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

[Themis Matsoukas]

On Oct 13, 2006, at 3:38 AM, Simon Spiegel wrote:

> On 13.10.2006, at 09:28, Bruno Voisin wrote:
>
>> To Alain: sorry for having let you defend my opinion on your own,  
>> I was a bit busy.
>>
>> What I meant is that [...]
>>
> Maybe I'm just splitting hairs, but IMO this is not LaTeX light,  
> but just a more organised LaTeX world.

Yes, "just" a more organized world. You could say that this  
organization is merely a convenience, as most of us have been  
surviving without it, given that all necessary pieces are available.  
But if a user has to spend a day talking to lists to find out how to  
change the margins to 1/2 in, one must also admit that some  
organization might in fact be useful.

The limiting factor, of course, is that the latex project is a  
volunteer effort and one cannot demand more from those who make it  
happen: its free, has excellent support, and works beautifully.  
Still, echoing Bruno's dream, I wonder how long will latex survive in  
the future (say, in 25-50 years from now) without some softening of  
its edges. After all,  the new generation of college students has  
hardly any exposure to programing, which is a prerequisite for  
understanding why latex does things the way it does.

Themis

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