Word / text processing software and N and S types

[just a user]

Hi list,

I made an rough observation at my college, concerning personality types and the usage of certain word / text processing software.

- S types tend to like wysiwyg stuff, like MS Word or Open Office. They can be obsessed for hours with templates, how certain fonts, lines, colors look, etc. They can also spend hours on photoshop and the like, working on images. I envy that because they can get all the detail work done.

- N types tend to use stuff like LaTeX or XSL:FO where you usually don't have to deal with stuff like that, because some software is doing all the typesetting for you and you can (hopefully) use pre-existing templates. They are rather obsessed with the structure of a text, not the layout.

Can anybody comment on this? I know it is a highly superficial observation, but there seems to be the tendency.

Best regards,
just a user

[Jakalwarrior]

I use open office, because it free. Ive never had much problem getting the text layout how I want it though. Atleast not on the work I do. I can also spend hours in photoshop creating artwork etc... Not uncommon for me to spend 4-6 hours straight on it.

[AutisticCuckoo]

I wrote my latest* book in Open Office, but I'm marking up the index entries in LaTeX. :)

You may be on the right track, though. I work with web design/development and I prefer simple and efficient tools like Vim, rather than the more complex and convoluted tools like Eclipse or the point-and-click rubbish like Dreamweaver.

* I love being able to say 'my latest book' although it's only the second one. :p

[lisakki]

Hi list,

I made an rough observation at my college, concerning personality types and the usage of certain word / text processing software.

- S types tend to like wysiwyg stuff, like MS Word or Open Office. They can be obsessed for hours with templates, how certain fonts, lines, colors look, etc. They can also spend hours on photoshop and the like, working on images. I envy that because they can get all the detail work done.

- N types tend to use stuff like LaTeX or XSL:FO where you usually don't have to deal with stuff like that, because some software is doing all the typesetting for you and you can (hopefully) use pre-existing templates. They are rather obsessed with the structure of a text, not the layout.

Can anybody comment on this? I know it is a highly superficial observation, but there seems to be the tendency.

Best regards,
just a user

To me, nothing could be more intuitive than MSWord.

[HackerX]

The question is analogous to how I prefer to develop GUI user interfaces when programming (via code and not via WYSIWYG RAD tools).

Ironicly though, the same for me isn't true with document formatting. I'll take wysiwyg any day, for speed

[nerdgirl]

I think it depends on the task. I agree with AutisticCuckoo and HackerX... I like simple tools like Vim for technical tasks like programming. But to write a letter, I use OpenOffice.

When writing a letter, I really don't care what goes on behind the scenes, but when programming I want to know exactly what is going on, and I don't want to spend time dealing with a lot of 'helpful' functionality.

[Ijz]

I'm a borderline on the N/S but I always go for WYSIWYG. Especially when developing software for a broader audience, I know that WYSIWYG will always be understood. A good visual user interface just gives you so much more feedback.

- S types tend to like wysiwyg stuff, like MS Word or Open Office. They can be obsessed for hours with templates, how certain fonts, lines, colors look, etc. They can also spend hours on photoshop and the like, working on images. I envy that because they can get all the detail work done.
Heh, I can do that. When creating an icon I can spend hours just to get exactly right. I've also found myself obsessed when for instance re-creating a user-interface found in mainstream software.

Actually, I've often contributed this to the fact that some are more visually oriented, while others are either auditory- or kinesthetic oriented.

I myself am for instance not easily disturbed by sounds but rather by visuals. Would you guys say that sounds disturb you easier than something visual would? Hence are N's more auditory oriented?

[ehares]

I use Textmate (which falls pretty deep into your “N-type” group) for everything obviously applicable (mostly various forms of writing, including this post), but I haven't had to do any page layout for a while. When I did, I never really had a chance to become attached to any particular app or even learn LaTeX.

You people describing vi(m) as simple is confusing and frightening. Certainly it is so visually, but operationally? Unless the usage model is just so alien to me as to make use of the app hopelessly convoluted.