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The Advocate loves all things tech, especially new and cool tech, but there are just some things that stand tall in the evolutionary process and pass the test of time with flying colors. I was, still am and always will be a fan of WordPerfect. Ross Kodner at Ross Ipsa Loquitur talks about how there are still legals out there using this “venerable and venerated” word processor. Kodner notes that the stripped down processor works just fine with XP and even with Vista operating systems. He includes a link to a site offering updates allowing it to run under these systems. He also believes that the “soothing blue background” hoists him over his writer’s block and unlocks the precious flow of argument or prose. All you need is a floppy disc and a drive to bring back the magic.

I remember how much I resented when I changed employers and had to switch from WordPerfect to Word. I was so unhappy that I was thrust into a program that didn’t afford an ability to get behind the scenes in my document and easily modify its structure. And Kodner has a point: the more bells and whistles word processing programs get, the more stumbling blocks stand in the way of the writing process. There is something to be said for simplicity. Even paper and pen have their place in the modern practice – remember, once upon a time these tools were considered high tech too.