Looking further than the end of your nose - Was “Toolin’ Around”

Francis Nugent Dixon effendi at wanadoo.fr
Mon May 5 07:47:58 EDT 2014


Hi from Beautiful Brittany,

Richmond, 

That’s one hell of a rant against ToolBook. I think it fair to add
a few comments.

Making choices about the software that you find, like and
use is based upon ……   those three words !

Find : Sometimes you use the wrong software for solving
your problems, quite simply because you didn’t find the
one that did what you wanted, with “user-friendly” ease,
and with the bells and whistles you needed.
Many software users don’t LOOK for the right tool for them,
and so they prat around, some quite happily, oblivious of the
fact that “out there” is the tool that they would happy give an
arm and a leg for ! Ignorance is bliss …….

Like : If your list of needs is limited, then the first piece of
software you find may do the job. Tough luck, because
there is always a better tool to suit your needs, if you
spend the time looking for it.

Use : In this brave new world, there are millions and
millions of individuals, companies and administrations
using the same complex (functionally) and exhorbitant
(look at the price) tool for knocking out messages, simple
letters, memos, what have you, when they don’t use more
than 1 % of the functions available (heard of Microsoft Word ?)

People who use the wrong software for solving their problems
deserve all they get. Companies and administrations use a
hammer when they think that their basic problem is a nail.

People who have not found LiveCode, are suffering from
those three little words. Just thank your lucky stars that you
DID find it. A good product is not always sold because of
a high profile advertisement program. Most of the top-notch
applications are sold by the users who were lucky enough to
search and find it, and then broadcast the good news to
friends and collegues.

When Hypercard finally died the death, I was like a fish out
of water for quite some time before I literally stumbled on
Revolution. I was pratting around with unsatisfactory apps
for years before I found GraphicConvertor, EazyDraw, Skim,
and other such gems. Then, after finding these apps, I went
through the “Like” and “Use” before I was sure that I had
what I needed.

I spend possibly a few hours a week googling for apps
which may better solve some of my problems. I 
download and test hundreds of apps before dropping
most of them in the trash. But sometimes, I am rewarded.
Oh ! and of course, they have to be “inter-app” compatible !

And often, because I am an insanely difficult person to please,
When I don’t find what I want ….. I write it in LiveCode ….

So don’t knock Toolbook because it doesn’t DO what you
think it should. Knock off a few scripts in Livecode for
an “Ad Hoc” problem you have, and be happy that you
are not using papyrus and slate to record your thoughts,
your needs, and your solutions. You’ll feel better !!

And finally, you may explain to your buddies, that you use
a word processor that is free, and which does all a normal
user wants, with ease, and find that they never even tried it.
This is because they already have Microsoft Word, and
HATE the idea of learning something NEW and BETTER.
They found their hammer, and…… they use it !

Best Regards

-Francis

“Nothing should ever be done for the first time”





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