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From: charlie@mica.stat.washington.edu (Charlie Geyer)
Newsgroups: comp.text
Subject: Re: Meta-literacy (was Re: a word-processor for UNIX)
Message-ID: <2146@uw-entropy.ms.washington.edu>
Date: 6 Aug 89 03:43:23 GMT
References: <2147@randvax.UUCP> <1627@naucse.UUCP>
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In article <2147@randvax.UUCP> urban@randvax.UUCP (Mike Urban) writes:

> At the risk of belaboring a point that has been made several times,
> it would be more useful to work with an experienced professional
> in layout design in order to create the Troff macros or LaTeX document
> style for your Generic Barbarian novel or whatever.  When everyone
> becomes an amateur layout designer, the result is inevitably a 
> great deal of amateurish layout.

And in article <1627@naucse.UUCP> jdc@naucse.UUCP (John Campbell) replies:

> I guess I'm thinking of examples from Hofstadter where fonts (even layout) 
> change to enhance meta information in text.  Original handwritten notes had 
> this capacity--why not computer text?  If amateur literature (letters, email, 
> etc.) has proven useful, couldn't a case be made for amateur layout.
> Perhaps 3000 years from now it will be common to "write" with expression; 
> maybe we'll have to learn meta-literacy.

Did Hofstadter typeset Godel, Escher, Bach?  Without professional help?

I think you've got this backwards.  When you have no need for novel layout,
use something like unmodified LaTeX.  If you do nave a need, it's best to
consult a professional (or an expert amateur) so that you don't make a hash
of it.

It is a very common failing that new users of troff or TeX all of the sudden
want to do all kinds of wild and fancy things.  Simple is usually better,
but it takes some people a long time to catch on.  Some never do.

"a great deal of amateurish layout" is the inevitable result.