THE PRESIDENT'S ADVICE - no advice is good advice



Author: Bill Sise

Date: September, 1988

Keywords: consulting consultant word processor macwrite

Text:
Sure, people (at least those people who don't know me very well" have
asked me which one I use.  They ask, "Bill, do you use any of those
fancy new word processors or do you just stick with MacWrite?"  I am
never quite sure if they know that I am "limited" and have had trouble
learning anything harder than MacWrite.  Perhaps they have found out
that, despite these limitations, I have tried MS Word, MS Write, Word
Perfect and Laser Author as well as Fullwrite Professional.  The
definitive answer is yes and no.
For my work documents (the stuff I get paid to write) I am now using
Word Perfect because the spell checker and thesaurus work so well and
because Word Perfect is fast.  Its fancy format stuff like two columns
is useful, and I like the ease in switching styles from plain to
superscript and subscript formats in my work documents.  
But, for most other things I use MacWrite.  For awhile I toyed with the
idea of using MS Word or FullWrite Professional.  However, they looked
like a lot of work - more for the Big Blue types.  I should note that
if I were going to do something really fancy, I would use Page Maker.
I certainly do not recommend that you go out and buy any of the stuff
that seems to work for me.  I guess that I do advise trying different
applications for yourself to see what works for you, and then buy only
what you really find comfortable.  
 
If you are a typical Mac owner, you are likely to buy way too much
software in a very short time.  I know that I had to "simplify".  So I
have reluctantly given up on several programs that many of you have
found to be worthwhile.  Even though the Mac interface helps reduce
complexity, there are just so many applications I can deal with in a
given time period.  This seems to be especially true with word
processors and graphics programs.  I have cut way back.  Kind of a
return to basics (except that some of the stuff I like is complex
enough to make me keep my manuals nearby and open them a lot more than
I used to in the good old days).
R.J. Wilson gave me an article on being an unpaid consultant after I
had pestered him for the millionth time.  Its basic point was that
"advice is only worth what you pay for it."
Next month, I'll offer some free advice on how to take your Mac apart
for "fun and profit."  Oh yes, I will also run a sale on nuts, bolts,
and little thing-a-ma-bobs that are left after the "fun" - that will
provide the "profit".  
Remember we will have a meeting Monday, September 12 in Room 101 of the
Natural Resources Building, corner of B and 17th Streets, on the HSU
campus.  Hope to see you all there.

Copyright © september, 1988 by Bill Sise