[Nottingham] Text terminal working (Re: Linux VM performance)

[Aaron Jackson]

Martin via Nottingham writes:

> On 18/05/16 12:26, Daryl via Nottingham wrote:
>> http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27407502
>> 
>> Sort of relevant. How George RR Martin still uses DOS for word
>> processing as there are fewer distractions.
>> 
>> (Says me, distracted by the BBC News site when I have a deadline to
>> produce some work by Friday and I'm already behind...)
>
>
> OK, this is a good excuse for an anti-WYSIWYG rant! :-)
>
>
> Similarly so for gaining vastly greater productivity using LaTeX to do
> all the *formatting* for you. I've used that myself from DOS, and then
> from Linux terminals, with a DVI viewer to check the final result before
> committing to some very expensive physical printing.
>
> All this WYSIWYG is even less applicable in "word processor" software
> than possibly all other aspects of GUIs and it is hellish distracting
> from being able to focus purely on _what it is_ you are trying to say.
>

I couldn't agree more with this. I was forced to use Word a year or so
ago, for quite a short document. It was just one problem after
another. For me, nothing beats document creation using LaTeX and Emacs.

> You should be engrossed in your message and the efficient /use/ of words
> rather than becoming lost in the beauty of the artwork of the laser-cut
> letters of your writing. Or, if you like pretty looking letters and have
> the belief that if printed on a colour laser printer then 'it must be
> right'... Instead take up the mindlessness of the art of illumination
> and the many hours lost in that artwork for a single printed character?
>
>
> LaTeX is far far faster to use than a certain far too commonly used
> clunky lump of distraction and frustrating inconsistency... However...
> It also looks too much like programming for many people to even be able
> to make a start. Or?...
>
>
> And as you must notice... This email is all txt rather than the bloat
> and distraction of html 'rich' formatting.

You won't be catching me sending any disgusting HTML emails either. My
email is downloaded using mbsync to a Maildir. I read, write and send
emails using mu4e which is an excellent client running under Emacs.

>
> It's all in the message rather than the Marketing glossy vanity of
> 'look-good' distraction...
>
> :-P
>
>
> Cheers,
> Martin
>
>
> WYSIWYG: What You See Is What You Get (and is rarely applicable!)
>
> GUI: Graphical User Interface - clicky distraction!
>
> Art of illumination:
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminated_manuscript