LaTeX, MS Word, asking questions, LyX (was Re: [OS X TeX] 1/2" margins)

[Simon Spiegel]

On 12.10.2006, at 22:05, Alain Schremmer wrote:

> Simon Spiegel wrote:
>
>> On 12.10.2006, at 21:12, Alain Schremmer wrote:
>>
>>> So then, again, why not a "LaTeX light"—and I mean a markup one  
>>> as there is no obvious incompatibility?
>>
>> Being a WYSIYG guy at heart who only turned to LaTeX because  
>> Adobe  stopped the development of Framemaker, I say: Go for it. Go  
>> and  create "LaTeX light",
>
> As I mentioned earlied, I chose another endeavour and given that I  
> am turning 70 in a couple of weeks, there is not much of a chance  
> that I will create it.
>
>> I'm sure no one will oppose it.
>
> I do not understand what your point is here.

My point is that things only get done of someone does them. It's  
perfectly ok to discuss these kind of things, but as long as no one  
decides to spend time and energy in it, it wont happen. It's that  
simple.

>> What I want to say  is this: IMO the two main obstacles in  
>> learning LaTeX (for a Word user ( are probably the fact that it is  
>> markup based and highly  structured,
>
> Not in my opinion. Certainly was not my case.

Then we disagree here.

>> but both are, at the same they are its big strengths, get  rid of  
>> them and you lose what makes LaTeX interesting.
>
> I cannot remember suggesting to "get rid of" markup or stucture.

So what is you want to get rid of?
>
>> No one needs a  markup based TextEdit.
>
> And I certainly never suggested "a markup based TextEdit"
>
> I was just thinking that Voisin's suggestions were somewhat in line  
> with my dream of a "LaTeX light". Could be it is a pipe dream but I  
> don't think that you have established that and the current state of  
> LaTeX is certainly not the best one in the best of all possible  
> worlds—as others, infinitely more competent than myself—have written.
>
> Which goes to show that what I wrote in response to Voisin—I sang  
> that song when I first started on this list. I can't say I  
> encountered much sympathy then.—still obtains.

Could things be better? Of course. We could have some kind of overall  
guidance for packages, more coordination between developers, better  
coordinated interactions between different parts of LaTeX etc. But as  
long as LaTeX is mainly developed by unpaid individuals all over the  
globe I don't see how this can possibly happen.

simon

--
Simon Spiegel
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