Re: Citation

< Next Message | Back to archived message list | Previous Message >

Note: This message is from the outliners.com archive kindly provided by Dave Winer.

Outliners.com Message ID: 4932

Posted by 100341.2151
2006-01-06 16:49:08

> I started with Papyrus for DOS, it is still a great program and a shame that it suddenly came to a mysterious end.

I think the challenge of moving over to Windows, together with the need to provide the ability to download from the web, was too much for the developer to handle. Developer burnout seems to be a regular problem - e.g., KeyNote. I am hoping the Zoot will not be a casualty.

I came to Papyrus quite late, after it became free. My main use of it was to try to find a way of importing plain-text references (mainly in more-or-less APA format) into a bibliographic database. Unlike other bibliographic software, Papyrus provided very good instructions on how to prepare import filters for this purpose, and I managed to import about 2/3rds of my reference lists on one particular topic that way. (It’s probably just as quick, though, to retype the references directly into a bibliographic program :-))

Unfortunately Papyrus does not work as well with XP as it did with WIN98. This seems to be a combination of XP problems and Word 2003 ones. I wondered whether switching to TextMaker might solve the MS-Word part of the problem, but haven’t had time to investigate. I am sure these problems could be resolved (indeed not all users appear to have them), but the Papyrus listserv is pretty quiet these days, so most people have probably switched to a Windows program.

Papyrus aside, I have found it disappointing that Windows bibliographic programs have not advanced as much as one would have expected, given their fairly hefty prices. For me their main drawbacks have been: instability; little advice on importing plain-text references; and (often) limited or no ability to work with word-processers other than Word (and sometimes WordPerfect).

I am becoming tempted by Biblioscape, though, but may wait until v7 - at which time, so the developer assures me, more attention will be paid to the needs of social scientists.

Derek

Back to archived message list