing myself!) Microsoft Word "Perfect," (fuckers,) I died a little inside and was stricken with instant temporary writer's block or "ITWB". I tried other free-ware word processors but they were very similar to Microsoft's and they didn't really work all that well. With the help of Wikipedia, God of Knowledge, I found LyX. It's the next step in document composition (or would be if Microsoft didn't own document composition itself.) Basically, it's Microsoft Word but it does the formating for you so you don't have to spend several months taking classes (where they actually have the balls to use the manual as a text book) learning how to get the damn thing to do what you want and then spend a considerable portion of your time moving your words about and setting your margins, etc. I know your a successful business person that has mastered the arts of the glorious word processor, and I'm sure your very proud about being able to create legible pieces of work with it, but let's move on. There might (might) be things that LyX can't do that Microsoft's abomination can but I doubt it and I'm sure that, with a little support, the programmers working on it could implement them ASAP. If you know how to type, you can use LyX. Just skim through the tutorial and you'll get it in no time and be glad you did. It will blow your mind at first. "You mean that with the magic of innovation, I don't have to tab every paragraph or spend ten minutes at every new page, placing headers and footers, et cetera, et cetera?" You choose the format then focus on your actual words! You know, like when your writing. I sometimes think programmers spend so much time adapting themselves to computers they forget that it is their one and only job to adapt computers to normal people. LyX's motto is "What you see is what you mean" as apposed to the repulsive slogan, "What you see is what you get" that (seems to me) other word processors use to basically tell you that your stuck with what they're giving you... because they fucking (expression) own you. The people with so much to lose are so afraid of change. Anyway, rambling aside, the process of actually downloading and installing the program and it's addons for Windows (damn you Microsoft!) is a little annoying but here's the Wikipeda, God of Knowledge's information on it. They speak about it much more eloquently than I do. Check it out. It's got links at the bottom of the page.

LyX - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

P.S. I realize I'm probably a little (tiny bit) biased towards Microsoft and their presence (oppressive grip) in society and there are probably (maybe) things that Microsoft Word can do better than other things but this is an option for all of those who tire of the damn thing.

Writer Kitten · 09-07-2007, 04:12 PM

I use MS Works Word Processor. I have never had any trouble adding footers/headers/page numbers/setting margins/tabbing each paragraph.

... Seriously? I mean you seriously have trouble with all that?

Then again, I also use OpenOffice, which I really like as well.

zedusk · 09-07-2007, 05:26 PM

I think it's more of a disdain for the product than an incompetence that detours me. I'm a bit odd that way. The real reason I posted this is just so the makers of LyX and their ideas can get some notice and appreciation. The ideas put into LyX should have become a part of the major system a long time ago. It's just hard to convince institutions to change something so grafted into the inside of their skulls--even if it's for the better. Progress and income are two different things.

Writer Kitten · 09-08-2007, 04:45 AM

Well, it's just that from what you posted, and what I looked at, there's nothing there that is any different from Works Word Processor/OpenOffice. Meaning... yeah it's free, but there's no reason I should clutter up my harddrive with it, because it's not that different. I already have the other two, and don't see a need to switch.

Non Serviam · 09-08-2007, 07:10 AM

I use OpenOffice because it's the best word processor I've ever found. The fact that it's free and open source is incidental.

Mike C · 09-08-2007, 03:34 PM

OpenOffice is good, but lacks a few features that Word has, like track changes, which for me is an essential.

Non Serviam · 09-08-2007, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike C

OpenOffice is good, but lacks a few features that Word has, like track changes, which for me is an essential.

OO tracks changes. In OpenOffice, go to the "edit" menu, select "changes" and "record".

Shawn · 09-08-2007, 04:49 PM

The newest versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, etcetera are excellent. A different interface, but extremely powerful and malleable.

Citations for research papers are stored in a database so that the bibliography is generated automatically according to MLA or APA standards. Table of contents are generated by use of modular document design. Plus, associating documents with each other is probably the most effective word processing tool I've ever seen done.

I'm not aware if OO or any of the other open source software has those features. I just write too many academic papers to ignore that.

lin · 09-08-2007, 04:54 PM

I hate Microsoft with a white passion. Yes, they are indeed fuckers. But I end up using their shit. I like openoffice, but it doesn't work with with the screenplay templates I use. Some day I will change to linux and suffer the pains of moving everything over.
But for now, MS Word works. I've used dozens of WP's, by the way, going back to the accursed Word Star.

zedusk · 09-08-2007, 06:21 PM

Yeah, I was on a bit of a rant. Sorry

. I just want these other ideas to be made aware of. I haven't seen the newest versions of Microsoft's word or office or whatever products. I grew up with a few and the new ones always looked the same as the old ones (I was fourteen or fifteen when I made this observation, mind you,) so I just assumed they would be similar to what I had experienced. I'd still suggest LyX to anyone that wants something new even if they've spent resources on other document software.

Leyline · 09-09-2007, 02:49 AM

I use freeware word processors. My favorites are Jarte and Copywriter. Simple and sleek.

But hell, I prefer Notepad to Word.

Hodge · 09-09-2007, 02:58 AM

Microsoft Office is a good product. It's just really effing expensive. I used OpenOffice before I got a new used computer that came with MS Office 2004 already on it, and I'm happy with it. Although I do prefer the retro Windows 95 look of OpenOffice (or has OpenOffice updated its appearance since 2005?).

Beardedtroll · 09-09-2007, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Writer Kitten

Well, it's just that from what you posted, and what I looked at, there's nothing there that is any different from Works Word Processor/OpenOffice.

As another afficiando of LyX I can promise you that there is a difference. The way you work with the logical structure of your document rather than with the physical (visual) structure do change the way you work and, in my opinion, for the better. (This isn't really relevant for writing fiction, though, since the logical structure of a fiction document tend to be trivial.)

It's not Word as such that's the problem but the whole concept of WYSIWYG text processors[1]. They jumble together the separate areas of writing, logical structure and layout into an unholy, unwholesome melee of "word processing." (As the old joke goes: "Why do they call it 'word processing'"? "Well, you've seen what a food processor do to food, right?")

While the old, pre-gui Word Perfect was cumbersome and had a steeper learning curve than modern WYSIWYG programs like Word it was also more efficent. Once you'd learnt to use it you worked faster than you'd do in Word.

If you have a day free, I suggest you download and install LyX yourself and play around with it. It won't make you a better writer but it might make you a less annoyed writer (and, possibly, a slightly faster writer as well.)

[1] Although in my opinion Word isn't even a particulary good example of WYSIWYG editors.

lin · 09-09-2007, 12:45 PM

Typical of MS fuckups: I recently got a new laptop with MS Office 2003 installed on it. I found out it is actually greatly inferior even to Office 2000! Incredible.

For instance, they replaced the useful MS Photo Editor with some idiot program that displays graphics (the way IT wants to, not you) but can't edit them in anyway.
The changed Word so that instead of placing documents along the tray at the bottom so you can quickly select among your open documents, it stacks them up so you have to use menus.
And so on. What a piece of shit. You can just see the cubicloids sweating to keep their jobs by breaking the broken thing worse.

Unfortunately, I figured this out after I'd left the States...where I had to go just to buy the damn computer... and ended up having to install MS Office 2000 in Spanish. Not a huge problem, but once you get into technical weirdness and Help menus it can be a strain (who knew an indent was a "sangria"?)
Microsoft help is so fucked up anyway, this is hardly a major problem.

But the whole idea of making products that are inferior to the ones the forcibly replace...or just use twice as much disk space with no additional benefits other than little lights and animated menu dogs and shit...is just SO Redmond.

zedusk · 09-15-2007, 07:48 AM

You can tell much from a craft from the wisdom visible in the general design. Unfortunately, we tend to trust the commercials like we've been trained to do.