tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post8338036461371349440..comments2024-03-15T09:26:02.796-05:00Comments on PROJECT MAYHEM: The Year 17 A.W.Project Mayhemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05154342399869089664noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-21357474704883712272012-05-01T06:10:46.327-05:002012-05-01T06:10:46.327-05:00Find and replace is great, but you have to be care...Find and replace is great, but you have to be careful with it and read through everything afterword. Some people allow those cool functions to do their work for them and get lazy.<br /><br />I once reviewed a self-published book (already gone to print and everything) where the author had obviously changed a character named MATT into MAX. The problem was she'd done a "Replace all" thing -- and every single word that had MATT in it was affected. "What the maxer, honey?" "It didn't maxer one way or another." I gently pointed out in my review that there were major editing errors -- and the author got ticked off at me.<br /><br />But come on. That was a pretty grievous error. It pervaded the whole book.Dianne K. Salernihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16459839567235304842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-34022142503958911492012-04-30T18:41:18.567-05:002012-04-30T18:41:18.567-05:00You guys were all rich kids, huh? I used notebooks...You guys were all rich kids, huh? I used notebooks to write my early works. And sometimes we couldn't afford those, so I'd tie scrap paper together with bread ties. No, seriously. Times were hard in the ghetto neighborhoods of Bayberry in Liverpool, NY. <br /><br />I didn't start actually typing stuff I wrote until, I don't know 98-99?<br /><br />Wait, that's a lie. I remember trying to write a retelling of the Frog Prince on whatever word processor my dad had on his work computer (computer programmer). It had a wizard named Potter (no, really). This was 1992. But that was it.John Zeleznikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10301257444191880316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-4017212260465876062012-04-30T17:39:37.414-05:002012-04-30T17:39:37.414-05:00Oh, I had one of those word processors! My husband...Oh, I had one of those word processors! My husband told me that he'd buy me one when I sold my first story. I think he was betting that he wouldn't have to shell out for one. But I made my first sale early on. I loved that thing back in the day. But now I'm eternally grateful for the cut and paste features.Ruth Schiffmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02625363295823548969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-18775958144888419402012-04-30T15:45:31.328-05:002012-04-30T15:45:31.328-05:00We had one of those fancy electric typewriters tha...We had one of those fancy electric typewriters that had its own special white-out key, too! My mom used to make us type 2 pages and then she'd do the rest. She couldn't stand listening to us try and type. <br /><br />Peck.<br />(silence)<br />Peck peck.<br />(silence)<br />Dang it! <br />(tell-tale delete noise)<br />Peck.TL Conwayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08831728300345220814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-59878535401756233182012-04-30T14:51:35.550-05:002012-04-30T14:51:35.550-05:00I really love the ability to cut and move large bl...I really love the ability to cut and move large blocks of text.David Kazziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11753721662077319561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-39601649336026584992012-04-30T10:37:06.519-05:002012-04-30T10:37:06.519-05:00Connie, I have encountered the same issue. I usual...Connie, I have encountered the same issue. I usually do a little lesson on the pitfalls of using the spell/grammar check, and it helps some, but not all, of my students to see that they can make their paper worse if they are not actively engaged in the writing process.Paul Grecihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11340974339238587138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-56644008842836013302012-04-30T10:28:53.953-05:002012-04-30T10:28:53.953-05:00Connie, I think the grammar check can be useful fo...Connie, I think the grammar check can be useful for simple mistakes, but I agree, a lot of the "issues" it brings up have no bearing on the actual text. I cannot imagine some of the papers you get! ;)Hilary Wagnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18199287020561210673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-29053629784379256342012-04-30T10:11:43.830-05:002012-04-30T10:11:43.830-05:00Find and replace is wonderful and spell check is a...Find and replace is wonderful and spell check is a useful tool. Unfortunately, though, I find some of my students over-rely on spell/grammar check. Some students see those wiggly lines and then accept the first suggested solution for everything without reading their work to see if it really fits in the context. It can make for some bizarre papers, and sadly indicates that these students are not doing any kind of real revision because either they don't care or because their reading comprehension in English or their grasp of standard grammar is so low.Connie B. Dowellhttp://www.bookechoes.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-22837338719400393632012-04-30T09:25:26.483-05:002012-04-30T09:25:26.483-05:00I really like the track changes feature.I really like the track changes feature.Paul Grecihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11340974339238587138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-53427588606912431142012-04-30T08:48:17.286-05:002012-04-30T08:48:17.286-05:00Ah, Word Perfect! Thanks, Matt, for that blast of ...Ah, Word Perfect! Thanks, Matt, for that blast of nostalgia.<br /><br />Great post, Mike. I just last week changed the name of one of my characters at one stroke. Easy peasy thanks to find/replace. Now I just need to train my brain about the change.Michael G-Ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07947421844294471304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-58350575214587681762012-04-30T08:19:51.955-05:002012-04-30T08:19:51.955-05:00Yes, the find/replace feature is great! I do use s...Yes, the find/replace feature is great! I do use some of the grammar features as well. I'm notorious for thinking of one word (such as there) but writing another (such as their). The grammar check has helped alleviate some of my lame typos! ;) Great post, Michael! Where would we be without word?Hilary Wagnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18199287020561210673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-61856041889100569962012-04-30T08:15:33.857-05:002012-04-30T08:15:33.857-05:00You know, I don't know if I've ever seen a...You know, I don't know if I've ever seen a true word processor before!Caroline Starr Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04597510685273079757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-43392073101961392432012-04-30T07:49:23.743-05:002012-04-30T07:49:23.743-05:00I remember writing about a half a novel in Word Pe...I remember writing about a half a novel in Word Perfect when I was like 13. It would have been around 1990-1 or so. Track Changes and the comments that come with it has to be the best feature. I have no idea how critiquing was handled before this.Matthew MacNishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03264738483763244969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-37104536126897572902012-04-30T06:54:44.800-05:002012-04-30T06:54:44.800-05:00So true! I use both of those features often. I als...So true! I use both of those features often. I also like the "Document Map" feature under View, so that I can easily find a chapter heading I want to go to.Andrea Mackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15250681746122381149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-48454710470938861202012-04-30T06:53:37.368-05:002012-04-30T06:53:37.368-05:00Thank goodness for spellcheck too!Thank goodness for spellcheck too!LM Prestonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16624508396760965680noreply@blogger.com