Where Word Processors Fall Short
The inability to lay out the multiple pages of one document as you would on a desk. The current generation of word processors, quite frankly, sucks at enabling this. Why?
Because when storage was scarce, deleting useless stuff was an important function. (Particularly when the storage medium was paper, where deleting was a real pain in the ass.) So the workflow design was rigid.
But now, when storage is plentiful and errors don’t mean as much, apps should be coded on a backbone of ‘open processes.’ That is, concurrent storage/retrieval of multiple revisions.
For example, as I write something, I may have multiple takes on it. Different paragraphs that don’t yet make a coherent piece. Using a vertical interface is a roadblock. Instead, I open multiple documents and write different takes in each. Then I can see them all on the screen and take a look at what needs to be pulled from where to create a final document.
Y’know, like index cards of the past.
-Shlok
Sign up for my newsletter.
Comments (2)