[Hidden-tech] Old Word question

[Robert Heller]

At Mon, 2 Dec 2013 15:44:40 -0500 "Don Lesser" <dlesser at ptraining.com> wrote:

> 
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> 
> Do you have to update? Can you open them using the latest version of Word?
> (You must have used Word or some other program rather than OS9 to actually
> create the files.)  If you can open them, you can just leave them alone. Or,
> convert them to make sure they are accessible going forward. What is a lot
> of files? 10, 20, 50, 100? Think about having to retype it if you need it or
> scan it or pay someone to do it for you.

The main problem with 'just leave them alone' is that at some point in the
future, the 'latest version of Word' will no longer open them. And given the
nature of Murphy's Law, *that* will be be when they need to be opened again.
:-(

> 
> If you get into Word, select Open, select the folder, then select all of the
> files in the folder (click on the first, SHIFT+Click on the last), then
> click Open, you will open them en masse. Then, you can select Save As for
> each one. Slightly less painful than open and close for each one. As for
> this being an MS Word evil, well, many programs change their file formats
> over time to accommodate new features and I'd rather have the option to
> update than not.

It is primarily a *word processing* evil, and less so a *desktop publishing*
evil. Actually it is an evil for any program using a binary proprietary
format. LaTeX/TeX for example uses *plain text* files. I once restored a user
manual written with LaTeX from an old MicroVax's backup (from 1990) and
*successfully* processed it on a Linux machine sometime around 2004 using a
modern version of LaTeX. Asside from a warning about using an old style
preamble, it compiled and I was able to print the manual out.

> 
> I would not convert them to PDFs. You can edit them (in the latest version
> of Word, for example), but the process is much more painful and converting
> from a PDF requires more steps. I converted a novel written on a mainframe
> in 1981 to four different word processors over the years and each time I was
> happy to be able to do it at all.

The *best* most future proofed format is *plain text*. Yes, you lose all
*formatting*, but the *text* is forever available for import into *any* future
program.

> 
> Don Lesser
> Pioneer Training, Inc.
> 139B Damon Road, Ste 8
> Northampton, MA 01060
> (413) 387-1040
> (413) 586-0545 (fax)
> dlesser at ptraining.com
> www.ptraining.com
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net
> [mailto:hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net] On Behalf Of Dede
> Wilson
> Sent: Monday, December 02, 2013 1:29 PM
> To: Hidden-Tech Listserv
> Subject: [Hidden-tech] Old Word question
> 
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-- 
Robert Heller             -- 978-544-6933 / heller at deepsoft.com
Deepwoods Software        -- http://www.deepsoft.com/
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