March 8th, 2009 / 11:51 am
 Technology

I Was Wondering Which Programs Other People Use to Write Their Shitty Poetry

clippyguy

For years I just used TextEdit. It’s free, simple, and takes a second to load on even the slowest computer. I own Word, but Word takes like five minutes to load on my three-year old computer, and is sans Clippy these days, which was one of my only reasons for opening Word. I’ve tried various ‘serious MFA literature’ text editors, stuff like Ulysses and WriteRoom, but beyond their really great full screen modes, they didn’t really give me positive emotions.

I started using Pages this year, and I have been pretty happy. It has full screen mode, and I got turned-on to the typeface BiauKai, which doesn’t have bold or italic versions, but I use on everything I write anyway because I don’t like bolds or italics. Also, I’m hoping to make a sweet family newsletter sometime in the near future, and Pages looks like a real winner for that kind of thing. *fingers crossed*

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53 Comments

  1. March 8th, 2009 / 3:59 pm Jenny—

      Oh man do I miss clippy. He really did annoy me though when he would try and format my lists into some weird outline with numbers when all I wanted was bullets.

  2. March 8th, 2009 / 11:59 am Jenny—

      Oh man do I miss clippy. He really did annoy me though when he would try and format my lists into some weird outline with numbers when all I wanted was bullets.

  3. March 8th, 2009 / 4:29 pm thom young—

      i use final draft or word pad

  4. March 8th, 2009 / 12:29 pm thom young—

      i use final draft or word pad

  5. March 8th, 2009 / 5:01 pm Gene Morgan—

      I liked WordPad a lot.

  6. March 8th, 2009 / 5:01 pm P. H. M.—

      I’ve been using OpenOffice since it was first released, I still have some .sxw files. On my old Mac (until it shit the bed) I was using the Mac clone of OOo, NeoOffice. Occasionally I use Google Docs. Once upon a time I used StarOffice, the free version…

  7. March 8th, 2009 / 1:01 pm Gene Morgan—

      I liked WordPad a lot.

  8. March 8th, 2009 / 1:01 pm P. H. M.—

      I’ve been using OpenOffice since it was first released, I still have some .sxw files. On my old Mac (until it shit the bed) I was using the Mac clone of OOo, NeoOffice. Occasionally I use Google Docs. Once upon a time I used StarOffice, the free version…

  9. March 8th, 2009 / 5:14 pm Kevin—
  10. March 8th, 2009 / 1:14 pm Kevin—
  11. March 8th, 2009 / 5:37 pm ryan—

      i guess i’m old fashioned, ’cause i use word. and maybe it’s just ’cause i’m on a mac, but clippy still shows up and man does he drive me nuts.

  12. March 8th, 2009 / 1:37 pm ryan—

      i guess i’m old fashioned, ’cause i use word. and maybe it’s just ’cause i’m on a mac, but clippy still shows up and man does he drive me nuts.

  13. March 8th, 2009 / 5:39 pm mike young—

      recently, a combination of google docs and word

      before that i was using an old dos program called first choice

  14. March 8th, 2009 / 1:39 pm mike young—

      recently, a combination of google docs and word

      before that i was using an old dos program called first choice

  15. March 8th, 2009 / 5:51 pm Gene Morgan—

      I just pictured you inserting a 3.5″ floppy into your computer.

  16. March 8th, 2009 / 1:51 pm Gene Morgan—

      I just pictured you inserting a 3.5″ floppy into your computer.

  17. March 8th, 2009 / 5:54 pm Gene Morgan—

      Is anyone up for making a literary journal that is only distributed on 3.5″ floppies?

  18. March 8th, 2009 / 1:54 pm Gene Morgan—

      Is anyone up for making a literary journal that is only distributed on 3.5″ floppies?

  19. March 8th, 2009 / 5:56 pm Gene Morgan—

      It’s a terrible idea.

  20. March 8th, 2009 / 1:56 pm Gene Morgan—

      It’s a terrible idea.

  21. March 8th, 2009 / 6:00 pm Matthew Simmons—
  22. March 8th, 2009 / 2:00 pm Matthew Simmons—
  23. March 8th, 2009 / 2:11 pm pr—

      Gene, I like your idea. I’ll do it.

      I use word. But I have this “dramaurgy” or something I keep meaning to try for laughs. And every other week I tell myself I’m gonna use some fancy screenplay thing and try to write stuff for aqua teen and tim and eric. And, other stuff.

  24. March 8th, 2009 / 6:13 pm davidpeak—

      i don’t know. i got really excited about that for a moment.

  25. March 8th, 2009 / 2:13 pm davidpeak—

      i don’t know. i got really excited about that for a moment.

  26. March 8th, 2009 / 7:18 pm sasha—

      i use word because i don’t know any better. and am afraid of change.
      but a few months ago i discovered the insert page break option?
      changed my life.

  27. March 8th, 2009 / 3:18 pm sasha—

      i use word because i don’t know any better. and am afraid of change.
      but a few months ago i discovered the insert page break option?
      changed my life.

  28. March 8th, 2009 / 7:24 pm Mike Young—

      the program had a soothing blue background trimmed in orange with white text

      i think you would like the look actually, gene.. it seems like your style..

      but it got too clunky to run on XP

      boooo

      you should design a text editor, gene

  29. March 8th, 2009 / 3:24 pm Mike Young—

      the program had a soothing blue background trimmed in orange with white text

      i think you would like the look actually, gene.. it seems like your style..

      but it got too clunky to run on XP

      boooo

      you should design a text editor, gene

  30. March 8th, 2009 / 7:28 pm ben—

      i want to do this. i also want to start releasing audio-only vhs tapes.

  31. March 8th, 2009 / 3:28 pm ben—

      i want to do this. i also want to start releasing audio-only vhs tapes.

  32. March 8th, 2009 / 8:57 pm jereme—

      pr, please write for aqua teen and tim and eric.

      you are the perfect woman. no joke.

  33. March 8th, 2009 / 4:57 pm jereme—

      pr, please write for aqua teen and tim and eric.

      you are the perfect woman. no joke.

  34. March 8th, 2009 / 9:01 pm jereme—

      i just use notepad. i don’t like word because it has too many features.

      i am pro 3.5″ floppy poetry journal

      shit lets go real old school and do it on the 5″ floppy.

      getting people to read the journal is going to be a bit of a problem. computers stopped shipping with 3.5″ floppy drives a couple years ago. plus most literary types are not the greatest when it comes to technology.

      i still think it is a good idea

  35. March 8th, 2009 / 5:01 pm jereme—

      i just use notepad. i don’t like word because it has too many features.

      i am pro 3.5″ floppy poetry journal

      shit lets go real old school and do it on the 5″ floppy.

      getting people to read the journal is going to be a bit of a problem. computers stopped shipping with 3.5″ floppy drives a couple years ago. plus most literary types are not the greatest when it comes to technology.

      i still think it is a good idea

  36. March 8th, 2009 / 9:39 pm Gene Morgan—

      I had a USB floppy drive, but I doubt I can find it.

      I’ll gladly make the disk labels.

  37. March 8th, 2009 / 5:39 pm Gene Morgan—

      I had a USB floppy drive, but I doubt I can find it.

      I’ll gladly make the disk labels.

  38. March 8th, 2009 / 9:43 pm Gene Morgan—

      I used WriteRoom for a while, but I started spending too much time customizing the interface. If I have too many choices I get distracted.

  39. March 8th, 2009 / 5:43 pm Gene Morgan—

      I used WriteRoom for a while, but I started spending too much time customizing the interface. If I have too many choices I get distracted.

  40. March 8th, 2009 / 10:33 pm darby—

      I use notepad too. I don’t want software trying to control what I’m doing.

  41. March 8th, 2009 / 6:33 pm darby—

      I use notepad too. I don’t want software trying to control what I’m doing.

  42. March 8th, 2009 / 10:52 pm pr—

      I love you Jereme.

  43. March 8th, 2009 / 6:52 pm pr—

      I love you Jereme.

  44. March 9th, 2009 / 12:16 am john sakkis—

      what are you guys talking about? this is completely over my head…i’m going to drink beers with my girlfriend at thieves tavern on guerrero…it’s sunny in san francisco today.

      happy daylight savings!
      love,
      john

  45. March 8th, 2009 / 8:16 pm john sakkis—

      what are you guys talking about? this is completely over my head…i’m going to drink beers with my girlfriend at thieves tavern on guerrero…it’s sunny in san francisco today.

      happy daylight savings!
      love,
      john

  46. March 9th, 2009 / 1:20 am Steven Trull—

      I use, like, a whole fourteen ounce jar of vaseline with a solid glass figurine of Chairman Mao while watching the Marx Bothers.

  47. March 8th, 2009 / 9:20 pm Steven Trull—

      I use, like, a whole fourteen ounce jar of vaseline with a solid glass figurine of Chairman Mao while watching the Marx Bothers.

  48. March 9th, 2009 / 3:14 am daniel bailey—

      i write all my shitty poems in emails addressed to god@fucklife.org. i never send them, i just let them sit in my drafts folder before doing nothing with them.

      i’m just kidding. i use word.

  49. March 8th, 2009 / 11:14 pm daniel bailey—

      i write all my shitty poems in emails addressed to god@fucklife.org. i never send them, i just let them sit in my drafts folder before doing nothing with them.

      i’m just kidding. i use word.

  50. March 9th, 2009 / 3:48 am darby—

      vaseline is useful

  51. March 8th, 2009 / 11:48 pm darby—

      vaseline is useful

  52. March 9th, 2009 / 4:17 am Justin Taylor—

      I do the same thing. For the same reason, too.

  53. March 9th, 2009 / 12:17 am Justin Taylor—

      I do the same thing. For the same reason, too.