[OS X TeX] TeX and the wild wild world out there

[Alain Schremmer]

Adam Goldstein wrote:

> Sure, if someone is a genius, we will have to accommodate that person. 

Ah, but how shall we know if we don't read it?

> I don't see using TeX or thinking about presentation as a matter of 
> making something beautiful, although that may be the result. I see it 
> as a way of making something more readable, as Paul suggests.

A lot of mathematics was written and read before the advent of TeX.

> Especially when someone has many, many papers to read, it is best if 
> they are written for readability and clarity.

True: a lot more comfortable for the reader

> Formatting problems caused by Word can cause unreadability and 
> contribute to misunderstanding, if only by causing someone to think 
> that something is missing. For instance, Word is often not able to put 
> footnotes in, leaving a gigantic space at the bottom of the page. Or 
> else headings change format as you write because of difficulties 
> setting up the styles. Or else, again as Paul points out, inline math 
> or symbols come out wrong because it is hard to specify the limits of 
> italics in subscripts and so on.
>
> I'd rather have someone struggle and think about the ideas I am 
> writing, rather than have to exert extra energy just trying to read my 
> paper. 

So would I but the reader making it a requisite …

Regards
--schremmer


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