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1701

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Comparative Review of Writers' Tools (INITIAL DRAFT)

« Last post by wraith808 on May 21, 2018, 02:57 PM »

I have now done the table for Atomic Scribbler. I found it attractive, but it felt like a light program, and I'm not sure how it would stand up to a lengthy or heavy piece of work; this impression may be false. Some irritations, and felt a little slow.

I'm not sure about future development. It has just been made free with only the SmartEdit add-on providing an income for the developer. He'd said that 92% of his SmartEdit sales came from the Word version and has just released SmartEdit Pro just for Word. There has to be a question of how much future development the income from Atomic Scribbler and its add-on will justify. The add-on for Atomic Scribbler is fairly basic, but a lot of self published books would have benefited from it.

-Dormouse (May 21, 2018, 02:30 PM)

https://www.atomicsc...ntroducingSmartEdit/

He addresses a lot of it in that post, and on the forums.  He's actively on the forums and soliciting improvements, and uses the application himself.  He was just dissatisfied at the adoption rate as a paid application.  I don't think the development of the program is at risk, personally.  And am looking at using it as the basis for a lot of my development because I quite like how open it is compared to Scrivener.  He's even provided me with help for a supporting application that I'm looking at developing to get items from his format into markdown for compatibility (especially as I use Sublime Text for a lot of my editing currently)

https://forum.atomicscribbler.com/

1702

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Comparative Review of Writers' Tools (INITIAL DRAFT)

« Last post by wraith808 on May 21, 2018, 01:57 PM »

I submit the different sections and get redlining separate.
Having them as one document with sections would not be tenable.  At least for me. 
And submitting the one doc for redlines and keeping the comments relevant- not sure he would have appreciated that.  He seemed to appreciate having them segregated a lot more. 

-wraith808 (May 21, 2018, 10:43 AM)

I think that you've found that this is a structure that works best for you. There may be other ways, but this suits your thinking the best and makes you more productive.
That gives you a very specific set of needs; other people may find other ways of achieving the same result.

-Dormouse (May 21, 2018, 11:19 AM)

I fully get that, which was why I was asking.  I just never seem to write a whole work professionally- it's always parceled out in sections to different writers.

1703

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Comparative Review of Writers' Tools (INITIAL DRAFT)

« Last post by wraith808 on May 21, 2018, 10:43 AM »

I did a 1500 word submission for one project, and still broke it up into multiple files- one for each scene in the document.  Having to have one long document is very hard to work with in my experience.

I'd rather have one interface where I can go from document to document in the same session.

And then there's the problem of formats... my client decided to have us submit over google docs, and google docs added in extra spaces, and completely messed up Word formatting, when it states that it imports Word documents.   

But yeah, having something that has references to all of the documents that make up a larger document that can be opened and edited independently has become key to me, since I started writing semi-professionally.

-wraith808 (May 20, 2018, 09:39 PM)

I understand the allure of a single program. But can be done separately.

You can do outlining separately. Even in a sticky or a mindmap, depending on your need. In a small, always on top, window.
Then you can write in anything. Even WriteMonkey will allow easy switching between sections.
What you lose is the automatic re-ordering when you change your outline.
I would always separate formatting from writing even if I intend to use the same program for both. The formatting stage is when I will stick all the files together as one document.

The issue of references and research is a little more complex.

• Have they all be garnered for this particular piece of work?
• Will you use them later?
• Have they been selected from a much larger repository?

The first is much simpler.
But for any, you could just use OneNote (or other equivalent) and have a section or page for you project and have them available on that. And then do your writing on whatever you fancy.

You will note that I am separating the concept of a chunk of the work, from external references. I regard them differently, you may not need to.

-Dormouse (May 21, 2018, 03:18 AM)

I submit the different sections and get redlining separate.  They might not even intrinsically be a single subject, but just relate to each other in a generic way.  In one example, I was writing about separate experiences in different parts of the world- but all exist in the same world, so I have to reference each.  Having them as one document with sections would not be tenable.  At least for me.  And submitting the one doc for redlines and keeping the comments relevant- not sure he would have appreciated that.  He seemed to appreciate having them segregated a lot more. 

This isn't to say that I never use separate programs for certain tasks- I do.  But usually that is because of a limitation of what I'm writing in, rather than something that is more conducive to writing.  Always on top bugs me to no end.  If I do use them, then I segregate the screen for them, or put them on a separate screen.  Just my preference.

1704

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Comparative Review of Writers' Tools (INITIAL DRAFT)

« Last post by wraith808 on May 21, 2018, 10:31 AM »

OneNote
Available in nearly all corporates that use Word.

-Dormouse (May 21, 2018, 02:59 AM)

One note doesn't work for me.  And I've tried.  Just not good for me in writing.

1705

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Comparative Review of Writers' Tools (INITIAL DRAFT)

« Last post by wraith808 on May 20, 2018, 09:39 PM »

I don't know that I can comment on the advantages of a separate project manager without knowing the precise use you have in mind. If there is an integrated program that does it well for you, then it seems unlikely that a separate program will have any advantages.

-Dormouse (May 20, 2018, 06:30 PM)

When I say project manager, I mean something that manages the files in a document, if you don't want to have a monolithic document.  It also makes it easier for proofing.  I did a 1500 word submission for one project, and still broke it up into multiple files- one for each scene in the document.  Having to have one long document is very hard to work with in my experience.  Not sure if most feel the same way.  And having to deal with each of those documents separately is a pain also.  I'd rather have one interface where I can go from document to document in the same session.  It's the reason that I don't use vanilla word.  After my add-in stopped working in the latest version of Word (http://writingoutliner.com/), I tried to manage the documents in there, and Word lost a lot of work.  If I'd been more patient, perhaps it would have come back.  But I waited for 30 minutes, and it was still hung.  And it did it several times.  I found more lift in editing in chunks in Markdown, outputting to one HTML or PDF document, then pasting it into Word for the final formatting.  And then there's the problem of formats... my client decided to have us submit over google docs, and google docs added in extra spaces, and completely messed up Word formatting, when it states that it imports Word documents.  Now I'm just rambling. 

But yeah, having something that has references to all of the documents that make up a larger document that can be opened and edited independently has become key to me, since I started writing semi-professionally.

1706

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Comparative Review of Writers' Tools (INITIAL DRAFT)

« Last post by wraith808 on May 20, 2018, 02:38 PM »

There are many advantages of integrated.
And many advantages of separate.

-Dormouse (May 20, 2018, 11:34 AM)

It would be nice to state these.  I apparently stepped on some toes stating it in such a plain way, and such was not my intent.  I've just never seen where other than writing in a dedicated fashion as a text editor that a separate one is useful in doing serious writing on a project.

I personally haven't experienced any advantages of a separate project manager to keep track of your work and have it in front of you.  And I've tried, so I'd like to see that use case set forth to truly evaluate it.  I've noticed that in most cases where it's not there, there is a separate add on or advancement (like writemonkey's) to add in project management.  I use notepad++ without, but then again, I don't open projects in it.

1707

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Comparative Review of Writers' Tools (INITIAL DRAFT)

« Last post by wraith808 on May 20, 2018, 09:21 AM »

I think of writemonkey more as a strict editing tool rather than a writer's tool.  I use it alongside my writing tools- I love the distraction free writing, and the ability to play music while you're there.  But managing projects and such, I find that it falls flat.

-wraith808 (May 18, 2018, 11:26 AM)

Calling WriteMonkey an "editing tool" rather than a "writer's tool" is an unusual characterisation. You seem to be using the term "editing" in an idiosyncratic way.

To me WriteMonkey is very much a "writer's tool", as it focuses on one of the most important aspects of writing: the act of writing itself.

Once I'd written my text in WriteMonkey, then I might take it to MS Word or some other word processor to edit it, format it, and typeset it.

But even you say that you use WM for writing primarily, so maybe by "editing" you mean 'writing'.

As for lack of project management capability (presumably of writing projects), I don't see that as an absolute requirement for a writing software. I also have Scrivener, which has all the bells and whistles, but I find it too distracting and much prefer to do my writing in WriteMonkey.

P.S. What I'm trying to say is that there are myriad other task and project management tools out there that can be used to manage a writing project, so they don't necessarily need to be built into specialist writing software.

-dr_andus (May 20, 2018, 06:18 AM)

Perhaps I should have expanded, but I think that the rest of that statement puts into perspective what I mean by 'editing tool'.  Not like something like smartedit or prowritingaid, but a text editor, so I don't find it an unusual characterization, because that's what it is.  But as I said... I think.  And in my experience, I think that the project management is a task that for writing professionally, I've found that I need integrated.  I have to do several self referential checks within the software, so when I'm not just writing a self-contained work, which I've never had the opportunity to do since I've started doing it professionally, being able to easily reference the other work within that project is something that I need.  Not in an external tool, but right there.  This might not be the same for all, but for me, that's what I think and I need.  Which is the way that all of us reference these things, I think- even the creators in many cases.   A plain text editor won't cut it for me in most cases.

1708

General Software Discussion / Re: Microsoft OneNote - some experiential Tips & Tricks

« Last post by wraith808 on May 19, 2018, 08:10 PM »

What I had noticed was that the ability to unlock and use some newly-updated/developed nifty MS Office functionality had sometimes been predicated on the user migrating from earlier versions of Windows to Windows 10 and/or OneDrive.
In other words, there was (apparently deliberately) no backwards compatibility, but it did not threaten to invalidate  existing licences. I had thought that this was probably nothing more than an incentive to urge users to the newer OS, but still, it did seem to smack of coercion and making existing/old licences seem to be obsolete.

-IainB (May 19, 2018, 11:55 AM)

Understanding programming and features in .NET, it could be perfectly valid based on features being available in supporting versions of the framework that weren't available in older operating systems and supporting programs.  They can't be expected to support old versions of their software forever.

1709

DC Gamer Club / Re: Free Game on Humble Store

« Last post by wraith808 on May 19, 2018, 09:59 AM »

Forgot to post this, so more limited time on the redemption.

Galactic Civilizations II is available for about 2 more hours (it's currently 11AM EST on 2018-05-19).  Another one I recommend.

1710

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Comparative Review of Writers' Tools (INITIAL DRAFT)

« Last post by wraith808 on May 18, 2018, 04:32 PM »

But managing projects and such, I find that it falls flat.

-wraith808 (May 18, 2018, 11:26 AM)

Project management is coming in the next release of the v3 beta

-Dormouse (May 18, 2018, 02:57 PM)

That's welcome to hear.

1711

Developer's Corner / Re: Ideas for getting more users to pay for your software

« Last post by wraith808 on May 18, 2018, 11:44 AM »

Anuran does something similar, and is what I used before I started using WakaTime.

1712

General Software Discussion / Re: Microsoft OneNote - some experiential Tips & Tricks

« Last post by wraith808 on May 18, 2018, 11:39 AM »

I don't think that you lose access to documents or files.

I also don't think that the Office365 price is excessive.
In the UK I can buy a 5 computer licence for between £50 and £60 from Amazon which can last 13 months (by switching to automatic renewal which you then turn off to enter your new annual code). And that also gives you 1TB storage. I can remember the prices that Bill Gates charged.

-Dormouse (May 18, 2018, 08:03 AM)

You don't, and I agree it's quite good, and agree that the price isn't exorbitant.

1713

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Comparative Review of Writers' Tools (INITIAL DRAFT)

« Last post by wraith808 on May 18, 2018, 11:26 AM »

I think of writemonkey more as a strict editing tool rather than a writer's tool.  I use it alongside my writing tools- I love the distraction free writing, and the ability to play music while you're there.  But managing projects and such, I find that it falls flat.


And on another note, your continued posting in this thread reminds me that I need to get on the stick and write my own LOL.

1714

Developer's Corner / Re: Ideas for getting more users to pay for your software

« Last post by wraith808 on May 17, 2018, 10:59 PM »

In terms of getting paid for lines of code, you could convert that to hours after you figure out what the average lines per hour are. Then you just need to divide the current total number of lines by  the ALPH (average lines per hour) to get your hours figure. I'm stuck on the hourly figure because I think most people can relate to that.

-McMick (May 17, 2018, 09:22 PM)

Everything doesn't boil down to how much code, however.  Much time is spent in coming up with a good design, and that, I don't think, translates well.  In fact, the highest paid programmers are paid for their knowledge more than their coding ability.  And some of the most useful software doesn't have that many lines of code.

1715

General Software Discussion / Re: Microsoft OneNote - some experiential Tips & Tricks

« Last post by wraith808 on May 16, 2018, 10:19 PM »

I just did an activation of an older copy of office recently, so not sure what the disconnect is.  Does it say that he attempted to call Microsoft support to straighten it out?  Or is this merely another from of FUD?

1716

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« Last post by wraith808 on May 14, 2018, 10:01 AM »

What if there's a person hidden behind the target?

-ConstanceJill (May 14, 2018, 09:54 AM)

Well, it's been said that bullets have no buddies.  So once it's out of the chamber...

1717

Living Room / Re: FreewareHome closing down

« Last post by wraith808 on May 14, 2018, 09:57 AM »

There appears to be hope if a new player comes on the scene.

I'm afraid, unless some young enthusiast of FREEware comes to us, the answer will be to bow out. All 3 current contributors have health issues & none of us are young anymore.

I'm afraid I fall into the same category, but perhaps someone else will step up...

1718

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Mini review: The Journal

« Last post by wraith808 on May 14, 2018, 09:55 AM »

I have a copy and found the author to be responsive.

-cranioscopical (May 14, 2018, 08:43 AM)

I'd echo this.

1719

General Software Discussion / Re: desktop sharing tool

« Last post by wraith808 on May 13, 2018, 09:35 PM »

I've just been using Skype as of late.  It works well enough for my purposes.

1720

Living Room / Re: Photography and Camera Related

« Last post by wraith808 on May 12, 2018, 10:47 AM »

So, I'm not a photographer, though my wife is.  And she made me realize the effects of light on your photographs, no matter what they are.  And so I purchased a light box for taking my keyboard photos.  And it's made such a difference!

I purchased an OrangeMonkie Foldio2, and wanted to recommend it.

https://smile.amazon...phone/dp/B013SVNWF2/

It, plus having a separate shutter control (a Just Mobile ShutterGrip - https://just-mobile....ariant=9787265220650) has changed the quality of even my pictures.

1721

Living Room / Re: From the Tinfoil Hat Department - FaceBook Listening?

« Last post by wraith808 on May 10, 2018, 07:15 PM »

And if the most common kneejerk reaction is like Stephen's above … Well... It wouldn't really be that hard to get away with.

-Stoic Joker (May 10, 2018, 03:56 PM)

This.  As I said, I dismissed it as I must have shared it before.  But some of it is inexplainable, like pinterest knowing (without me linking it to other platforms) that it was my anniversary month, and showing me gifts.  And I don't even talk about any family on any platform.  That was creepy.

1722

Living Room / Re: My board game recommendations for family holidays

« Last post by wraith808 on May 10, 2018, 02:32 PM »

Several boardgames have sites like that, and they're cool... and addictive.

http://www.slothninja.com/
http://www.yucata.de/en/
http://www.mabiweb.com/index.php
http://www.amarriner.com/rb/

The first three have several games... the last one is only Roads and Boats.

Maybe we can get together a group that likes to play at a leisurely pace to play some of these.

1723

Living Room / Re: From the Tinfoil Hat Department - FaceBook Listening?

« Last post by wraith808 on May 10, 2018, 02:27 PM »

I have... and just discounted it as I must have done something online.  About seemingly random stuff that I do, but don't have any online relationship with.  And not with facebook- I barely use that.  But ads in strange places.

1724

DC Gamer Club / Re: Free Game on Humble Store

« Last post by wraith808 on May 10, 2018, 02:22 PM »

The Flame in the Flood is free for the next 2 days, give or take a few hours.  I already have it, and recommend it.

1725

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Mini-review: LineByter - Find and Extract Patterns (emails,etc) from Text Files

« Last post by wraith808 on May 09, 2018, 08:48 PM »

Website is gone, can anyone provide a download link?

-smaragdus (May 09, 2018, 04:54 PM)

http://www.softpedia...neByter.shtml#status