5.0658 Bibliography SW (2/83)

Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Mon, 10 Feb 1992 22:27:50 EST

Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 5, No. 0658. Monday, 10 Feb 1992.

(1) Date: Thu, 6 Feb 92 15:17:54 -0500 (48 lines)
From: "David A. Hoekema" <hoekema@brahms.udel.edu>
Subject: WPCitation

(2) Date: Thu, 6 Feb 1992 16:08 -0500 (35 lines)
From: "Her lips spoke tender words... `Hey Joe, you
Subject: Biblio SW

(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 6 Feb 92 15:17:54 -0500
From: "David A. Hoekema" <hoekema@brahms.udel.edu>
Subject: WPCitation

I misdirected the following message, which I will try to resend to you,
with apologies for the garbage at the top:
From hoekema Thu Feb 6 14:54:55 1992
Received: by brahms.udel.edu
(5.61+/IDA-1.2.8) id AA03759; Thu, 6 Feb 92 14:49:12 -0500
Date: Thu, 6 Feb 92 14:49:12 -0500
From: Mail Delivery Subsystem <MAILER-DAEMON@brahms.udel.edu>
Message-Id: <9202061949.AA03759@brahms.udel.edu>
To: hoekema@brahms.udel.edu
Subject: Returned mail: User unknown
Status: R

----- Transcript of session follows -----
550 editors... User unknown

----- Unsent message follows -----
Received: by brahms.udel.edu
(5.61+/IDA-1.2.8) id AA03279; Thu, 6 Feb 92 14:49:12 -0500
Date: Thu, 6 Feb 92 14:49:12 -0500
From: "David A. Hoekema" <hoekema@brahms.udel.edu>
Message-Id: <9202061949.AA03279@brahms.udel.edu>
To: editors@brahms.udel.edu
Subject: WPCitation
Cc: mllmikem@ubvms.bitnet

Michael Metzger's mention of WPCitation from Oberon Resources supports
my impressions: it works very well in formatting according to a
bewildering variety of formats within WP. But it must be the most
spectacularly user-hostile program or utility I have ever encountered.
In entering data you must follow detailed and counterintuitive
instructions to get the data into the right merge field, and it is
extremely easy to get things misplaced, end record commands in the
wrong place, etc. etc. It feels a bit like playing checkers with
your eyes closed. Moreover, the program requires you to store the
*.exe files in the same directory as WP and its many macros in the
regular WP macro directory, violating every principle of software
design for easy maintenance, updating, and troubleshooting. I have
complained about these things to their support line, and the individuals
I spoke to have been helpful in suggesting ways around the program's
quirks and limitations. And it is glacially slow even on a 386 (like
half an hour to format a couple dozen cites).
--David Hoekema / American Philosophical Assn / Philosophy, U of
Delaware

(2) --------------------------------------------------------------45----
Date: Thu, 6 Feb 1992 16:08 -0500
From: "Her lips spoke tender words... `Hey Joe, you
Subject: Biblio SW

>Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 5, No. 0646. Wednesday, 5 Feb 1992.
>From: hahne@epas.utoronto.ca (Harry Hahne)
>LIBRARY MASTER is a PC bibliographic database manager that produces
>bibliographies and other reports in the native file formats of a
>variety of word processors, ... [6 or 7 more lines about how good
>Library Master is].

In 1952 EC Comics published a story in one of their comics which
swiped from two Ray Bradbury stories. EC not long after got a letter,
which I will partially type in below:

Just a note to remind you of an oversight. You have
not as yet sent on the check for $50.00 to cover the
use of secondary rights on my two stories THE ROCKET
MAN and KALEIDOSCOPE which appeared in your WEIRD-FANTASY
May-June '52 #13, with the cover-all title of HOME TO STAY.
I feel this was probably overlooked in the general
confusion of office-work, and look forward to your
payment in the near future. My very best wishes to
you.
Yours cordially,
Ray Bradbury

I mention the above because Hahne probably overlooked in the general
confusion of office-work the need to mention that he at one time
marketed (through BITNET and the Internet) and sold Library master.
Perhaps he still does. I hope the Editors of Humanist, if they had
known, would not have sent Hahne's message out without that caveat.

Keith Handley, Amherst College Academic Computer Center
kehandley@amherst, kehandley@amherst.edu