Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!steinmetz!ge-dab!codas!usfvax2!pollock
From: pollock@usfvax2.UUCP (Wayne Pollock)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Thelma Thistleblossom (Grammar Checkers)
Message-ID: <950@usfvax2.UUCP>
Date: 6 Feb 88 05:51:21 GMT
References: <96fordjm@byuvax.bitnet>
Reply-To: pollock@usfvax2.usf.edu.UUCP (Wayne Pollock)
Organization: University of South Florida at Tampa
Lines: 37
Summary: Are there any Mac Grammar Chechers? yes.

In article <96fordjm@byuvax.bitnet> fordjm@byuvax.bitnet writes:
>... a friend that owns a PC and he showed me what looks
>like a really useful grammar and style checking program ...
> Can anyone point me
>to some writing tools like this for the MacIntosh?  ...

There are one or two;  I found out about them through the free reader
service card in the back of MacUser.  I haven't bought one yet, so I don't
want to give a review.  Anyway, one is called "MacProof(tm) 3.0", by Automated
Language Processing Systems, Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah.  Their phone is:
(800) 354-5656.  Its supposed to be a DA which checks spelling, punctuation,
capitalization, double words; it also checks usage (offensive words, often
confused workds, wordiness, etc.), style ("be" verbs, nominalizations, etc.),
and structure (sentince beginings, paragraph structure, repetitions, etc.).

I don't have the other checker's information handy; I suggest if you're really
interested you can find ads for this stuff in any good Mac magazine.  I think
it offered similar features.

To me, this is very similar to the ol' UNIX package "WWB", which had all this
and more besides.  One thing missing from all these grammar checkers is the
ability to customize some of the checks.  For instance, I write a lot of
technical documents, where it is more appropriate to have puctionation marks
outside of quotes (for instance, ``the unix command is "cp /etc/passwd .".''
is much clearer than ``the unix command is "cp /etc/passwd .."'').  Also, the
last thing I need is yet another dictionary, and I'd bet you can't get a price
discount if you don't order the dictionary.  I'd like to be able to customize
several of the usage and style checks, too.

Sorry this got to be so long, but you hit me in a tender spot.  I am still
waiting for a good grammer and usage checker for the mac, so I hope those who
sell them read this and offer a better checker; remember not everyone uses the
mac to write books; specialty documents require customizable checkers!

Wayne Pollock (The MAD Scientist)	pollock@usfvax2.usf.edu.UUCP
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