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Goodbye Cruel Word

theodp writes "The problem with Microsoft Word, writes the NYT's Virginia Heffernan, is that 'I always feel as if I'm taking an essay test.' Seeking to break free of the tyranny of Microsoft Word, Heffernan takes a look at Scrivener and the oh-so-retro WriteRoom, which she and others feel jibe better with the way writers think. 'The new writing programs encourage a writerly restart. You may even relearn the green-lighted alphabet, adjust your preference for long or short sentences, opt afresh for action over description. Renewal becomes heady: in WriteRoom's gloom is man's power to create something from nothing, to wrest form from formlessness. Let's just say it: It's biblical. And come on, ye writers, do you want to be a little Word drip writing 603 words in Palatino with regulation margins? Or do you want to be a Creator?'"

2 of 565 comments (clear)

  1. Oh, think of the children! by sledge_hmmer · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I've known for years that "Goodbye" is a cruel word. That's why I use friendlier terms like "Cheerio", "Adios", "Ciao", and my personal favourite, "Fuck off ya sodding prick".

  2. Filter out NYT articles? by eviljav · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Is there any way to filter out NYT articles on slashdot?