[Ipg-smz] Style your Google Docs to look like WordStar

Thu Nov 21 02:09:33 UTC 2019

In 1988, I taught myself coding in Applesoft BASIC and submitted some of my programs for publishing in a hard copy magazine for teachers -- Teaching and Computers. 

In those days, people would actually type in multiple lines of code from a magazine. 

I was astounded that the magazine bought some of my educational games -- and printed them. Then, teachers in like South Dakota would type my programs into their Apple II 
computers and save them to floppy disk to use with students. 

Those were the days... 

I became a strong coder because I got tired of typing in other people's programs from magazines. Those programs would often have bugs that I would have to squash. 

"I'll just write my own software," I muttered to myself. 

I set up own software company in 1990 -- Balloons Software -- and sold software directly to schools. My biggest fans? School districts in Iowa. Getting handwritten 
fan mail from students was the most fun part of that time in my life. I ended up losing money with that business -- so I closed it in 1995. I still have fond memories of running 
the company, though. My competitor was a giant company, Broderbund, that sold $50 million software per year. 

My company was alphabetically before them in the alphabet -- so when lists of educational software companies were printed, mine showed up above theirs. Crafty, no? 

phil 

From: "ipg-smz" <ipg-smz at netpress.org> 
To: "ipg-smz" <ipg-smz at netpress.org> 
Cc: "Lynn Greiner" <lists at itwriter.com> 
Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2019 8:48:49 PM 
Subject: Re: [Ipg-smz] Style your Google Docs to look like WordStar 

My first computer, a NEC PC8201A, only had a text editor (it was a close relation to the Radio Shack Model 100 – the size and shape of a loose-leaf binder, with a 4 line x 80 character display). My first PC was a Columbia, which ran DOS and came with the Perfect Software suite (later sold to Thorne EMI and promptly killed by its purchaser). Hubby, meanwhile, had a CP/M system – I can’t recall what – and used WordStar. Then again, he was running a BBS on an S100 with 8 inch floppies … 

I was in the beta test for Windows 3.1 – Brad Silverberg ran the beta from a Compuserve forum. That was fun. I’m good at breaking stuff. I think I’ve beta tested every version of Windows – even worked with pre-beta Windows 7. 

From: Ipg-smz <ipg-smz-bounces at netpress.org> On Behalf Of Todd R. Weiss via Ipg-smz 
Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2019 2:33 PM 
To: Ken Hess via Ipg-smz <ipg-smz at netpress.org> 
Cc: Todd R. Weiss <toddrweiss at gmail.com> 
Subject: Re: [Ipg-smz] Style your Google Docs to look like WordStar 

Like Lynn, I arrived later on the tech scene and never used WordStar. 

I feel like I missed out. :) 

But I did get to use DOS and Windows for Workgroups 3.11, and then Windows 95, so that's something. :) 

I love that those of you who were there in the beginning have such amazing experiences to share with the rest of us. 

I am always truly impressed by the leaders, luminaries and experts among our fascinating group. :) 

Best wishes, 

Todd 

:) 

Todd R. Weiss 

Technology Journalist 

Contributor: 

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Formerly with eWEEK.com and Computerworld.com 

TechManTalking 

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On Wed, Nov 20, 2019 at 11:17 AM Mark Brownstein via Ipg-smz < [ mailto:ipg-smz at netpress.org | ipg-smz at netpress.org ] > wrote: 

I had a word processing business before I went both feet into writing. When I started using WordStar, I used a program called Smartkeys to map the Burroughs Redactron keyboard to WordStar. Eventually, I had to migrate over to WordStar. 

On 11/19/2019 11:35 AM, Logan Harbaugh via Ipg-smz wrote: 

BQ_BEGIN

For me, it wasn’t the interface that I miss it was the ability to jump to page 243 of a 400 page document in less than a split jiffy. No distractions, no worrying about formatting, just plain writing. My favorite was Xywrite on CP/M (on a Kaypro II), but the same themes apply. 

Thanks, 

Logan G. Harbaugh 
[ mailto:logan at lharba.com | logan at lharba.com ] 
530-243-1346 
1547 Magnolia Ave. 
Redding, CA 96001 
[ http://www.lharba.com/ | www.lharba.com ] 

From: Ipg-smz [ [ mailto:ipg-smz-bounces at netpress.org | mailto:ipg-smz-bounces at netpress.org ] ] On Behalf Of Phil Shapiro via Ipg-smz 
Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2019 10:23 AM 
To: ipg-smz 
Cc: Phil Shapiro 
Subject: [Ipg-smz] Style your Google Docs to look like WordStar 

We all know that sjvn would much prefer to be writing in WordStar (from circa 1981), using the CP/M operating system. 

Well, now you can, using this importable style for Google Docs. 

[ https://userstyles.org/styles/130410/wordstar-customizable-theme-for-google-docs | https://userstyles.org/styles/130410/wordstar-customizable-theme-for-google-docs ] 

Fun to have open on your laptop when you're at conferences. 

You just tell people nonchalantly, "I prefer writing in WordStar. I just upgraded to the latest version of WordStar. 

(pause) Do you use WordStar, too?" 

phil 

Don't forget to change to Courier font -- for the real thing experience. 

-- 
Phil Shapiro, [ mailto:pshapiro at his.com | pshapiro at his.com ] 
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"Wisdom begins with wonder." - Socrates 
"Learning happens thru gentleness." 

"We must reinvent a future free of blinders so that we can choose from real options." David Suzuki 

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BQ_END

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"Wisdom begins with wonder." - Socrates 
"Learning happens thru gentleness." 
"We must reinvent a future free of blinders so that we can choose from real options." David Suzuki 
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