From lyx-users  Fri Feb 06 09:18:56 2009
From: Guenter Milde <milde () users ! berlios ! de>
Date: Fri, 06 Feb 2009 09:18:56 +0000
To: lyx-users
Subject: Re: Strategies for Writing Co-operation with Non-LyX Users?
Message-Id: <gmgva0$vm9$1 () ger ! gmane ! org>
X-MARC-Message: https://marc.info/?l=lyx-users&m=123391198013510

On 2009-02-06, A B wrote:
>>> I might have missed something here (I'm sorry in that case) 

Yes, reading the thread from the beginning will help to understand the
complex issue and the various solutions proposed so far...

>>> but are you suggesting a LyX-light version for people that does not
>>> want to use anything but word

For people unwilling to install LaTeX (because it is sooooo big and
arcane).

> I'd say: create converters that are shipped with LyX instead!

Converters will always be lossy, while editing LyX-files in LyX is not.

There is no need to "develop" LyX-light. It is basically an installer
option that only needs to be advertised properly.


> If I may generalize a little....
> The word users are of two kinds: the largest part is the one that will
> never use anything but word no matter what you do. People is still
> educated to learn "Word" not writing and structuring documents. It is
> unfortunatly a waste of developer time to produce a LyX light version
> for these people, I'm affraid.

I agree. Unfortunately, most of them also use a styling style that makes
import of their document most easy if you convert to plain text and
recreate the markup...

> Then there are however some that might install LyX and have a go if
> someone stands behind them and point and tell them what to do. They
> might just as well use LyX.

We just have to point them to the fact that they do not need to install
LaTeX to be able to edit a LyX document in LyX. This lowers the hurdle a
bit.


> What is needed is the ability to let LyX users interact with other
> people. With good  converters that enable LyX users to take a X-file,
> open, edit, and send back a X-file, (where X = word or html or rtf or
> openoffice or xml or even MP3 (with lillypond?) ) you can work with
> LyX in any  environment. 

Document format conversion is lossy "by a natural law". You will see this
even with OO <-> Word, two programs with far more similarity and a
concerted effort (from the OO side) to have a good converter.

I agree that improved converters would help in some situations, but they
cannot truly replace editing in LyX in others.

Günter