Post B5vRL6P2ATO67I9Jse by mwl@io.mwl.io
(DIR) More posts by mwl@io.mwl.io
(DIR) Post #B5vRL6CcubSlUoLPXc by lilithsaintcrow@raggedfeathers.com
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So, uh, is Microsoft now *requiring* an Office 365 subscription even if one deliberately bought an non-“AI” version last year that was supposed to… not require that bullshit? Because if so, I am angrier than a hornet right now.
(DIR) Post #B5vRL6P2ATO67I9Jse by mwl@io.mwl.io
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@lilithsaintcrow oh, wow. link?
(DIR) Post #B5vSKE3oJMMXWzMsz2 by lilithsaintcrow@raggedfeathers.com
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@mwl No link, I just tried opening a Word doc this morning and it won't even let me type in it (though I have autoupdate etc. turned off, and have ever since I bought the non-"AI" package). Keeps trying to sell me a 365 subscription.Maybe check your own version and see if something similar is happening? I'm almost at wit's end.
(DIR) Post #B5vSKEGZXuZSAZL4sK by mwl@io.mwl.io
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@lilithsaintcrow ugh. will check when I get back to an office machine.they're trying everything to trick us into agreeing.
(DIR) Post #B5vSOg6A0cEjeCaexs by lilithsaintcrow@raggedfeathers.com
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...I've reinstalled but it's still trying to force me into an Office 365 subscription. What the absolute *hell*.Do I have to go to LibreOffice? Because I WILL.
(DIR) Post #B5vSOgIDHnsUFaEHke by mwl@io.mwl.io
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@lilithsaintcrow do share your workaround, because many of us will need one!Once I finish this tech book, I'm switching.
(DIR) Post #B5vSOgetvS1fNwqP7A by lilithsaintcrow@raggedfeathers.com
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Okay. I've found a workaround. But I will *also* be downloading LibreOffice and starting to get acquainted with it. Because trying to *force* me to swallow this "AI" slop (even when I've paid for a non-slop version) is not at ALL cricket.
(DIR) Post #B5vW1D6s1NQ2tgzII4 by JSteven@wandering.shop
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@mwl @lilithsaintcrow We're still using a 2013 version of Office here, and that's bad for a number of reasons, so Libre is probably in my future. So is Linux, at least on a laptop. Still some things I can't escape from on Windows.
(DIR) Post #B5xEcveDz1HCswLQ3c by lilithsaintcrow@raggedfeathers.com
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@mwl It involved Time Machine on Mac and a separate hard drive to take me back to a week ago and a different "version" (while turning the wifi off to force it NOT to talk to the mother ship while rolling back). I'm going to finish and save this damn document, then install LibreOffice instead and start using/learning that.
(DIR) Post #B5xEcvsP8IcRauyk9w by cstross@wandering.shop
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@lilithsaintcrow @mwl You may want to dink with the LibreOffice settings before using it for serious work, but it can be configured to look a lot like circa-2004 Microsoft Word without the ridiculous upsell.
(DIR) Post #B5xEcwAq1lMeW5bStM by itgrrl@infosec.exchange
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@cstross do you have a bunch of functional settings changes or mostly cosmetic UI stuff? would love you to share your tweaks if the former 👀 @lilithsaintcrow @mwl
(DIR) Post #B5xEcwVOnJoLXrDswK by cstross@wandering.shop
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@itgrrl @lilithsaintcrow @mwl I don't use LibreOffice for writing, only for checking (approving/stetting) copy edits. I write in Scrivener.
(DIR) Post #B5xEcwhS4VS69ErVj6 by mwl@io.mwl.io
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@cstross @lilithsaintcrow Been pondering Scrivener for my nonfiction.How is it with custom text and paragraph styles, though? My tech books are built on styles.
(DIR) Post #B5xHH8uuGgzbWvS02K by cstross@wandering.shop
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@mwl @lilithsaintcrow Scrivener isn't a layout program, it's a complex document authoring program. Keith added paragraph styles in Scriv 3 but they feel like a bit of an afterthought (and turned the "compile document" step into a complete dog's dinner).You might want to grab the free evaluation edition, you can run it on up to 30 days (discontinuous, too) before it nags you for a license code. And it's fully functional. Also, there's a manual! (400 pages of PDF.)
(DIR) Post #B5xKUatNrpR3vBqOUi by rootwyrm@weird.autos
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@cstross @mwl @lilithsaintcrow Scrivener user for many years now here.For technical writing, it has ups and downs. Notes are absolutely goddamn invaluable, as is side-by-side and even 3-way view. It's real strong there, something Word et. al have never, EVER gotten.Formatting, well. It has formatting. Kind of.It's not the worst, but, you will definitely not enjoy doing the alignment at *all*.
(DIR) Post #B5xKUbHUQCiZ7x7e4G by rootwyrm@weird.autos
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@cstross @mwl @lilithsaintcrow I bestow upon you... the SCREENSHOT OF EXPLANATION(R).edit: No I will not be taking questions as to why literally everything is labeled "Chapter", "Scene" at 56,000 words into it. Also don't ask about the question mark.
(DIR) Post #B5xKUbWNWqcxs85XH6 by mwl@io.mwl.io
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@rootwyrm @cstross @lilithsaintcrow NOPE
(DIR) Post #B5xL422utzToGyCWsC by cstross@wandering.shop
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@mwl @rootwyrm @lilithsaintcrow Well I see what's wrong RIGHT THERE—he's using Scrivener on Windows! Which is an abomination unto The Lord, for the One True Platform for Scrivener is macOS.