This post originated from an RSS feed registered with Python Buzz by Dean Goodmanson. Original Post: Word for collaborationware? Bah. Wiki It! Feed Title: Dean Goodmanson: Slices of Py Feed URL: http://www.pycs.net/sqr/categories/slicesOfPy/rss.xml Feed Description: Bits from the world of the Python programming language. Latest Python Buzz Posts Latest Python Buzz Posts by Dean Goodmanson Latest Posts From Dean Goodmanson: Slices of Py

Word Considered Harmful: Microsoft Word is a popular tool for creating documentation, but Word is often not the best tool. [Eric M. Burke]

Not just Ms. Word in the board room with the paper-clip, them overfalutin' VVerd Prospectors.  You know, the ones that...

• Remind you that you rarely write letters to friends,
• Shoot you a bullet when you wanted an dash,
• Number your list starting with the next number from 5 pages ago, and
• Set your indentations at a different measurement system per section (silly you for fiddling with that tab 4 pages ago!)
• sticking you to correct a line of odd font you pasted in from 'dig my cursive email font' Jane from marketing, all the while...
• locking up inthe middle of that second unsent email because you naively chose Word for your Outlook email editor!

Yes folks, theres nothing like a Wiki.  Instead of fighting with the 'helper' functions you can enter the brain stretching world of text formatting helpers and WikiName memory games all while retiring your Tab key into the CAPS and Scroll lock key retirement world of useless and annoying when attempted keys.

Bottomline: Wikis do what you say.  Word Processors mangle what you do.

+1 to those wiki's that allow HTML when your tired of 'simple' markup and [[freeform links]] when your words are more important than your memory.

Note: This post cannot be sung to the theme of the Beverlly Hillbillies. I just can't help humming it though when thinking that I'm quite content in my wiki world even though there's a rich froth of features down in that individualistic valley.